Questions about the Slovakian CityStar ticket to Russia

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Little off topic,

CityStar Serbia-Russia/Russia-Serbia isn't available anymore 
But there is still CityStar Russia-Montenegro (probably Montenegro-Russia too). CityStar Vladivostok-Podgorica via Ukraine, Romania and Serbia costs 232 EUR.

@John

Maybe, the best solution is to buy Split - Satoraljaujhely ticket, and then just walk to Slovenske Nove Mesto, and catch there train to Moscow.

As far as we know, it is not a problem at all. Nothing forbids you to use your ticket only on parts of the route and definitely nobody in Russia checks for Slovak conductor stamps.

Excellent!!

Obviously May, it's always period before first day of validity, thus formula is "your dep.date-60 days" 

Hm... This could be a problem I think. If the reservations are only avaliable 60 days in advance, then this would mean that in May I can buy the reservations to Moscow and onwards to Vladivostok, but not for the return. Basically, I would have to go to Slovakia twice, or risk getting reservations for the eastern legs of my journey by going to Slovakia just once in June.      

@John

Maybe, the best solution is to buy Split - Satoraljaujhely ticket, and then just walk to Slovenske Nove Mesto, and catch there train to Moscow.

I guess so. But it seems that there is no longer a direct train to catch. I would have to go to Satoraljaujhely by train, walk over to Slovenske Nove Mesto, catch the train to Cierna nad Tisou, and from there catch a local train to Chop, and there catch the train from Budapest to Moscow.

The timetable to Moscow is very reasonable, since I would arrive in Budapest from Split at 10:54

Code: [Select]

Budapest-Keleti         16:00
Satoraljaujhely         20:09

Slovenske Nove Mesto    21:19
Cierna nad Tisou        21:57  

Cierna nad Tisou        22:44
Chop                 00:30  

Chop                    04:18
Moskva Kievskaja        10:58   +1
On return, My train to Split from Budapest leaves at 17:05 so the timetable is like this

Code: [Select]

Moskva Kievskaja        22:13
Chop                    03:00   +2

Chop                    04:10
Cierna nad Tisou        05:16  

Cierna nad Tisou        05:59
Slovenske Nove Mesto    06:35

Satoraljaujhely         07:47
Budapest-Keleti         12:00
This would be very rough night so I would like to avoid it.

Can you or tUt please tell me, if i bought a return ticket from Split to Zahony via Budapest in Croatia with the 60% discount, how much would the regular ticket from Zahony to Chop cost?

If the reservations are only avaliable 60 days in advance

Well, for domestic routes RZD sells tickets only 45 days in advance, thus it's reasonable to think that reservations can be bought as well only 45 days in advance. That is just a difference between East-West tariff timing and RZD domestic.
But don't they have access to EPA in Croatia? Or maybe any agency having DB terminal or something? Since anyway East-West reservations for domestic Russian travel not necessarily need to be bought in Slovakia or Russia. Actual fare will be the same no matter whether you purchase it in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia etc. (it also funny that in Russia itself they will be more expensive comparing to the above places, since there you need to add VAT, if it's still the case)

how much would the regular ticket from Zahony to Chop cost?

One-way purchased in Hungary will cost you around 2 EUR (or a bit more in case you purchase it outside of MAV/UZ)

The timetable to Moscow is very reasonable

Just want to remind you that East-West reservations for RZD carriages in cases of UZ-RZD routes are really expensive (comparing to UZ carriages), so it's better to count on either MAV-RZD or ZSSK-RZD (and vice verso) or avoid "Tisza" with RZD carriages.

Well, for domestic routes RZD sells tickets only 45 days in advance, thus it's reasonable to think that reservations can be bought as well only 45 days in advance. That is just a difference between East-West tariff timing and RZD domestic.
But don't they have access to EPA in Croatia? Or maybe any agency having DB terminal or something? Since anyway East-West reservations for domestic Russian travel not necessarily need to be bought in Slovakia or Russia. Actual fare will be the same no matter whether you purchase it in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia etc. (it also funny that in Russia itself they will be more expensive comparing to the above places, since there you need to add VAT, if it's still the case)

I sent a mail to a Croatian agency that says, on its website, it is connected to the DB system so I hope they will answer: "Yes, you can buy reservations in Croatia." Hold your fingers crossed!!

If not... Complicationsssss!! 

Just want to remind you that East-West reservations for RZD carriages in cases of UZ-RZD routes are really expensive (comparing to UZ carriages), so it's better to count on either MAV-RZD or ZSSK-RZD (and vice verso) or avoid "Tisza" with RZD carriages.

I'm not sure I understood you. Are you saying that I should buy reservations for any carriage except a Russian one? Or are you saying that I should buy the reservation for the train via Ukraine in Hungary or Slovakia, regardless of which carriage I end up in?

