First class ticket in East West tariff for the same route costs 39.90 EUR (according to www.jizdenka.cz)
If the prices are correct, it would mean that for some domestic Russian trains it is cheaper to purchase ticket & reservation abroad using East-West tariff than to buy them in Russia.
So nowadays actual bargain can be only MPT with relatively cheap reservations, but here also certain limitations are present.
That way, for example reservations Harkov - Vladivostok in platskartniy will be only 46 EUR, or Kiev - Vladivostok in kupe 85 EUR.
Rasha, you have some very interesting info here. However, I could not find the connection Kiev (Harkov) - Vladivostok in UZ reservations tables you provided. Therefore, my question is: Is it possible to get somewhere the definite list of trains/direct sleeping cars in former CIS countries on which is possible to purchase reservations using East-West tariff?
For UZ interstate and domestic prices you can see here: http://zakon1.rada.gov.ua/cgi-bin/laws/main.cgi?nreg=z0806-08 (Ukrainian language only, add 20% to showed price on ukrainan website due to a taxes).
Quote from: tUt on April 03, 2011, 03:38:08 pm So nowadays actual bargain can be only MPT with relatively cheap reservations, but here also certain limitations are present. And using UZ, BČ and KZH cars on domestic Russian trips Citystar.
There's only problem because you cannot buy reservation for inland RŽD connection in BČ car via EPA or in Russia for East-West tariff. But you can buy for example Irkutsk - Orscha (first Belarus station), and leave the train in Moscow. You will pay 56 EUR for reservation Irkutsk - Orscha in BČ car instead of 156 EUR for reservation Irkutsk - Moskva in RŽD car.
But question is what will happen in opposite direction if you have reservation Orscha - Irkutsk and you want to board the train in Moscow.
Just out of my curiosity, is it possible to book also VIP compartments in Krasnaya Strela using East-West tarrif? The domestic price as quoted on rzd.ru is over 16 000 RUB (415 EUR). Now that would be awesome if the E-W tarriff does not differentiate between the categories SV and SV-VIP
Similar cool trick here is also use of Irkutsk/Novosibirsk etc.-Terespol reservations (basically it frees you from BČ carriages, thus can use relatively low populated RZD RIC instead). RZD-BČ reservations with East-West is actually more expensive than RZD-PKP, so Novosibirsk-Brest reservation is more expensive than Novosibirsk-Terespol etc. But if you original idea is Moscow, than, I guess, there just a need to look which one will be cheaper (depending on your starting destination) - X-Orsha (with BČ) or X-Terespol (with RZD).
Imho, nothing. You have all the necessary travel docs (ticket+reservation for certain route) and it doesn't matter whether you board the train at the station listed as starting (in your case Orsha) or any other throughout the actual route (for instance Moscow). Similar question was many times discussed about domestic tickets and boarding on station later than originating. Some time ago passenger was suppose to send free telegram and notify about late boarding, but later this rule was dropped, so now you can board the train at any station of the route.
And in my expirience it's more comfortable to use wide profile kupe (T4) carriages then narrow RIC T3.
there could be one problem with this in CIS countries because in lot of cases tickets at en-route stations are sold only few hours before departure and without berth number specified, only carriage. Provodnik showes free places to them. So if you board later your berth can be occupied.
BČ: http://dijszabas.uw.hu/dijszabas/download.php?fname=./Feheroroszorszag_BC/BC%20halokocsiarak.xlsRŽD: http://dijszabas.uw.hu/dijszabas/download.php?fname=./Oroszorszag_RZD/RZD%20h%E1l%F3kocsi%E1rak%202010.xlsUZ: http://dijszabas.uw.hu/dijszabas/download.php?fname=./Ukrajna_UZ/ukran%20halokocsiarak.xls[/url
Sadly, my pc does not recognise those file names, any idea on how to proceed?
Do BC and RZD publish MPT and MGPT fares somewhere?
Jizdenka states a certain amount for Polish-Russian journeys (yet not fixed, as Terespol-Naushki is cheaper than Naushki-Vladivistok). Is this the East-West Fare? Any discount available in Polish-Russian trafic (such as City Star)? Same question on jizdenka quotes for Belarus-Russia very long-distance trafic? Is this TCV, Domestic fare or MPT?
Quote from: Direct-Orient on May 02, 2011, 12:54:35 am Do BC and RZD publish MPT and MGPT fares somewhere? Well, MGPT fares you can actually check on BC and RZD websites (and even purchase tickets), since both websites offer access to "Ekspress" system.
With MPT it is a bit more complicated, since neither BC or RZD publish there tariff tables. With RZD you can actually check real time MPT fares, but the service is available either for cashiers (thus you need to go to the ticket counter yourself and ask) or on paid website, thus no free online source.
And no, there is no CityStar from Poland or Czech Republic to Russia or Belarus. CityStars to Russia available only from Slovakia, Serbia and Bulgaria. With PKP-RZD the only discounts are for groups >6 and children (more here http://pass.rzd.ru/isvp/public/pass?STRUCTURE_ID=737)The only convenience with Czech CD, is that they sell tickets to and within Russia with 30% from standard East-West fare, so jiizdenka shows already fare with discount.
Interestingly, RZD website, english version, as last updated, now shows 2 different fares for journeys to North Korea via Khasan/Tumangan: North Korean and Russian sleeping-cars. Seems very recent.
It also seems that there are RZD sleeping-cars Novossibirsk-Beijing running via Naushki, on supposedly Chinese-fitted Train 003/004.
Paid website, what do you exactly mean?
If MPT fares are not publically avialable while only a sample of MGPT fares is advertised, comparing fare options isn't gonna be that easy.
So, I can get 30% off the full fare Frankfurt (O) (Gr) - Naushki (Gr) f I buy such ticket from CD?
Is City-Star Slovakia-Russia also valid via Warsaw? or Shall I only travel via Chop (and then Bryansk) ?
And I actually meant Terespol-Naushki and Terespol-Vladivostok
Not that recent, there are two Russian carriages running till Tumangan with "Rossiya" #1/2 train since Dec. 2010 (#25 and #26). Officially they are connected with domestic Korean train Tumangan-Pyongyang. Previously running carriages via China canceled.
Also, as far as we know, RZD closed sale of tickets for this new carriages for any domestic routes in Russia.
Primarily meaning http://www.express-3.ru/ , as far as we know, it the only webresource actually showing real time international fares (including MPT). But in order to gain access, you need paid subscription ("Доступ к системе "АСУ Экспресс" в справочном режиме можно получить, оформив подписку на данную услугу"). But on Russian forums there are people with access to such info, so if you really interested we can point out whom to ask
Yep, Frankfurt (O) (Gr) - Naushki (Gr) cost 217.9 EUR
Actually there are two CityStars ZSSK-RZD, one is via UZ and the other one via PKP-BC. But the later is almost twice as expensive (233 vs. 120 EUR). Plus most of foreign travelers tend to avoid Belarus, because of extra visa problems.