Traveling a child by train: rules, age, benefits, documents, power of attorney, ticket, accompaniment

Until what age can children travel for free on the train when they need a child ticket?

Standing at the ticket office, parents ask a lot of questions: is it worth taking a ticket for a child and how to accommodate it if you don’t buy a ticket, are there discounts for schoolchildren, what documents are needed for a child when traveling, and these are not all the uncertainties of the upcoming trip with children .

If your child is under five years old , you can take him with you for free. Please take into account the fact that the child is not provided with a separate seat and will have to ride on one shelf.

If a child is under 5 years of age, then travel on the train is free of charge.

But a mandatory condition will be to issue a free ticket for a child under five years old.
To register, you need to go to the railway ticket office and purchase this ticket there, otherwise your child will not be allowed on the train without it.
For one adult, you can spend one child who has not reached the age of five. If you travel in a luxury under 10 years old are allowed free travel.
After this age, the child must purchase a child ticket; it is valid up to 7 years for trains in the suburbs and up to 10 years for trains that travel longer distances

You can buy it in two ways:

through the Internet
at the ticket office at the station

To purchase a ticket, you do not have to stand in line - you can do this through the website.
In any case, in order to receive such a ticket, you must enter the data from the child’s birth certificate in the electronic version of the ticket order or present the document directly to the box office.

The cost of a child ticket varies from 35% to 50% of the price of an adult ticket.

At what age can you ride a swallow unaccompanied by an adult?

Tell him about the rules of behavior in the transport he is going to use.
The child must know who he can turn to during a trip in threatening circumstances (feeling bad, having inappropriate neighbors).
The traveler must understand that when getting off at intermediate stations you need to be careful and not move far from the vehicle.
If the journey is long and the child gets hungry, then take care of supplying him with provisions. A dining car or a roadside store is not the best option for feeding a child.

Children under 7 years old are prohibited from traveling on trains without adult supervision. From the age of 7, a child can buy an adult ticket for an electric train at the ticket office or use a travel card. According to Russian laws in 2021, children can travel on long-distance trains unaccompanied by adults only if they are over 10 years old. Until then, travel is permitted if accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Rules for children traveling on trains

In order to travel with a child on the train, you need to know certain travel rules:

Children under 5 years old
A child ticket entitles children aged 5 to 7 years
Children over 10 years old travel at the price of an adult ticket
If the date of travel coincides with the child’s birthday, then payment is made taking into account full years

Up to the age of five, a child has the right to free travel.
Be careful and take into account the indicated difference in ticket prices so that their cost does not take you by surprise at the ticket office.

At what age are children allowed to travel by rail unaccompanied by adults?

At what age can children travel alone on the train? Children under 7 years old are prohibited from traveling on electric trains unless accompanied by an adult. From the age of 7, each child buys an adult ticket at the ticket office or travels alone with a pass.

All standards that must be observed when transporting children of different ages and under different conditions and circumstances are specified in the Rules for the provision of transportation by rail in the Russian Federation. These Rules were stated to have been edited on June 17, 2015. They talk about the movement of children by rail with their parents, other adults, or alone, but under certain circumstances and the availability of documents.

Travel benefits for children on long-distance trains

long-distance trains , other conditions for transporting children apply:

A child from birth to five years of age has the right to free travel; a free ticket is required
From five to ten years of age, travel is carried out using a child's ticket.
Children under ten years of age are prohibited from traveling without an adult. An exception is the travel of schoolchildren to educational institutions.
The age of the child is the main indicator for determining the cost of the ticket. If a child turns 10 years old , he must purchase an adult ticket
Children under 14 years of age must have a birth certificate with them.

After 10 years of age, a child can travel on preferential terms only to SV.
For the child’s own peace of mind and safety do not let him go on a long trip alone, even if he is already ten years old.

At what age can you ride a swallow unaccompanied by an adult?

For example, your son or daughter is going to visit their grandmother in a neighboring town, or are going on an excursion-festival-Olympics-championship, or are going to the warm sea.
At what age can children travel alone on the train? Children under 7 years old are prohibited from traveling on electric trains unless accompanied by an adult. If a child turns 10 years old on the day the train departs, a travel document (ticket) is issued for him at the rate for transporting children. 34.…Children under 7 years of age are not allowed to travel on commuter trains without adult accompaniment.

