With Russia Day approaching on June 12th, residents of Moscow are rapidly purchasing tickets to St. Petersburg for the extended weekend, creating limited availability on both trains and planes. The surge in demand also extends to the dates of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) from June 18th to 21st.
Train tickets from Moscow to St. Petersburg for June 11th are nearly sold out. While options for joining a waiting list exist through the Russian Railways website, only a morning train departing at 08:10 am on June 11th has tickets available in open carriages starting at 2.6 thousand rubles and compartment carriages starting at 3.4 thousand rubles. June 12th offers limited availability, with “Sapsan” train tickets in “Economy+” class costing 9 thousand rubles and business/first-class tickets available at higher prices. Some compartment and sleeping car tickets are available for an evening double-decker train on June 12th.
Air travel presents slightly more options than train travel. Several flights remain available for June 11th, primarily with Aeroflot, at a minimum cost of 6.8 thousand rubles, excluding baggage fees. Tickets for June 12th are also available, starting at 6.2 thousand rubles.
Return tickets to Moscow on Sunday, June 15th, are significantly more expensive. The cheapest flight option includes a transfer and costs 12 thousand rubles, while a direct flight costs at least 14.2 thousand rubles. Return train tickets on Sunday are scarce, with only one “Sapsan” ticket available for 8 thousand rubles and a compartment for disabled people on ordinary trains.
During the SPIEF days, regular train tickets to St. Petersburg are more readily available than “Sapsan” tickets. Plane tickets to St. Petersburg on the eve of the forum are priced between 4-5 thousand rubles. The cost of airplane tickets remains consistent throughout the SPIEF dates, with Friday flights being the most expensive at 5.6 thousand rubles. Return flights to Moscow on Sunday are priced at a minimum of 7.7 thousand rubles.