The Easiest, Fastest and Safest Way to Buy Sapsan Tickets

Welcome on Board and Enjoy the Ride!

Once you have your tickets, look forward to a wonderful, smooth and quick journey on Russia’s and one of the world’s most modern, fast and cutting edge trains - The Sapsan. Buy your ticket safely and securely and then sit back and enjoy the ride!

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The Sapsan Experience

We've collected stories and tips from fellow Sapsan train travelers to help you have the best experience possible. Our Sapsan Experience sections covers the following and more!

• What's it like to ride on a Sapsan train between Moscow and St. Petersburg?
• How to navigate the train stations.
• The best way to buy Sapsan Tickets.
• Food and drink options on the train.
• 10 Reasons to travel aboard a Russian High Speed Train
• Sapsan Travel tips

Learn more

Sapsan Seating

There are 6 different seating classes on every Sapsan train. This ranges from Economy (least expensive) to First Class and Private Conference Cabins.

Whichever option you choose, you can travel with peace of mind knowing that your Sapsan ticket guarantees you a clean, comfortable ride from Moscow to St. Petersburg, or any of the other Sapsan routes.

Economy

Economy+

Dining

Business

First

Conference

Welcome on Board and Enjoy the Ride!

Once you have your tickets, look forward to a wonderful, smooth and quick journey on Russia’s and one of the world’s most modern, fast and cutting edge trains - The Sapsan. Buy your ticket safely and securely and then sit back and enjoy the ride!

Get Started

The Sapsan Train – A History

The fastest and most comfortable train in Russia is the Sapsan. Although high-speed trains have been around for a while, the Sapsan won’t only interest train afficionados. Not only does it exceed the performance of other trains, the Sapsan experience beats out other forms of travel. Getting to Russian airports outside the cities involves a number of steps, including check-ins, baggage and security. If something doesn’t go wrong in one of those steps, passengers still must change to another type of transportation to get from the airport to the city center. The costs and hassles can add up. They accumulate and take time away from seeing the sights or getting things done in Russia.

Meanwhile, the Sapsan train is one smooth ride from city center to city center. In addition to this, Sapsan trains offer larger reclining seats, movies and dining options. Many Sapsan ticket classes include WiFi, a rarity on Russian trains. With so many amenities and more room to move around, it’s no wonder that Sapsan can run ten trains per day on one line.

Free as a Bird

Named for the world’s fastest bird, the peregrine falcon, “Sapsan” trains are the fastest in Russia. They travel up to 250 km/h. To get from Moscow to St. Petersburg takes less than four hours. Meanwhile, overnight trains take over eight hours.

Sapsan’s First Flight

Russian Railways (RZD) signed a contract with Siemens in 2006 to create a high-speed railway based on Germany’s ICE 3 trains. The goal was to create a train line up to Europe’s current standards. On May 7, 2009, the Sapsan began its test runs. The train traveled up to 290 km/h. In December of that year, service began. Additional trains were added over the next years. Today, many Sapsan trains zip around between St. Petersburg, Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod each day.

Controversial Service

Trains that had run at lower prices during the day between Moscow and St. Petersburg were affected by Sapsan’s entrance onto the rails. In towns where the railway passes through, the problems have been worse. Sapsan trains interrupt vehicle and pedestrian traffic dozens of times daily. That’s because these trains require level crossings and run so frequently. With the construction of bridges and underpasses, these problems have diminished in recent years.

Saspan Trains in Russia’s Weather

Weather conditions do affect train travel, although flight cancellations often attract more attention. Those who take trains often know that even leaves on the tracks or light rain can cause problems. However, Sapsan trains can continue high speed service in temperatures as low as -50 degrees Celsius (-58 degrees Fahrenheit).

Sapsan Routes

The Sapsan bullet train currently travels on two routes in Western Russia. The oldest route is St. Petersburg to Moscow via Tver, and the reverse. This route was initiated in 2009 and takes approximately 3.5 hours. Between 5:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., ten trains leave each of the capitals. The departure and arrival stations are Leningradsky Train Station in Moscow and Moskovsky Train Station in St. Petersburg.

A second route was added in 2018. In just eight hours, Sapsan trains travel between St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod once per day via Moscow. They leave Nizhny Novgorod at 5 a.m. At 5 p.m. they depart from St. Petersburg. The ride by Sapsan from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod takes a little under 4 hours.

Modernization

Ten years into the Sapsan’s operation, RZD decided to upgrade the trains. Many trains were modernized by December 2019. They sport three new classes: Comfort, Family and a Suite Cabin. By the end of 2021, JSC RZD hopes to have updated all trains.

Summary

The wonders of Sapsan trains aren’t just for train afficionados. Sapsan trains now speed along the same route that slower but historic trains once did and still do. However, Sapsan trains cut the time in half for most Moscow to St. Petersburg train trips.