Helsinki to St Petersburg by Allegro train
Click for Helsinki - Moscow
Russian & Finnish Railways (RZD & VR) have formed a joint venture to run a high-speed Helsinki-St Petersburg train service called Allegro. From 12 December 2010, two daily Allegro pendolino tilting electric trains started linking central Helsinki with central St Petersburg in an airline-beating 3½ hours, down from the 5½ hours of the old Sibelius and Repin. This was increased to 4 daily departures in May 2011 and in due course the service will be speeded up to 3 hours flat. The 130 mph tilting trains use the existing track, the time is saved by track upgrading, tilting into curves, no longer requiring a time-consuming locomotive change at the frontier, and streamlined border checks. See the photos.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: All trains to/from Russia suspended. Russia's borders were closed due to Covid-19, now they remain closed because of the war in Ukraine. No trains cross-border trains are running at the moment. All international trains to or from Russia are cancelled.
The Russian border station is Vyborg. Check latest times at www.vr.fi.
* IMPORTANT: Russia is now GMT+3 all year round (they keep changing their minds, so check at www.timeanddate.com!), but Finland is GMT+2 in winter, GMT+3 in summer, so the Helsinki times shown above vary by an hour between the last Sunday in October and the last Sunday in March, always check current train times at www.vr.fi.
How much does it cost?
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Helsinki to St Petersburg now has dynamic pricing. So fares start from around €29 one-way in 2nd class or €60 in 1st class if you pre-book, rising to around €80 in 2nd class, €130 in 1st class, if you buy your tickets close to departure date.
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Children aged 6 to 16 (inclusive) travel at half fare. Children under 6 go free.
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You can check fares at www.vr.fi, English button top right, use the regular journey planner on their home page.
How to buy tickets
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Buy tickets online: You can buy Allegro tickets online for travel in either direction at the Finnish railways website www.vr.fi. Select 'EN' for English at top right, then simply use the journey planner, entering 'St. Petersburg (Finlandski)'. You pay online and an e-ticket is emailed to you.
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You can buy Helsinki-St Petersburg tickets at the station reservations office in Helsinki - the office is open 08:30-16:30 Monday-Friday, closed Saturday & Sunday. Or you can call Finnish Railways international reservations on +358 9 2319 2902 - Normally they require you to collect tickets two days before departure, so be prepared to persuade them to allow collection on the day!
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For journeys starting in Russia you can also use the Real Russia online booking system here, with tickets booked online & collected in Moscow. Or you can buy at any main Russian station or online at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru,
What are the trains like?
The Allegro trains are electric tilting pendolino trains, with 1st & 2nd class, plus a proper restaurant car. There's a children's play area, wheelchair spaces, and a conference room. The first class fare includes a snack or light meal, newspapers and tea or coffee from a self-service counter. Allegro trains are all non-smoking. The place of entry into Russia is Vyborg. See Russian news video.
The direct overnight train called the Tolstoi is easily the best way to travel from Helsinki to Moscow. It's safe, cheap, civilised and comfortable. The train has been completely refurbished, there are comfortable sleepers, a restaurant and even business class sleepers with private shower. Border controls have been streamlined.
Update: This train is cancelled until further notice due to sanctions.
* IMPORTANT: Russia is now GMT+3 all year round, but Finland is GMT+2 in winter, GMT+3 in summer, so the Helsinki times shown above vary by an hour between the last Sunday in October and the last Sunday in March, always check at www.vr.fi.
** The Tolstoi doesn't normally run on Saturday nights in either direction, but will run on certain Saturdays including from late May to early September.
Visa entry-exit dates: Travelling to Moscow, you enter Russia the day before you arrive in Moscow. Travelling from Moscow, you leave Russia the day after you leave Moscow. Make sure your Russian visa shows the dates you enter and leave Russia, not the date you arrive in or leave Moscow.
How much does it cost?
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Helsinki to Moscow or vice versa costs €107 one-way per person in a 2nd class 4-berth sleeper, or €158 per person in a 1st class 2-berth sleeper, or €206 in a 1st class sleeper with sole occupancy. A return is twice the one-way fare.
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Travel in a deluxe business class sleeper with private toilet & shower costs €296 per person for two people or €419 for sole occupancy.
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Children aged 6 to 16 (inclusive) travel at half fare. Children under 6 go free.
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You can check these fares at www.vr.fi (English button top right, look for 'international' then 'Russia')
How to buy tickets
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You can buy Helsinki to Moscow or Moscow to Helsinki tickets online at www.vr.fi, booking opens 60 days before departure. Simply click 'EN' top right for English, then use the journey planner to book Helsinki to Moscow (Leningradski) or vice versa. You'll need to enter passport details carefully for each passenger. You pay online and an e-ticket is emailed to you.
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For journeys starting in Russia you can also use the Real Russia online booking system here, with tickets booked online & collected in Moscow. Or you can buy at any main Russian station or online at the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.
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Alternatively, you can buy in person at Helsinki station reservations office (open 08:30-16:30 Monday-Friday, closed Saturday & Sunday) or of course at any main Russian Railways station. You can also book by calling Finnish Railways international reservations office on +358 9 2319 2902.
What is the train like?
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2nd class 4-berth compartments and washbasin. This train now uses the excellent new Austrian-built cars dating from 2014, see panorama photo inside a 4-berth sleeper. Each berth is sold separately, so one ticket gets you one bed. There's a hot shower in the washroom at one end of the corridor. Each compartment has card-key locks. There are more photos of this type of sleeper here.
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1st class 2-berth compartments with washbasin. This train now uses the excellent new Austrian-built cars dating from 2014, see panorama photo inside one of these sleepers. Both beds are lower berths, the compartments are the same as the 2nd class 4-berths but with the two upper berths folded away out of use. If you are travelling solo you can either book one bed in a 2-bed compartment and share, or pay extra for sole occupancy. There's a hot shower in the washroom at one end of the corridor. Each compartment has card-key locks. There are more photos of this type of sleeper here.
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Deluxe sleeping-car with four 2-bed compartments, each with private shower, toilet & DVD entertainment. Only whole compartments are sold, you cannot book one berth in a 2-berth deluxe sleeper. Sometimes referred to as Business class. See the photo below.
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A newly-refurbished bar-restaurant car. The restaurant accepts Euros, US Dollars and Rubles, but not credit cards.
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The coaches on this train were renewed in 2006, and it's a safe, affordable and very comfortable way to travel. Customs and passport formalities are carried out on board the train, no need to get off at the frontier. The Russian border station is Vyborg.
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Traveller Antero Airola says (late 2015): "The business class sleeper was very comfortable and roomy, actually the most comfortable sleeper on a normal train in that I have travelled in any country. Dinner was delicious and there was no need to go to the dining car. As part of the service the attendant gives you the menu and brings your dinner to your compartment or to the bar area at the end of the sleeper (extra charge). You can nowadays make reservations for both Helsinki to Moscow and Moscow to Helsinki at www.vr.fi and print them on your printer. No need to go to any station."