Discounts on tickets for children in compartments and reserved seats

Seats on the train vary in price and comfort. There are the following seating options depending on amenities:

Reserved seat
Coupe
Lux or SV

The cheapest option is to travel in a reserved seat , but in terms of amenities, everything here is not entirely ideal - there is no door, all passengers are in full view.

Holy places offer more comfortable conditions

The compartment has improved conditions - four seats are separated from the rest of the passengers.

The suite is designed for two people, has more comfortable beds and improved service. Naturally, the price is twice as high.

From 10 years old in reserved seats in the period from September 1 to May 31, the price is reduced by half. Unfortunately, the coupe does not offer any discounts other than those mentioned above.

If you want to buy tickets at a better price and not have to wait for them while standing in a long line with your child, you can order online .

It is much faster, more convenient - you can choose the best travel option, the best seats and save significantly on the cost of the ticket.

Is it possible for a minor to move around the territory of the Russian Federation unaccompanied by adults?

Thus, these Rules allow children over 10 years of age to travel unaccompanied by adults on long-distance trains, and over 7 years of age on commuter trains. These Rules do not require the presentation of any additional documents, in addition to those established in clause 48.

FEDERAL AVIATION RULES “GENERAL RULES FOR AIR TRANSPORTATION OF PASSENGERS, BAGGAGE, CARGO AND REQUIREMENTS FOR SERVICE FOR PASSENGERS, SHIPPERS, CONSIGNEES”, approved. Order of the Ministry of Transport of Russia dated June 28, 2007 N 82 established the following:

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Accompanying children on the train

Train travel is unaccompanied children
Firstly, this is associated with the risk of injury , and secondly, very often thieves operate , who want to take away other people’s property
Therefore, it is better not to send children on a trip without adults.

Children on the train must be accompanied by an adult

Children under 10 years of age are not allowed to travel without an adult. If you are unable to accompany your child, you can ask close people or friends.

Don't worry about going through paperwork to do this. To transport a child across the territory of the Russian Federation, a power of attorney from the parents is not required
If a child crosses the border of the Russian Federation by train to the CIS countries, then official permission from the parents will be required.
The person who will accompany your child must have not only permission from the parents, but also an identity card
The permit must include the full name of the accompanying person, his passport details and the child’s details so that the inspectors can identify the information

At what age can children travel by train independently?

That is, if you know that circumstances have developed in such a way that you cannot accompany your child, you will need to fully and thoroughly explain to him how to behave on the train, and first of all, talk about safety precautions.

To board the train, you need the original certificate; boarding with a copy is allowed only if it is notarized. Children under 10 years of age can also travel without parents or guardians. This is possible if the child uses railway transport to attend educational institutions.

Child with grandmother on the train

If you are sending a child with his grandmother to visit relatives or just on a trip around the country, then no documents with your consent are needed.

The main thing you need to have with you is the child’s birth certificate and a ticket, depending on age. This will be quite enough.

Child with grandmother on the train

It is important that the child understands who is traveling with him and, in the event of a question from the inspection, can calmly and adequately give an answer.

When a child and his grandmother need to go on vacation abroad, the parents will be required to provide a notarized permission, where they must provide detailed information about the child - birth certificate, date of birth and full name
The grandmother who is accompanying your child must also be mentioned in the permit. Otherwise, if any doubts arise at customs, the child may not be released
Therefore, think carefully about the route of the child with the grandmother and prepare all the necessary documents so that there are no difficulties or unforeseen situations during the trip.

Documents for a child's train

Anyone who buys train tickets for themselves and a child needs to know what documents and data are needed in order to get this ticket.

It doesn't matter whether you buy them online or directly from the ticket office, you need this information anyway.

To purchase a ticket and travel for a child, you must have a birth certificate

If the child is under 14 years old , then a mandatory condition for purchasing a ticket for him will be the presence of a birth certificate or international passport
When the child is already 14 years old , the birth certificate is replaced with a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation
If the child does not live in the Russian Federation and is not its citizen, then it is necessary that he has a birth certificate issued by an authorized body of his native state. Only in this case will he receive a ticket using a special foreign document
When purchasing a ticket online, your birth certificate number or passport series and number will be the main information you will need when receiving your e-ticket

Parents or accompanying person must have identification

It will be much easier to buy tickets online - the entire procedure can be completed in the comfort of your home.

At what age can you travel on a train alone?

