Train tickets to Russia
Allegro to St. Petersburg
The Allegro train offers you an affordable, top-class ride to the magnificent St. Petersburg in just a couple hours. You can buy tickets for the Allegro train operating between Helsinki and St. Petersburg 90 days before the date of travel. With Allegro, you can also travel to Vyborg.
Tolstoi ticket to Moscow
Tolstoi is an atmospheric night train travelling to Moscow. You can buy tickets for the Tolstoi train 90 days before the date of travel. Tickets from EUR 56 Helsinki–Moscow.
About the Allegro ticket
- Changes must be made at least 6 hours before the train’s departure.
- Change and cancellation fee: EUR 10/passenger/ticket
- The Allegro ticket includes a commuter train connection to Helsinki Airport, which is valid for 80 minutes before the departure or after the arrival of Allegro.
- Groups have their own terms of payment, which are introduced in the terms and conditions for traffic between Finland and Russia.
Sales locations
You can buy an Allegro ticket on our old website (only with a computer), from VR ticket sales at stations, from our customer service and from several travel agencies.
Please note when booking the journey
Report the passport information of all passengers boarding the train (name, date of birth, passport number and nationality) when buying or booking tickets.
If you are travelling with a pet, you can buy your ticket only from VR ticket sales at stations or our customer service. Read more about travelling with pets.
About the Tolstoi ticket
- Changes must be made at least 6 hours before the train’s departure.
- Change and cancellation fee: EUR 10/passenger/ticket
- Groups have their own terms of payment, which are introduced in the terms and conditions for traffic between Finland and Russia.
Sales locations
You can buy a Tolstoi ticket from our old website (only with a computer), from VR ticket sales at stations, from our customer service and from several travel agencies.
Please note when booking the journey
Report the passport information of all passengers boarding the train (name, date of birth, passport number and nationality) when buying or booking tickets.
If you are travelling with a pet, you can buy your ticket only from VR ticket sales at stations or our customer service. Please book the entire compartment, if you are travelling with a pet. Read more about travelling with pets.
Travel documents
When travelling to Russia, you need a visa, which you can apply for at travel agencies. You can now get a discount of 10% on tourist visas from Lähialuematkat. The processing of a visa application takes 1–2 weeks. You also need a passport that is valid for six months after your trip. Children must have their own passports.
Two copies of a Russian entry card will be filled in on the train. You must carry the other copy stamped by the Russian border control at all times when staying in Russia.
The visa must be valid when crossing the border. Please remember this especially when travelling with the overnight Tolstoi train which crosses the border on the day following the departure.
How to obtain a visa to Russia
All Finnish citizens need a visa when travelling to Russia. Please obtain the visa well in advance before the trip.
- A single-entry visa is usually suitable for independent travellers.
- Passengers on a group journey need a group visa. A group visa can be granted to a group with at least 5 Finnish citizens.
- Frequent business travellers can apply for a long-stay visa. Visa fees depend on the application location and duration of the stay.
- E-visas are currently unavailable for Allegro trains.
- E-visas cannot be used when travelling across the border with Allegro. According to the Russian authorities, the delay is temporary and is caused by a lack of technical readiness. E-visas will become available for rail traffic later—according to estimates, by 2021 at the latest.
- According to the Russian authorities, the widespread adoption of e-visas requires the authorities to have the necessary equipment at all border crossing points. For rail traffic, this means mobile solutions for Russian border control that enable the checking of visas on a moving train.
- We will monitor the situation and communicate possible changes through our channels. Further information.
- You can apply for a visa from a Finnish travel agency or the Russia Visa Application Service Centre in Helsinki.
- An invitation from the host organisation in Russia is required for a visa. The travel agency service includes the acquisition of the invitation. You can send the documents required for the visa to the travel agency by post or by visiting the agency.
- When applying for a visa from the Russia Visa Application Service Centre in Helsinki, you have to obtain the invitation yourself, which requires visiting the Centre. The Russia Visa Application Service Centre in Helsinki charges only an administrative fee. Travel agencies usually charge their own service charge in addition to the administrative fee.
Remember to check the accuracy of your visa information before the trip!
How long does it take to obtain a visa?
It usually takes around two weeks to get the visa. You can get the visa sooner by paying the express processing fee.
You need to attach the following documents to the visa application:
- Signed visa application form
- Passport that is valid six months after the trip
- Official passport photograph that is not older than six months
- Certificate stating that your travel insurance is valid from the insurance company
- In Russia, children must also have their own passports
The visa must be valid when crossing the border. Remember this especially when travelling with the overnight Tolstoi train. The train crosses the border in both directions on the day following the departure. For example, if the train departs on Wednesday, the visa must be valid also on Thursday.
A Russian entry card is always filled in two copies on the train before crossing the border to Russia. The conductor or car attendant provides the entry cards on the train. You must carry the other copy stamped by the Russian border control at all times in Russia. Border and customs checks are performed on a moving train. During the check, you have to show your passport and visa.
Allegro train services
Read more about Allegro’s diverse services and make your trip an overall experience!
Tolstoi train to Moscow
Tolstoi is the only train travelling from Helsinki all the way to Moscow. The train is known for offering excellent services and an authentic Russian night train atmosphere.
Passengers travelling to or from Vainikkala
Vainikkala is an international crossing point. When departing from Vainikkala, you must go through the border and customs checks before boarding the train. Due to the check, you should be at the station 40 minutes before the departure of the train, at the latest. Groups must reserve 50 minutes for the check.
Passengers travelling to or from Vyborg
Border and customs checks for passengers getting off or boarding in Vyborg are performed in the check facilities on the 2nd floor of Vyborg train station. The checks of an individual passenger and small groups take 40 minutes and large groups an hour.
Did you know?
Night train traffic from Helsinki to Leningrad started in 1953. In 1954, night trains ran from Helsinki to Moscow via Leningrad.
Comfort on the train
In 1990, a bar car was introduced in the Moscow train. A saloon car or business class was connected to the train in 1995.