We want to refuse tickets in Lithuania. Train to Nesterov: how to travel to Europe cheaply. Return ticket and return to Russia

Dear friends, in addition to interesting promotions, assemblies and special offers that we are looking for and publishing for you, on the website website There will be a section “Life hack from Hacktrip”, where we will tell you about various tricks that you can use while traveling to save money or time.

Life hack No. 1: From Moscow and St. Petersburg to Vilnius for 1,300 rubles

Of course, you noticed that after a sharp decline in oil prices in the second half of 2014, the ruble fell, and the already expensive prices for direct flights from Moscow and St. Petersburg to Europe became extremely expensive. And then travelers began to look for other, cheaper flight options to other countries. And if St. Petersburg has Tallinn, Riga and, to a lesser extent, Helsinki nearby, where you can get to relatively quickly and inexpensively and from there extremely cheaply with the help of low-cost airlines (RyanAir, Wizz Air, EasyGet, etc.) to fly further, then Muscovites are faced with problem - what is the cheapest way to get to these same low-cost airlines? Everything is very simple:

Buy a ticket from Moscow, St. Petersburg, or another city in Russia (through which trains to Kaliningrad pass) to the city of Nesterov- the first station after crossing the Lithuanian-Russian border, and they themselves get off in Vilnius! What's the point? And the point is that it’s a reserved seat ticket to Nesterov costs about 1200-1300 rubles, and the same reserved seat on the same train to Vilnius costs about 4500 rubles. Feel the difference.

Why is this even necessary?

Wizz Air and RyanAir fly from Vilnius and Kaunas, on which you can fly for pennies. Ticket price starts about t 4.5 euros (350 rubles).

Find cheap tickets using skyscanner.ru

So, what is needed for this tricky transit? Step-by-step instruction:

1. International passport. How did you think about traveling around Europe without traveling abroad? That's right - no way.
2. Open Schengen visa. If you don’t have one, then the trick of getting out in Vilnius won’t work for you - they simply won’t let you out of the station. If you are heading to the Kaliningrad region, you need to issue a simplified railway travel document (STD - Railway). It is issued free of charge. When purchasing a ticket at the box office, your data is sent to the Lithuanian embassy, ​​where they make a decision within 48 hours whether to allow you to transit through the territory of Lithuania or not. This can be found at any Russian Railways ticket office. In case of refusal, the money for the ticket will be returned to you in full. The UPD itself is given to you by a consular representative right on the train. However, we are now considering another option, with an outlet in Vilnius.
3. Buying a ticket at the Russian Railways ticket office. Since this is an international train and passenger data is checked by representatives of the Lithuanian embassy, ​​you cannot buy a ticket via the Internet - only at the ticket office. The cashiers will persistently ask you to issue a UTD-ZhD. If you have Schengen, try to explain that you don’t need it. It will turn out well. If it doesn’t work out, that’s fine.
4. Get on the train. You cross the border safely. At the Lithuanian border in the town of Kyana, give your passport to the brave Lithuanian border guards with Schengen visa and say that you are getting off in Vilnius.
5. Get off in Vilnius. Go into the underground passage. Show your passport to the Lithuanian border guard at the booth, already stamped and with an open Schengen visa. He lets you through and you are almost in civilized Europe!

Could they not let you out of the carriage in Vilnius?

Legally, no. If you have an open Schengen. When I drove along this route, I specifically checked whether I could get off in Vilnius. All Lithuanian representatives, including the assistant consul and all the border guards, said that yes, I have the right to do this. The only thing is that it is now forbidden to go out onto the platform, so you may simply not be allowed back on the train. Although, such actions are also not legal.
Some carriages have grumpy conductors, but you can tell them until the last minute that you are going to Nesterov, and get off in Vilnius. They won't grab your hands. Well, if you just forgot to return your laundry.

Is it possible to do this trick in the opposite direction by buying a ticket from Nesterov, but boarding the train in Vilnius?

Can. However, we haven’t tried it ourselves, so we can’t say 100% Can. I have not encountered any cases of refusal to board a train, but there have been cases of remarks from both Lithuanian border guards and grumpy conductors. Although, most representatives of Russian Railways seem to be adequate and themselves advise doing so.

What other options?

Get to Kybartai (Lithuanian border town near Russia). There, cross the border on foot and take a bus to Nesterov and sit there calmly. It is most convenient if you fly to Kaunas.

The second option is to buy a train ticket from Vilnius to Minsk, and from there to Moscow. It's more expensive. But it’s calmer.

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We advise you to find the best prices using the service roomguru.ruBooking, agoda etc.).

What other benefits can be derived from this transit?

There is information that in this way people export funds and luxury goods from the Russian Federation that they do not want or cannot declare. How? They say when crossing the Belarusian border that they are going to the Kaliningrad region. The ticket confirms this. So there is no reason for customs inspection - you are traveling from Russia to Russia.