If you are afraid to send your child alone by train, then since 2013 Russian Railways has provided a service for transporting children by rail unaccompanied by adults. It can be purchased for the high-speed train "Sapsan" and "Nevsky Prospekt" running on the route Moscow - St. Petersburg. In particular, seats in the compartment of carriage No. 10 (in the “Children’s zone”) are specially allocated for this purpose.

Please note that age is considered at the time of travel, not when purchasing tickets. When boarding a child in a carriage, you must provide the documents used to purchase the tickets. Instead of the original birth certificate, you can present a copy certified by a notary.

Do you need a child's power of attorney on the train?

If the child is not traveling with his parents , but the trip is carried out on the territory of the Russian Federation, then no documents or your documentary consent are needed in order to receive a ticket
The main thing you need to have with you is an identity document of the accompanying person and the birth certificate of the child himself.
If a child travels abroad , then the parents are required to visit a notary and issue a notarized permit , where you need to provide detailed information about the child and the accompanying person - the notary will help you fill out all the necessary information

When traveling abroad by train, persons accompanying a child must have a power of attorney

If the power of attorney does not contain detailed information from the child’s birth certificate and the accompanying person’s passport, the trip may be prohibited.

Pay maximum attention to the fact of preparing documents for your child’s trip if you are going to send him abroad. There are no problems with powers of attorney for traveling within the Russian Federation

At what age can children travel on a train unaccompanied?

Sometimes life presents you with a choice: either the child will rest with relatives in the summer or will suffocate in the city on the hot asphalt. There is no way to escape on your own, they don’t give you vacation, the financial issue is also important, there are other problems. It’s even more difficult when the grandmother lives abroad, on the territory of the former republics, she needs a foreign passport, additional hassle. Parents begin to look for ways to solve the problem, find out from friends, on social networks, at the help desk at the railway station.

Even if the child has reached the age at which independent travel is allowed, we must not forget about his safety because Unfortunately, quite often various unpleasant and sometimes tragic situations occur. In order to avoid negative consequences (or at least reduce the likelihood of their occurrence to a minimum), it is necessary to explain to your child the safety rules on railway transport:

Traveling a child on a train without parents

According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, a child who has not reached the age of ten cannot travel by train unaccompanied by an adult.

Or rather, in fact, they won’t even let him on the train alone, even if he has a ticket.

From the age of 10, a child can travel on a train unaccompanied

If you want to send your child to visit, but you cannot go with him yourself, there are two options depending on age - if the child is under ten years old , then only the accompaniment of an adult is required and no other options.

For children over 10 years old you need:

Talk to your child and explain to him about the possible dangers that he may encounter - these include strangers and various kinds of danger on the train. Therefore, be sure to tell your child about safety precautions and that under no circumstances should you get off the train during a stop - otherwise the train may leave and the child will be left in a foreign city.
Buy a ticket for the middle carriage on the bottom berth - they are considered the safest
Provide the child with the necessary hygiene products and medicines
Ask the conductors or passengers to look after the child and, in case of any problematic situations, provide assistance
Be sure to give your child a mobile phone so that you can constantly be in touch with him. It’s better to download a special program for your mobile phone to track where your child is at the moment.
Discuss with the people who will meet your child the place and time of train arrival, tell them the car number. Stay in touch with your child until he sees adults

By following these simple recommendations, you can be a little calmer that your child will successfully reach his destination .

But it is still better not to let small children travel by train without adult supervision.

At what age can a child travel alone on a train?

Parents often ask themselves the question: at what age can you travel on a train without being accompanied by an adult? It often happens that parents want to send their child to another city, maybe to another country, for example, to visit grandparents. But adults themselves simply physically cannot go on this journey. Therefore, the child will have to travel by train on his own. The question immediately arises: according to the law, at what age can a child travel on a train independently?

The answer is actually simple. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, a child under ten years of age cannot travel by train unaccompanied by an adult. And it seems like we answered your question, but still I would like to add something and give some practical advice.

What to take with you on the road?

Now, you have already bought tickets and are almost ready for the trip, but the question remains open: what to take with you on the road? Now let’s take a closer look at the approximate list of necessary things for the trip:

Hygiene products – hand and body wipes, mouthwash and other personal hygiene items
Comfortable casual clothes
Drinks that are not diuretic to prevent frequent trips to the public toilet
Products that store well - sausage, raw eggs are best put aside for another occasion.

