Anyone familar with the Russian train Red Arrow or Grand Deluxe?
Aug 15th, 2006, 11:42 AM
#1
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Anyone familar with the Russian train Red Arrow or Grand Deluxe?
I'll be taking one of these overnight trains from St. Petersburg to Moscow and wondered how the Red Arrow is?....is the Grand Deluxe train worth the extra money?
I never would have thought to ask this until I read a trip report where a family was split up...possibly because they had more then would fit in one compartment. That said, if I book for a two-person compartment and we are two people...can I be safe in assuming we'll be in the same compartment?
I never would have thought to ask this until I read a trip report where a family was split up...possibly because they had more then would fit in one compartment. That said, if I book for a two-person compartment and we are two people...can I be safe in assuming we'll be in the same compartment?
Aug 15th, 2006, 06:44 PM
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Have you booked the tickets with an agency already for the 2 person compartment? If you have, I see no reason you would be split up- if you are sharing with 2 others, you should still be together. If you have already booked, confirm with the company that you expect to be in one compartment- it is probably not necessary, but it can't hurt!
As far as 2 people vs. 4 people- the compartments are the same size, so if you are only 2, you will have a more comfortable ride. If you do not speak Russian, I would recommend the 2 person compartment. There is a lot of "train etiquette" that Russians follow, and without knowledge of the language it could be hard to get these nuances across.
One word to the wise- the train boards around midnight and arrives about 8am. If you are going to be in a hotel or restaurant prior to boarding, use the facilities. The restroom on the train is typically not the nicest, and it will not open for about 30-45min. after you leave the station... in the high class trains, bottled water is provided- use this to brush your teeth, etc.
The restrooms are the only unpleasant part of train journeys in Russia for me! I'm not sure if the highest class trains have better facilities (I only traveled in the highest class once, when my parents were footing the bill- waaayy back in 1992). Since then I ride the 4 person "Red Arrow", which is still nice.
(My mom would want me to tell you that as you ride overnight, if you wake up- look out the window at the dachas and farms along the road... she loved that!)
As far as 2 people vs. 4 people- the compartments are the same size, so if you are only 2, you will have a more comfortable ride. If you do not speak Russian, I would recommend the 2 person compartment. There is a lot of "train etiquette" that Russians follow, and without knowledge of the language it could be hard to get these nuances across.
One word to the wise- the train boards around midnight and arrives about 8am. If you are going to be in a hotel or restaurant prior to boarding, use the facilities. The restroom on the train is typically not the nicest, and it will not open for about 30-45min. after you leave the station... in the high class trains, bottled water is provided- use this to brush your teeth, etc.
The restrooms are the only unpleasant part of train journeys in Russia for me! I'm not sure if the highest class trains have better facilities (I only traveled in the highest class once, when my parents were footing the bill- waaayy back in 1992). Since then I ride the 4 person "Red Arrow", which is still nice.
(My mom would want me to tell you that as you ride overnight, if you wake up- look out the window at the dachas and farms along the road... she loved that!)
Aug 15th, 2006, 06:55 PM
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For information about Grand Deluxe see: http://www.grandexpress.ru/en.
For other service see: seat61.com
For other service see: seat61.com
Aug 15th, 2006, 10:57 PM
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It's quite common to buy a whole compartment for sole use ie even if you are travelling alone, book the 2 or 4 berth compartment for yourself. If you book a 1st class two berth for two people I can't imagine that you would be split up but best not to make assumptions.
There are plenty of trains on this route and you can choose according to your taste, if you prefer very luxurious train then take the Grand Deluxe, if you prefer something retro style, take the Nikolayevsky Express etc.
http://www.realrussia.co.uk/main_train_screen2.asp#a6
There are plenty of trains on this route and you can choose according to your taste, if you prefer very luxurious train then take the Grand Deluxe, if you prefer something retro style, take the Nikolayevsky Express etc.
http://www.realrussia.co.uk/main_train_screen2.asp#a6
