Any tourist planning a trip on the St. Petersburg - Helsinki route on the Allegro high-speed electric train will receive the most comprehensive information for their trip from this article. This will allow you to take into account all the nuances of the trip and make it as comfortable as possible.
What is a high speed train
A fast Allegro train is a train that moves at a speed higher than generally accepted for this type of train. By Russian standards, trains reaching a speed of 140 km/h are considered high-speed. The Allegro train, which reaches a maximum speed of 220 km/h, is also a high-speed electric train.
High-speed electric train "Allegro": general information
The Allegro electric train from the new generation of the Pendolino family was built in Italy by Alstom. It operates on the route St. Petersburg - Helsinki (in operation since December 12, 2010). Currently, 4 trains, built in 2009-2011, run between these points daily.
The predecessor is the Sibelius train (Jan Sibelius is a famous Finnish composer). This pattern also linked the two cities. The Allegro train also received its corporate name in continuation of musical traditions.
Electric train "Allegro"
Characteristics of the Allegro trains
The train covers the distance between cities (407 km) in 3 hours 27 minutes. On different sections of the route it moves at different speeds: on Russian territory on direct current up to 200 km/h, on the Finnish side on alternating current it can accelerate to a maximum of 220 km/h, in the border zone the speed is reduced to a minimum of 30 km/h .
Note! The special technology of the electric train model with a body tilt (up to 8 degrees) allows you to take turns without reducing speed. The train equipment meets all the requirements of technical regulations of the Russian Federation and the EU.
Diagram, numbering of cars, location of seats
The locomotive has seven carriages. These are carriages with first and second class seats. Car number 1 has the first class of comfort, carriages with numbers 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 are of the second class, in the third carriage there is a restaurant with a bar.
Features of the car layout:
- 1 carriage - 48 seats with a meeting room for 6 seats, a self-service area (tea, coffee), newspapers, magazines, headphones.
- 2 carriage - 55 seats, including 2 seats for passengers with disabilities. There is a lift and a special toilet cabin for them.
- Car 3 is a restaurant car with 10 tables for 38 visitors and a bar with 3 tables for 12 people.
- 4 carriage - 47 seats. For seats 33 to 48, the conductor sells tickets only according to the train's movement on Finnish territory.
- 5 car - 71 seats.
- 6 carriage - 68 seats. 65-68 seats can be occupied by passengers traveling with animals.
- Car 7 - 52 seats with a children's play area and a changing table for babies. Seats 53-56 are not for sale, here parents can play with their children or just watch them.
Electric train inside
Seats in the cars are arranged according to the following schemes: 1×2, 2×2.
Note! The entire train area is a non-smoking area.
Each carriage has air conditioning, a cooler with drinking water, and a toilet. Languages of information on the train: Russian, English, Finnish. All information is communicated to passengers in Russian, Finnish and English.
- A passenger may carry hand luggage with him if it does not pose a risk to the health of other passengers and meets all the requirements of official and customs authorities.
- The determined size of luggage is no more than 100x60x40 cm per piece.
- Baggage will be transported in the same carriage as the passenger, but in a specially designated baggage area.
- A small backpack, briefcase or handbag is not considered carry-on luggage and remains with the passenger. Therefore, it is important to put documents there in advance so that you can present the things you need along the way to the conductor and customs inspector.
- A passenger cannot carry more than two seats on one ticket.
- Covered skis do not count as carry-on baggage.
- The bicycle is also transported according to the basic rules for baggage, unassembled or with the front wheel removed, but it must be in a package no larger than 100x60x40 cm.
Additional Information
Important! A passenger can transport pets only if they comply with veterinary, customs or other rules in force in the Russian Federation and the EU.
Cat in a carrier
The following may be accepted for transportation:
- 1-2 dogs on separate leashes;
- or 1-2 cages (each size no more than 60x45x40 cm) with small animals;
- or 1 cage and 1 dog on a leash, while several animals can move in 1 cage.