I sent a mail to a Croatian agency that says, on its website, it is connected to the DB system...

Did you try just asking from regular HZ (international) ticket counter? As far as we remember, issuance of international reservations in Croatia is computerized, so why not to try.

Are you saying that I should buy reservations for any carriage except a Russian one? Or are you saying that I should buy the reservation for the train via Ukraine in Hungary or Slovakia, regardless of which carriage I end up in?

We saying that you either should buy ZSSK/MAV-Moscow direct reservation (even if you board 'Tisza' in Chop) or, in case you somehow end up in Chop without any reservation yet, buy reservations for UZ carriages (thus Chop-Kiev and then Kiev-Moscow, for the later leg it obviously won't be 'Tisza'). Definitely first option is cheaper and less hassle.
We just tried to warn about avoiding precisely Chop-Moscow reservation for 'Tisza' (with only RZD carriages on full route)

Well, after more than a month I can say that the agency hasn't responded, and since I was sick a lot, I checked on the train station just today.

The clerk told me that they have that ability (sell reservations for russian trains) but that they have to know which train and date (obviously) and then they will try (doesn't sound to reassuring though).

I forgot to ask her, are the reservation prices the same in every country or not?

Well, after more than a month I can say that the agency hasn't responded

C'est la vie, no is no, will manage without them

I forgot to ask her, are the reservation prices the same in every country or not?

Should be the same*, it's almost certainly access via EPA, for which RZD just submits standard table of fares (the same everywhere)

*actually might be even cheaper, because of VAT. It used to be included when purchase in Russia, but you don't pay it when buying same thing elsewhere, but maybe something changed with this VAT thing. Don't know about RZD, but UZ had some strange changes with it, they first canceled it, but then like added almost the same sum to the standard reservation fare 

Little off topic,

CityStar Serbia-Russia/Russia-Serbia isn't available anymore 
But there is still CityStar Russia-Montenegro (probably Montenegro-Russia too). CityStar Vladivostok-Podgorica via Ukraine, Romania and Serbia costs 232 EUR.

Small correction 

CityStar is available, but not for solo passanger, only from 2 till 5. Price is arround 35 000 RSD for 2 passengers from Beograd to Vladivostok via CFR and UZ.

Price is arround 35 000 RSD for 2 passengers from Beograd to Vladivostok via CFR and UZ.

Actually not that bad in terms of price, it makes it just slightly over 200 EUR as base fare, which is already comparable to ZSSK-RZD, especially taking into consideration additional bonus in form of wondering around quite a few interesting destinations in Romania 

Hmmm, quite weird things from ZSSK...

Today I sent e-mail to them requiring about City Star on route Šturovo - Tumangan(Gr) and they gave me the price of 268,78 EUR via UZ, which is totally different then they told me earlier in December and also different from info I got from RZD side (both varied between 165-168 EUR) for RZD>1500 km.

I thought maybe somebody incompetent answered me and mistakenly gave me the price for one way east-west tariff ticket. So after that I asked for the price of City Star Šturovo - Ussuriisk for 2 persons, and they gave me the price of 295,92 EUR via UZ which also doesn't fit the previus...

At least one of those prices (if not both) they gave is wrong...

Today I sent e-mail to them requiring about City Star on route Šturovo - Tumangan(Gr) and they gave me the price of 268,78 EUR via UZ...

Good chances that this is exactly East-West tariff, at least price level looks really similar. It's even possible to guess where the mistake comes from, imho, from the issue regarding 'gr.', so if ZSSK official checked via computer (probably did), then it wouldn't show CityStar option for 'gr./fr.' points, but only East-West.

City Star Šturovo - Ussuriisk for 2 persons, and they gave me the price of 295,92 EUR via UZ which also doesn't fit the previus...

Doubt ZSSK raised price that suddenly (meaning from 165 to 197), especially considering that we know exactly fare for RZD >1500km-ZSSK 'ekonomnyi zeny' that was recently discussed on one russian forum and it's basically the same (169 EUR). Anyway, in this case it's even difficult to imagine how it's possible to end up with 295, unless it's something like incorrectly calculated percentage of discount for the additional passenger.
Well, we'll try also to email ZSSK and ask not about particular route, but generally about ZSSK-RZD>1500, let us what they will answer.

It's even possible to guess where the mistake comes from, imho, from the issue regarding 'gr.', so if ZSSK official checked via computer (probably did), then it wouldn't show CityStar option for 'gr./fr.' points, but only East-West.

So, if I understood correctly City Star option for border points isn't available?

...City Star option for border points isn't available?

It is available, but only with non-computerized tickets (unless ZSSK stopped issuing those). While with 'standard' ones, system just doesn't allow to choose any point after last real RZD station, at least it used to be like this.