This route is also used by people who are prohibited from leaving the Russian Federation due to decisions of tax and other authorities. But I hope this is not your case

In addition, such a trick can be done if you need to go to Belarus, for example, from Moscow to Minsk or from St. Petersburg to Vitebsk. Because tickets to Nesterov are cheaper.

From what other cities do trains go to Kaliningrad?

Trains are currently running from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Adler. Accordingly, this trick can be performed from those cities where the indicated trains stop along the route. Plus, there used to be a Chelyabinsk train. Maybe they'll launch it again.

So what route and through which countries do trains go to Kaliningrad?

Trains pass through the territory of Belarus and Lithuania. You can see an example of the Moscow – Kaliningrad train route below.

There are few options, although previously the St. Petersburg train went through the territory of Latvia, but in the last couple of years the Latvians have banned transit to Kaliningrad, so the St. Petersburg - Kaliningrad train goes through Belarus, in particular through Vitebsk.

Why is a ticket to Nesterov and Kaliningrad cheaper than a ticket to Vilnius? You travel less, but you have to pay more!

The answer, in fact, lies in the map of Russia. And this answer is the Kaliningrad region. Historically, after the defeat of Nazi Germany, it was decided to divide the territory of East Prussia in half: the northern part formed the Koenigsberg region, later renamed the Kaliningrad region, and the southern part was given to Poland. And after the collapse of the USSR, the Kaliningrad region remained part of Russia, since during the Soviet years it was part of the RSFSR.

This historical fact has made life much easier for knowledgeable travelers. Why? Because the Kaliningrad region, whatever one may say, is part of Russia, albeit a semi-exclave that does not have direct communication by land with “big Russia”. However, it is part of Russia and therefore residents of this region should enjoy the same rights as residents of the rest of the country. And, accordingly, tariffs for rail transportation from the mainland to Kaliningrad should cost the same as for the rest of the territory. But travel to another country will be calculated at the international rate. Even if a train crosses this country along its route.

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Nesterovsky train– one of the most convenient and cheapest options to get to Europe, and specifically to Vilnius from Moscow and St. Petersburg. This train travels along the route Moscow (St. Petersburg) - Chernyshevskoye and back. From St. Petersburg to Nesterov.
Nesterov and Chernyshevskoye are located in the Kaliningrad region and these are the next stops after Vilnius. Due to the fact that the Kaliningrad region is Russia, the tariffs are also Russian, which is significantly cheaper than trains abroad, although the train will be the same. The average price is 1600 rubles for a one-way trip. If you take it to Vilnius, the price will be from 4500 rubles!

Why do we need Vilnius? Hence the huge number of European low-cost airlines that fly around Europe for pennies (by Russian price standards). That’s why they call it a cheap way to get to Europe; then it will be much cheaper than if you fly from Russia.

Action plan

1. On the Russian Railways website you buy tickets to Chernyshevsky and get off in Vilnius.
   Trains:
   No. 29/30 Moscow - Kaliningrad - Moscow
   No. 147/148 Moscow - Kaliningrad - Moscow
   No. 79/80 St. Petersburg - Kaliningrad - St. Petersburg
   No. 359/360 Adler - Kaliningrad - Adler
2. If you don’t have Schengen, then apply for a visa.
3. Take the train and get off in Vilnius instead of Chernyshevsky.
4. You purchase a return ticket from Chernyshevsky and board in Vilnius.
   The main question that is asked is: But maybe they won’t imprison you? Not eligible: tickets have already been purchased in your name. The guides, of course, can ask questions like where and why, but this should not worry you. If you are worried that you will not be allowed on the train, then print out the internal document of JSC Russian Railways No. FPDOP-03/347 dated 03/06/08, which states that “to improve the quality of passenger service, passengers are allowed to board at any station after the departure station indicated on the ticket, subject to the validity of the ticket and payment for travel along the route.”

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I want to try to save time and money by buying a train ticket to Nesterov and getting off in Vilnius. You will also need to get back in Vilnius with a ticket from Nesterov.
Will there be any problems with this? Maybe something has changed, as is the case now?
My plans are to get to Vilnius and board a plane, I wouldn’t want to “fly over”. So I'm going for the first time.

Sections: Russia/Kaliningrad region; Lithuania

I want to try to save time and money by buying a train ticket to Nesterov and getting off in Vilnius.