Route schedule and stops
The Allegro train stops five times along the way: in Russian Vyborg and on the Finnish side in Vainikkala, Kouvola, Lahti, Tikkurila. The final points are Finlyandsky Station in St. Petersburg and Central Railway Station in Helsinki. The longest parking in Vyborg is 10 minutes. To Vainikkala - 7 minutes, Kouvola and Lahti - 2 minutes each and 1 minute stop in Tikkurila.
Every day, 4 trains deliver passengers from St. Petersburg to Helsinki and in the opposite direction.
Flights from St. Petersburg (train number - departure time - arrival time):
- No. 781M - 06:40 - 10:07;
- No. 783M - 11:30 - 14:57;
- No. 785M - 15:30 - 18:57;
- No. 787M - 20:30 - 23:57.
Flights from Helsinki:
Book tickets online on the official website and order at the railway station ticket office
To travel you will need to purchase train tickets. They can be purchased in advance, from 1 to 60 days, at the station ticket office or booked on the official website. Here it is convenient to issue an electronic ticket for the Allegro train.
Note! To purchase a ticket, you must have a foreign passport and a bank card with 3D-Secure.
Purchase algorithm:
- open the official website page;
- choose the direction to follow;
- Use the calendar to mark the date of your trip;
- determine the category of the carriage - business class or economy class;
- in the information provided about the availability of rolling stock and free seats, find a suitable train and click the “Select seat” button;
- using the Allegro carriage diagram, view the available seats;
- decide on the carriage and seat by clicking on the carriage plan;
- enter passenger data and select a payment method;
- proceed to ticketing.
Important! The electronic ticket must be presented to border guards in printed form. The passport and visa control procedure is carried out en route.
To carry out this procedure, the passenger must be seated and present a passport and visa for verification. Passengers are prohibited from being in the dining car and toilets at this time.
Railway ticket offices. Buying tickets
For a ticket in 1st class you will need to pay 134 euros*, for 2nd class 84 euros*, for a seat for a passenger with animals the price increases to 104 euros* for 2nd class. If a ticket is purchased on the territory of the Russian Federation, then payment is made in rubles instead of euros at the Central Bank exchange rate on the day of issue.
You can purchase a ticket for the Allegro electric train in Russia at all specialized ticket offices and self-service terminals that are focused on working with international trains.
The cost of a 1st class ticket also includes the cost of services, which is 15.5 euros*. Services: meals (cold snacks), alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, provision of the latest newspapers and, on request, an amenity kit.
Important! Ticket refunds are provided no later than 6 hours before train departure.
In this case, 10 euros* will be deducted for each rented place.
Sometimes the ticket price may be lower than usual, for example, for morning trains, if purchased on Friday, Saturday or Sunday no later than 14 days before the train departure, it will be 30 euros*. There are often promotions with discounts on tickets. Information is always posted on the official website.
Children under 17 years of age can take advantage of travel benefits. The provided discount is 30% of the ticket price.
Note! Children of preschool age (up to 6 years old), if desired, can get a free ticket without being provided with a separate seat.
The Allegro high-speed train will not have much difficulty delivering passengers to their destination with maximum comfort and at a convenient time. Bon Voyage!
*price is current as of July 2018
Train Allegro
Tickets to Allegro train can be purchased at the ticket office of the Finland Station (Suomenasema), as well as at specialized international ticket offices and terminals. Their addresses can be viewed at the link:
http://pass.rzd.ru/static/public/ru/pass?STRUCTURE_ID=738&layer_id=3290&id=2114#petersburg
To purchase a ticket you must have a foreign passport with you.
In St. Petersburg, the Allegro train departs from Finlyandsky Station and boards 30 minutes before departure. Before boarding the train, you must go through security and baggage checks. Allegro travel time from St. Petersburg to Helsinki is 3 hours 36 minutes.
Train Allegro in Helsinki is equipped with 1st class carriages (car No. 1) and 2nd class carriages (all other train carriages), free wi-fi, sockets, air conditioning, garbage bags, which is very convenient during the trip, it should be noted that the distance between the seats is comfortable enough for a comfortable journey. Each carriage of the Allegro train has a free cooler with cold water, a toilet (to enter you need to press the green arrow, then the door closes automatically; to lock yourself, you must press the red button with the key, only then the door closes lock. To exit, you need to unlock the button with the key and the green arrow on the door, which is located above).