You should definitely take hygiene products on the train - especially if the child is small

The main reason why it is better to take drinks that do not have a diuretic effect is the need to visit the toilet.
No matter how diligently they clean it, even if you are traveling in a “Lux”, it is still a public place with a huge number of germs
Traveling by train is the cheapest way to get where you need to go, but if price is an advantage, then there are various disadvantages during travel - shaking, dirt and unfriendly neighbors
the optimal type of transport for yourself and be prepared for various non-standard situations - then the trip will have a positive ending, and inconveniences will not take you by surprise

What food should I take my child on the train and what should I feed him?

It is important that the child does not go hungry , but at the same time does not become poisoned by low-quality products that can spoil in a stuffy carriage.

For infants and children up to one year old , baby food is the best option if you are not breastfeeding or using complementary foods. It is advisable, if the trip is no more than three hours, to use a cooler bag.

The food products you take with you on the train must not be perishable.

For children from one to three years old, you can take cookies, fruits, vegetables - anything that is healthy, but not heavy on the child’s stomach and will not make him thirsty (remember the point about the toilet)
For children over three years old, you can take homemade food - potatoes, boiled eggs, meat or fish, but remember the storage conditions of these products
For drinks, it is better to take juices or buy tea on the train. Never buy food during stops - dusty food at the station is not the best solution to satisfy your hunger

Children's w

Price. A child from 5 to 10 years old takes a separate seat. The ticket is purchased at a children's rate (the total cost will be somewhere in the region of 35-50% of an adult). The exception is luxury carriages. Children under 10 years old travel for free. If a child turns 10 years old on the day the train departs, the ticket can be issued at a child fare.
How it is issued. When buying a train ticket online, you simply add a child’s ticket to your order. Or you can buy a ticket for the child later (but he will not be able to board the train without an adult). The online sales system itself will calculate the cost of the child fare and show it to you at the stage of entering passenger data.
Additionally. Children under 10 years of age cannot travel by rail unless accompanied by an adult (except when visiting an educational institution). A child ticket has its own baggage allowance and hand luggage allowance, just like an adult ticket (that is, you don’t have to pay separately for suitcases, more about that here).

Ukraine, CIS countries, Abkhazia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia. Tariffs and rules are the same as for domestic Russian trains. If the departure station is located on the territory of Ukraine, unfortunately, it will not be possible to issue a free ticket for a child under 5 years old via the Internet. You need to do this in person at the station.
Finland. Children under 6 years of age who do not occupy a separate seat travel for free; the ticket is issued in one order with an adult (or later upon presentation of an adult ticket). From 6 to 17 years old (or up to 6 years old, but with a separate seat) - children's rate. It can also be completed together with an adult. Over 17 years old – full rate.
Far abroad. Children under 4 years old without a separate seat are free (a cash-free ticket is issued in the same order with an adult or later). From 4 to 12 years old (or up to 4 years old with a separate seat) - children's fare, ticket purchased with or after an adult. Over 12 years old – full rate.

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Travel for a child up to one year: railway arena, net

If you are afraid to take a small child on the train and do not want to hold him in your arms all the time, then there is a railway playpen that you can install in the compartment and not worry that your child will fall during the next turn of the train.

Using such a playpen, it is not at all necessary to buy your child a separate sleeping place and you don’t have to worry about creating inconvenience for other passengers. The playpen fits perfectly on the bed and does not create any inconvenience.

Railway arena

You can also buy a special railway net, which is attached to the sleeping place and protects the child from falling to the floor.

These convenient accessories are not very affordable , but if you move often, they will become an indispensable thing for you when traveling.

This way, your child can play all the way in the playpen, and you will not be afraid that he may fall and get injured.

What to do with your child on the train: games, tips?

If the journey is long and your child is very active, be prepared for the fact that you need to keep him busy . We offer several options that will brighten up your journey:

Reading books – it will be interesting to read funny poems or fairy tales about animals to your child. Choose books with bright pictures
Ball game - buy a soft ball so as not to injure the child and have fun
Draw pictures - pencils and felt-tip pens will help you - you can think of drawing what the child sees in the window

Think about entertainment for your child, because it’s not a fact that there will be other children on the train

Technical innovations – download new games or cartoons to your phone or tablet and show them to your child. Don’t rely on searching on the Internet; not all trains are famous for such features as access to a Wi-Fi network
Favorite helpers – dolls and cars will help you have fun.

So, there are plenty of fun activities to keep your child entertained on the go. Show your imagination and then both you and your child will definitely enjoy the trip , and the minor inconveniences that so often exist on trains will not bother you too much.