Europe Trains Guide Forum | Profile of jfk | Show Posts | Messages
Messages |
Topics |
Attachments
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
Messages - jfk
16
« on: February 07, 2011, 03:55:29 pm »
Btw, if you are ready to play a small trick, then it is possible to save in such situation anyway. Just purchase 3 sleeper reservations for the same compartment (2/3, Tourist), it will cost you app. same price as 2 reservations for double. Afterward at another ticket counter - two 2nd class tickets. When boarding the train just hide one out of three reservations and show conductor only two 2nd class tickets and 2 sleeper reservations. Nice trick, but the problem is that some cashiers are not willing to sell just reservations without buying the underlying tickets (or at least showing the tickets if they were bought in advance). But as we already started with tricks (an how to beat the system), there's another one which gives you a comfort of a single compartment for even less money: You firstly purchase one 2nd class ticket and reservation T3 for yourself. Then, in another counter, you will purchase 2 tickets for people older than 70 years plus 2 reservations T3 to the same compartment as before. Those tickets for seniors are extra cheap (0,17 EUR for each 50 km, so Bratislava - Kosice costs 1,49 EUR) and you don't need any identity card to buy them. Or you can buy all those tickets and reservations on-line.
17
« on: February 07, 2011, 02:51:11 pm »
Slovak Rail website is correct, anyone travelling in a single or double compartment within Slovakia needs 1st class ticket. This is different to international travel, where 2nd class ticket for double is sufficient.
18
« on: August 20, 2010, 12:38:30 am »
According to www.slovakrail.sk, the only limitation of Wien tickets is as follows: "S účinnosťou od 26. októbra 2009 je pri cestovných lístkoch Wien Ticket a Wien Ticket + Z 100 obmedzená možnosť cestovania do Viedne na prvé tri dni platnosti cestovného lístka. Cestovný lístok na cestu „späť“ je možné využiť počas celého času platnosti uvedeného na cestovnom lístku, to znamená jeden mesiac."It says that as of 26 October 2009, the outward part of the Wien Ticket or Wien Ticket + Z 100 is valid only for first three days of the ticket validity. Return journey can be completed at any time within ticket validity (which is one month).
19
« on: August 16, 2010, 09:16:38 pm »
Thanks for the offer! But I already invested in Russian transit visa and platskart ticket Kharkiv - Aktobe. And my motivation is that I really want to make the entire journey overland  I already wrote to two travel agencies in Aktobe if they could book me a ticket. No responses so far. So I plan to make a trip to Uzhgorod during the weekend via Velki Slemenci/Mali Selmenci border crossing (I always wanted to try this route) and eventually pay 556 UAH for the ticket Aktobe - Almaty. I know that the domestic ticket costs as little as 13 EUR but I think I'm not going to take the risk of being stuck in western Kazakhstan. Especially if I have only three weeks out of work and my plane home is departing from Kunming
20
« on: August 16, 2010, 05:58:41 pm »
Could you please tell me where I can check those prices in UAH online? Ok, no need to answer, I just discovered the magic checkbox on E-kvytok site
21
« on: August 16, 2010, 05:33:56 pm »
One more question, which just popped in my mind. If Ukraine is included in MPT tariff, is it possible to buy ticket from Kazakhstan to China in Ukraine?
22
« on: August 16, 2010, 05:18:09 pm »
Thanks for detailed answer. Yes, but the problem is that in Ukraine "platskart" ticket Aktobe-Alma-Ata will cost more than in Russia* - 556 UAH for "platskart" (for trains #24 and #34) and 508 UAH for #380. While "kupe" will be app. the same - 871 UAH (for trains #24 and #34) and 798 UAH respectively for train #380.
Could you please tell me where I can check those prices in UAH online? I know that I can check them on RZD site in Roubles but I really didn't know that some UZ - based site exists, too. Ideally, I'd like to start my journey on 28th August (Saurday morning) as I cannot start earlier and also I don't want to start later as I want to use my vacation days to maximum. Simferopol - Almaty train is great, but I doubt if I can catch it as it starts from Simferopol on Sunday morning and it is really a long way to go from Bratislava. You know, I want to use only trains all the way  Moreover, I just checked with UZ e-kvytok site, which shows only 6 free places in Ljuks category for 29.8. for brutal price of 4127 UAH. For those reasons I chosed the Kharkiv - Tashkent train departing each Monday from Kharkiv and Aktobe as the first big city in Kazakhstan where I can stretch my legs and walk after 50 hours in train. I assumed that I can easily continue with domestic tickets to Almaty but seemingly I underestimated the domestic demand...
23
« on: August 16, 2010, 02:01:57 pm »
According to the cashier, reservations are not available for either of the domestic trains or the Moscow train...  You proposed that I can purchase the ticket also during some long stop in Russia. But if it's possoble in Russia, it should be also possible in Ukraine, e.g. in Chop?
24
« on: August 15, 2010, 10:36:17 pm »
Thanks.. I know that City Star RZD is great, it's pity that there's nothing similar for Kazakhstan.
Anyway, apart from domestic trains you mentioned, there's also a train #7 Moscow - Almaty via Aktobe. And this seems to be quite important international train. I'll see tomorrow about the availibility of buying reservations here in Bratislava.
25
« on: August 15, 2010, 04:06:11 pm »
Thanks! I just checked with www.jizdenka.cz and you're right, the system really recognizes the journey! Almaty - Aktobe bought in Slovakia costs indeed 65 EUR without reservation. Now, it's nice to know that one-way ticket Bratislava - Almaty 2 costs 196,90 EUR  Just for my curiosity, I will check the price of reservations in the train station. I'm aware of the Kazakh on-line purchasing system pcentre.kz, but most probably it only accepts cards issued in Kazakhstan. I managed to get through all the necessary steps but eventually my payment was declined. Well, it seems that I'm going to contact some hotels or travel agencies in Aktobe and ask them to book my ticket in advance. Maybe one out of three will respond positively  As an insurance, (as I'm on tight schedule) I think of booking a fully-flexible, fully refundable air ticket with Air Astana which should cost around 30 000 tenge.
26
« on: August 15, 2010, 10:01:34 am »
IHello,
I'm planning an overland trip by train from Slovakia to China via Chop - Kyjiv - Kharkiv - Saratov - Aktobe - Almaty -Urumqi. Two weeks ago, I was in Ukraine where I bought tickets as far as Aktobe in Kazakhstan, where I will arrive onboard of Kharkiv - Tashkent train.
In Aktobe, I plan to have a stop for one day. However, I'm afraid that when I will arrive, all tickets for the trains to Almaty for the next day will be sold out. Therefore I would like to ask you if it is possible to buy sleeper reservation for Aktobe - Almaty train in Slovakia. And if yes, will I manage to buy the ticket without reservation in Aktobe?
I would like to also know about some reliable travel agency in Almaty to book me the Almaty - Urumqi train. I have found some in the internet but if you have any personal experience or reccomendations it would be very helpful. Thanks.
|