Allegro train - we're going to Finland
Places for luggage are located at the entrance to the carriage or above the seats; hangers for coats are located in the middle of the carriage. The passenger information system operates in three languages (Russian, Finnish and English). For any additional questions, the passenger can contact the conductor of his carriage.
Included Allegro trains there is a carriage with special seats for passengers with disabilities (car No. 2), a restaurant (car No. 3), a meeting room (in car No. 1), and a children's room located in car No. 7. In the children's room, which occupies a third of the seventh carriage, little passengers have the opportunity to ride a train and a rocket, read or leaf through books, and even learn the alphabet. For Allegro passengers with infants, carriage number seven is equipped with a changing table.
Game room in Allegro
Checking the presence/absence of passengers' tickets, passport control, currency exchange and refunds on Tax Free checks are carried out while the train is moving. There is no need to go out at the border. Before the Vainikkala/Lappeenranta border checkpoint, the passenger must fill out a declaration (declarations are issued when checking tickets back in St. Petersburg), which must be presented along with the passport when checking documents. The traveler may be asked several questions: where is he going, for what purpose, where he plans to stay, for how long, whether the passenger has a return ticket in hand.
Along the route Allegro train makes stops in Kouvola, Lahti, Tikkurila (airport stop), Pasila and in Helsinki at the central station (Helsinginpäärautatieasema). Stops are announced in advance, but the stop itself takes no more than two to three minutes, so you should prepare in advance. To exit the Allegro train, you must press the green round button (in order to save energy and avoid wear and tear on equipment, the doors open only at the request of the passenger).
On the way back to St. Petersburg, documents are checked at the Vainikalla point - they put a stamp on the passage of the Finnish border, at the same time a special employee who carries out Tax Free returns passes through. From Vainikalla to Vyborg, the border and passport control are checked and passed by Russian border guards.
The Allegro train departs from Helsinki Central Station. In Finland, the train stops in Tikkurila, Lahti, Kouvola and before the state border at Vainikkala station. On Russian territory, Allegro makes a stop in Vyborg. The train arrives in St. Petersburg at the Finlyandsky Station. Note! As of March 27, 2016, the Allegro train stop at Pasila station has been cancelled.
Border and customs control
In Finland, customs and border formalities are carried out while the train is traveling between Helsinki and Vainikkala. On the territory of Russia, control is organized between St. Petersburg and Vyborg.
Bistro car "Allegro"
The bistro car opens immediately after the train departs from Helsinki and serves passengers until they arrive at Vyborg station. Upon completion of border and customs formalities, the bistro car resumes operation after the train departs from Vyborg. When the train departs from St. Petersburg, you can visit the bistro car immediately after the check of travel documents by representatives of border and customs authorities. Before arriving at Vainikkala station, the bistro car is closed for a short time.
Currency exchange and returns on Tax Free checks
While the train is traveling through Finland, passengers can exchange currency and receive a refund using Tax Free checks.
NOTE. Control of travel documents is carried out by conductors in all train carriages, so we ask you to carry your passport and travel documents with you throughout the entire trip, even when moving from carriage to carriage. Don't forget to fill out the official
forms required to enter the country.
Passengers boarding the train at the station. Vainikkala, go through border and customs control at the station before boarding the train. In this regard, a single passenger of the Allegro train must arrive at the station no later than 30 minutes before the train’s departure, and passengers traveling in a group of more than 10 people must arrive no later than 40 minutes before the train’s departure.
Allegro™ is a registered trademark.
The schedule, ticket prices, as well as the most common questions about traveling on the Allegro train are in our review.
You can quickly and comfortably get from St. Petersburg to Helsinki by the Allegro train. You will spend only 3 hours 27 minutes on the way (when landing in Vyborg - 2 hours 32 minutes). High-speed trains run four times a day, seven days a week.