Well, a quote from three years ago

But! I used to take a return ticket from Nesterov to Moscow and board in Vilnius. But on the last trip an unpleasant situation arose. The fact is that when you go to the train along the crossing, there is border control and the border guards, in addition to a foreign passport with a visa, also require a boarding pass. But the ticket says that the boarding station is Nesterov, not Vilnius. And for the last time, the border guard (it was my aunt) asked a treacherous question: “Why are you boarding in Vilnius, and your ticket is from Nesterov?” I answered, as always, “It was so convenient for me because I was with my sister.” This time the border guard did not remain silent, but said: “Do you know that you are violating the transit regime? We have the right not to let you onto the platform now and you will be forced to go to Nesterov and board the train there! We know why you do everything this way.” “The tickets are cheaper for you!” I was surprised, I answered, “Why am I violating the transit regime? I have a Schengen visa!” She “No, you are violating!” I didn’t argue, I replied that I understood everything (they said I was at fault, forgive me) and she gave me my passport and ticket, letting me onto the platform. But the story didn't end there. On the platform, an older border guard caught up with me - I don’t know, maybe even older in rank - and said, “Don’t do this again, otherwise we will be forced to send you to Nesterov next time, because you are violating the rules of the transit regime.”

I wonder where you can read these “transit regime rules” and what do they have to do with a tourist with a Schengen multiple entry visa and not a UPD?
They would be glad that they came to them and left money, but no, they care about the financial well-being of Russian Railways :)

There is a violation and you can’t argue with it. You do not have a stamp in your passport about leaving the Kaliningrad region for Lithuania, nor do you have a stamp about entering it from Lithuania. Your passport will say everything for you. And do not forget that it is not the woman from the market who is communicating with you, but the border officer of an EU member state, who can turn the outcome of the case in one direction or the other. For example, I don’t want a normal train stop in Vilnius to be converted into a technical stop.

2. Travel of citizens of the Russian Federation in transit through the territory of the Republic of Lithuania is carried out in the presence of:

A) travel document (ticket);

B) an identification document of the passenger, the details of which are indicated in the travel document (ticket);

c) a document giving the right to transit travel through the territory of the Republic of Lithuania (visa of the Republic of Lithuania, residence permit of the Republic of Lithuania, category “A” or “B” accreditation card of the Republic of Lithuania, simplified transit document or simplified railway travel document).
Formally, under subparagraph “B” you may be asked to board at Nesterov! You don’t have a visa for the Republic of Lithuania, do you? The words “Schengen multiple visa” are not in the document. They may be charged with deliberately false use of a Schengen visa and travel document within the framework of the above resolution. Simply put, there is no entry/exit into the Kaliningrad region by train from Lithuania - there is no transit, and our train is transit according to the decree. The Vilnius-Minsk and Vilnius-Moscow trains are no longer transit trains, since there is no transit from Russia to Russia.

UPTD-ZhD is a simplified railway travel document; it is valid on transit trains only of Russian formation and is valid only on Russian territory, i.e. directly on the train.
UPTD-Railway is not a visa that gives the right to enter Lithuania and set foot on its soil. According to it, passengers are only allowed to travel in transit through the territory of Lithuania. Therefore, persons traveling through the territory of Lithuania via the UPTD-Railway to the Kaliningrad region are not allowed to leave the train during travel and stops on the territory of Lithuania.

This will be a violation when the rules clearly state that it is prohibited to board and disembark passengers in Vilnius with tickets that have a starting point of the route from stations in Russia. And now no one and nothing prevents passengers from buying a ticket at one station and leaving earlier or boarding later along the train route.

Again. Nobody will stop you from going out in Vilnius, unless you say you are sleepy at night. that you are going to Vilnius with a ticket to Nesterov))) In the opposite direction, everything is described above correctly. All attempts to show that when boarding in Vilnius with a ticket from Nesterov, you are unconditionally right and attempts to download your license will lead, at a minimum, to the fact that the train will leave without you, and at most to deportation to the territory of the Russian Federation with the cancellation of your Schengen visa for violating the rules of the transit regime throughout the territory of Lithuania. Do you need it? The one who doesn't get his license drives. That's all I wanted to say.

In the above link to the garant there is no prohibition on leaving and landing in Vilnius using a Nesterov ticket. I do not rule out that such a ban is written somewhere in interstate agreements on this train, but so far no one has provided a link to this document.
And I haven’t seen any stories on the Internet about people not being put on a train in Vilnius, no matter whether the passenger had a driver’s license or not. Again, I don’t rule out that they exist somewhere.
All that is known is that people drive so successfully, but no one can guarantee that the freebie will not end with you.

I do not rule out that such a ban is written somewhere in interstate agreements on this train, but so far no one has provided a link to this document.

This can be compared with the issue of denying free travel to the majority of pensioners in the Moscow region from August 1, 2015 on Moscow transport. And really, what should a resident of Taldom, S. Posad, Serpukhov or Serebryanye Prudy do every day in Moscow? The correct answer is to make money!

