Train tickets to Russia

• Children and groups get discounts on train tickets.
  
• Interrail and Eurail pass holders get discounts on the Allegro trip for the part travelled in Finland. Discounts are only available at VR ticket sales at stations.
  

The Allegro train service is discontinued for now. We will refund the price of the Allegro ticket purchased for the cancelled departure free of charge.

Cancel your ticket and claim for refund by calling our Customer Support 0100 3232 (0,06 €/min 0,06 €/min + lnc/mcc, Mon-Fri 5 am – 10 pm and Sat-Sun 7 am - 10 pm) or by filling out the cancellation form.

Sales locations

Tickets must be purchased in advance, as they are not sold onboard the train. 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.

• 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:

1. Signed visa application form
   
2. Passport that is valid six months after the trip
   
3. Official passport photograph that is not older than six months
   
4. Certificate stating that your travel insurance is valid from the insurance company
   
5. 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.