Allegro train schedule for 2018
In Russia, Allegro makes a stop only in Vyborg (10 minutes).
In Finland the train stops at the following stations:
- Vainikkala – 7 minutes
- Kouvola – 2 minutes
- Lahti – 2 minutes
- Tikkurila – 1 minute
How to buy a ticket for Allegro
Tickets for Allegro trains can be bought both in Russia and in Finland:
- at station ticket offices (at Finlyandsky Station, tickets for “Allegro” are sold in the “Express” hall around the clock, break from 5.50 to 6.00).
- on the Finnish Railways VR website;
- on the Russian Railways website;
- in travel companies and agents.
Ticket sales for the Allegro train open 60 days before the travel date. Current ticket prices can be viewed.
The most convenient and fastest way is to issue an electronic ticket on the Russian Railways website. To do this, you will need to register on the company’s website, log into your personal account, select the train route and date in the “Passengers” section and follow further instructions.
Important
Before you start booking your ticket, make sure you have a valid passport and Schengen visa.
Very often you can find information that a ticket from Helsinki to St. Petersburg can only be bought on the Finnish Railways VR website. This is wrong. We tell you how to issue a ticket on the Russian Railways website. The algorithm of actions is the same as when buying a ticket from St. Petersburg. The only difference is that there is no information about the cost of the ticket. This should not stop you: log in, select the route Helsinki - St. Petersburg and the date. You will see the train schedule for the desired date. Next, click on the “Get information about available places” tab. Then go to the “Select train and seat” tab. The ticket price will appear after you select a seat and enter your details. You will have 12 minutes to complete your booking and payment. If you are not satisfied with the price, you can start your search again.
Ticket sales for Allegro trains from Finland to Russia open in the Finnish Railways online reservation system at 04.00 Finnish time and close at 23.00.
Special weekend prices valid from March 25 to October 27, 2018
If you purchase tickets at least 14 days before the train departure from Friday to Sunday, the cost of tickets for Allegro will be:
- from April 16 to June 3: 28.97 euros – for 2nd class, 60.22 euros – for 1st class. In this case, no additional child discount is provided;
- from July 23 to August 31: 38.99 euros for 2nd class, 74.31 euros for 1st class. In this case, no additional child discount is provided.
During the FIFA World Cup period (from June 8 to July 15, 2018), this discount is not available.
Who gets a discount on a ticket?
Children aged 6 to 17 years old receive a 30% discount on the adult ticket price. Children under 6 years of age are entitled to free travel when accompanied by an adult without being provided with a separate seat.
If there are more than six of you, then you are entitled to a group discount of 20% of the cost of the travel document for an adult passenger. A child, if he occupies a separate seat, is considered an adult passenger.
Another good way to save on tickets is to become a member of the Russian Railways Bonus loyalty program and accumulate points for trips to Allegro. Then you can pay with points when purchasing a ticket. Premium points are awarded by February 23, March 8, Student Day. Becoming a member of the program and receiving a personal membership card is quite simple: follow this link and register. To do this, you will need to provide your passport details, phone number and email address.
Facilities on the Allegro train
- Free Wi-Fi. You shouldn’t count on perfect Internet performance on the road: you’ll most likely be able to check social networks and email, but it’s better to download the movie in advance.
- Each place is equipped with an electrical outlet and air conditioning.
- All carriages have coolers with spring water.
- You will be offered press in Finnish, Russian and English.
- There are hooks for clothes next to each seat, and hangers for coats can be found in the middle of the carriage.
- All announcements are made in three languages (Russian, Finnish and English).
- Car no. 7 has a small children's play area. There is also a place for baby strollers, and for caring for infants, the spacious toilet room has a changing table, a shower for washing, a baby potty and even an apparatus for heating formula milk.
- The 1st class carriage has a separate compartment for private negotiations. To use the meeting room, you need to purchase a group ticket for six people no later than a week before departure.
- For passengers with disabilities, carriage No. 2 has separate seats and a special toilet room. The car is also equipped with a special lift.