So the border guard has every right not to let you through - your ticket is not valid regardless of whether you have a visa.
I foresee an objection about the Russian formation of the train and the applicability of Russian Railways rules, but this is a separate topic that requires “swinging rights” at border control.

When issuing a travel document (for Russian citizens traveling to the Kaliningrad region in transit through the territory of Lithuania), the passenger’s personal data, train number and departure date are reported to the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania. On their basis, the decision to issue a UTD-Railway is made by the diplomatic and consular institutions of the Republic of Lithuania in the Russian Federation based on information transmitted through railway ticket offices in the Russian Federation.
Thus, a Russian citizen voluntarily assumes the obligation that he will transit in a train carriage through the territory of Lithuania. UPTD-Railway does not give him any other right, that is, to leave the train during travel and stops, as well as to board it, on the territory of Lithuania.
If a passenger neglects to comply with this obligation by getting off the train on the territory of Lithuania, then the legal norms of the Republic of Lithuania immediately begin to apply to him, providing for liability for violation of transit rules (if it were not there, then there would be no border posts at Lithuanian stations controlling transit passenger flow ). Since sooner or later it is impossible to avoid meeting with Lithuanian officials monitoring compliance with transit rules, a Russian who deliberately violates them must be prepared to answer questions and bear responsibility before the Lithuanian competent authorities.

The Nesterovsky train is a pass to cheap travel around Europe!

We often write about promotions from various airlines with flights from Vilnius. Indeed, flying from Lithuania is usually much cheaper than from St. Petersburg or Moscow.
Tickets to Iceland, France, Italy, England, Germany, Norway from 1000 rubles - really profitable?

What is the cheapest way to get to Vilnius?

Experienced travelers know firsthand about the “Nesterov train”. What is it?
This is a train that goes from Moscow/St. Petersburg to the city of Nesterov (Kaliningrad region) - the first city after the Lithuanian border on the train route.

Why is it profitable to take a ticket to Nesterov and not to Vilnius?

Since Nesterov is a Russian city, fares are also Russian. And, as a rule, the ticket is 2-3 times cheaper compared to the international fare for travel to Vilnius.
Therefore, we safely buy a ticket to Nesterov, and leave earlier - in Vilnius.

Will the border guards let you through and what will the conductors say?

Believe me, you are not the first, or even the thousandth, who travels this way. Many conductors don't care where you get off as long as that stop is within the range of your ticket.
Honestly say that you are getting off in Vilnius - conductors often encounter this.

For border guards it also does not matter to which station the ticket was purchased. When traveling to Vilnius, you will first cross the border with Belarus, where they will most likely give you a stamp without any questions. When passing the next border - Lithuanian - be sure to tell the border guards that you are leaving in Lithuania so that they can give you a stamp, which will be required when leaving the station in Vilnius. Be prepared for border guards to ask about the purpose of your trip. It is better to answer this question honestly: if you are planning to visit another country, feel free to talk about it and be prepared, if necessary, to show tickets and insurance.

Upon arrival in Vilnius, you will first go to passport control, where you will need to show that same stamp, and then it’s up to you to either explore the city or fly further.

Does this life hack work in reverse?

Certainly! You also buy a ticket from Nesterov to Moscow/St. Petersburg and board in Vilnius, since the passenger has the right to board at any train station after the station indicated on the ticket.
The procedure for returning to Russia is the same, only in reverse order.
First, at the Vilnius train station, you go through border control (calculate your time and arrive at the station in advance), then board the train, where you first cross the Lithuanian border, and later the Belarusian border. The conductors are used to it and will not be surprised that you boarded later than your station.

Buy tickets for the Nesterovsky train

I think it would be unnecessary to clarify that to travel to Vilnius you need a Schengen visa.
When purchasing tickets on the Russian Railways website, enter the data from your international passport and be sure to check the box “The passenger has a document for transit.”
When purchasing tickets at the box office, you will need to present a passport with a valid Schengen visa.

Ticket prices and schedule of the Nesterovsky train

From Moscow:
Mondays and Fridays (summer time only). — reserved seat from 2462 rubles when purchased 90 days in advance.
For Muscovites, there is a more convenient option - take tickets to Chernyshevskoye station (located in front of Nesterov station). Trains run to this station every day, the cost of a reserved seat also starts from 2,462 rubles.
The train is night, it takes 14 hours - you'll have time to sleep!
For comparison, tickets to Vilnius (despite the fact that it is earlier than Nesterov and Chernyshevskoye) will cost you at least twice as much - from 5137 rubles. These are the international tariffs.

From Saint-Petersburg:
On Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays (in the summer also on Mondays) - reserved seat also from 2462 rubles.
Travel time to Vilnius is 17 hours, overnight train.
For comparison, a ticket to Vilnius will cost you at least 6,131 rubles. Savings are already 2.5 times!

Now you know another way to travel to Europe on a budget - go for it!

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