- First class passengers will be offered cold snacks during the trip, which are included in the ticket price, and there is also a self-service area with unlimited tea and coffee.
- There is a dining car.
Please note: in the dining car, rubles, euros, dollars and bank cards are accepted as payment. The carriage is closed while crossing the border.
Quotes from the dining car menu:
- Coffee/cocoa/tea – 2.90 euros
- Ham bun – 3 euros
- Cold smoked salmon sandwich – 6.5 euros
- Club sandwich with salad or chips – 7.70 euros
- Salmon soup with cream, bread, spread – 11.9 euros
- Meatballs with mashed potatoes - 12.9 euros
- Croissant with jam or Nutella – 3.10 euros
- Breakfast: coffee/tea + rye sandwich with cheese/ham + juice/yogurt – 7.9 euros; porridge with berries + coffee/tea + juice – 6.90 euros.
Attention! Smoking is prohibited on Allegro trains.
Ride the Allegro train: step-by-step instructions
Baggage and hand luggage. Each carriage has a small compartment for suitcases. Places for hand luggage are located above the seats,
With one ticket, a passenger has the right to carry:
- hand luggage that fits freely in the places provided for hand luggage (100 x 60 x 40 cm, no more than two pieces per person with a total weight of no more than 35 kg);
- golf bag;
- skis and poles, alpine skis and snowboards covered;
- a bicycle, unassembled, in a package measuring no more than 100 x 60 x 40 cm.
Large sports bags (for example, hockey equipment) or large musical instruments will have to be paid separately.
Boarding the train. Boarding at Allegro is carried out through a separate terminal of the Finlyandsky Station, entrance from Botkinskaya Street. Make sure you have 10-15 minutes left before the train departs, – you will need to go through a baggage inspection and document check by the inspector. There is a small Duty Free shop in the waiting area.
Keep in mind
The numbering of cars when departing from St. Petersburg comes from the head of the train, when departing from Helsinki - from the tail of the train.
Passing the border. Russian customs and border control begin inspections immediately after the train departs from Finlyandsky Station, passengers must remain seated during this time. Border control and customs inspection in Finland is carried out as the train moves on the Helsinki – Vainikkala section. Be prepared to answer questions about where you are going, for what purpose, for how long, and also show your hotel reservation (can be done electronically).
By the way
The maximum speed of Allegro in Russia is 200 km/h, in Finland – 220 km/h.
Processing returns using Tax Free checks. You can issue a refund directly on the train. You must have Tax Free receipts, sealed purchases and a passport with you. You can also exchange currency into Allegro.
How to get to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport by Allegro
For Allegro passengers there is a bonus - free travel on a commuter train to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. The ticket you used to travel to Allegro is valid for travel to the airport within 80 minutes from the time the train arrives in Tikkurila.
To get to Vantaa Airport, you need to get off at Tikkurila station and transfer to the train with the airplane logo under the letter “I”, which will take you to the airport in 8 minutes. The Allegro train arrives at Tikkurila station on platforms No. 1 or No. 2. Then you need to go through the covered walkway located above the tracks to platform number 4. There is a toilet on the train.
FAQ: the most common questions about the Allegro train
Do I need to print out my ticket for Allegro?
There is no need to print the ticket - just save it to your phone or tablet.
How to get from Helsinki train station to the city center and bus station?
Kamppi train station is located in the center within walking distance of the main attractions of Helsinki. If you plan to continue your trip around Finland by bus, there is a bus station nearby (7 minutes on foot). By the way, you can get to the metro directly from the station building.
Can I return my Allegro ticket?
Yes. You can return your e-ticket in your personal account on the Russian Railways website. Please note that you will be charged a return service fee of €10. To receive the money, you must return the ticket no later than 6 hours before the train departs, otherwise no refund will be made.
Important
If you bought several tickets for Allegro from Helsinki to St. Petersburg at the same fare and placed them in one order, please note that a partial refund of such electronic tickets is not possible. Only all tickets can be returned. Tickets from St. Petersburg to Helsinki can be returned either individually or together.
