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  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Invitation to Russia
      • Should I indicate nights on the train in the application for an invitation letter or Russian visa?
      • Russian visa invitation. What is it and how to get it in 5 minutes?
      • How do I get the invitation to Russia if I’m staying with Airbnb?
      • How do I get the invitation to Russia if I’m making hotel reservations with Booking.com?
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      • Can I modify my invitation to Russia if it contains some incorrect information?
    • 1.2. Russian visa in Australia, USA and Canada
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    • 1.3. Russian visa in China, Japan and India
      • Russian visa abroad
      • Visa Free St. Petersburg cruise
      • Russian visa rejected
      • Russian Consulates and Visa Centers
      • Visa free to Russia
      • Change/Extend Russian visa
      • E-Visa Russia
      • China
      • Private visa
      • Transit visa
      • Business visa
    • 1.4. Russian visa in European countries
      • Russian visa abroad
      • Visa Free St. Petersburg cruise
      • Russian visa rejected
      • Russian Consulates and Visa Centers
      • Visa free to Russia
      • Change/Extend Russian visa
      • E-Visa Russia
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      • Private visa
      • Transit visa
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    • 1.5. Registration and immigration
      • Registration in Russia: What it is and how it is done
      • Russian airports: Immigration card and customs formalities
    • 1.6. Visa to China, India and post-Soviet states
      • How to travel to Belarus without a visa (visa-free) and with visa
      • How to obtain a Chinese Visa in an easy and cost-effective way
      • How to apply for the electronic visa to Uzbekistan (e-Visa)
      • How to Get a Chinese Visa Online
      • How to get an e-Visa to India online: Step-by-step guide
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
      • How to go from Pulkovo Airport to St. Petersburg
      • How to go from the airport to the center of Moscow or the Red Square
      • How to find the cheapest flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian airports: Immigration card and customs formalities
    • 2.2. Russian trains
      • Trains in Russia: How to buy tickets on-line without the middle-man
      • Traveling between Moscow and St. Petersburg: Which is the best way?
      • Train stations in Russia: luggage storage, Wi-Fi and other services
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • How to catch a taxi in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, or in other Russian cities
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
      • Traveling by bus through Russia (and how to buy tickets online)
    • 2.4. Car rental
      • Is it worth to rent a car in Russia? Recommendations and requirements
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
      • Accommodations in Russia: How to choose and where to make a reservation cheaply
      • Ostrovok: the best alternative to Booking.com
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • How to book a restaurant in Moscow, St. Petersburg or other Russian cities
      • What do you eat in Russia? Typical dishes and Russian restaurants
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
      • What is the Moscow Kremlin and how to buy tickets online
      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • Shopping in Moscow: from GUM to Izmailovo market
      • Official tourist maps of Moscow (PDF)
      • Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow: tickets and guided tours
      • The Free Visit to the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. Visits, tickets and schedules
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • Places to enjoy the best views of Moscow
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Guided tours in Moscow: by foot, by bicycle, by boat, or by tour bus?
      • What to see and do in Moscow in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days
      • Moscow Tourist Information Offices
      • Flight Stopover in Moscow: What to See and How to Obtain a Transit Visa
      • Moscow in Space: from the Museum of Cosmonautics to the Planetarium
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • The Seven Sisters of Moscow: The Stalinist Skyscrapers secrets
      • The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour of Moscow: you will not believe its story
      • What to see in Red Square in Moscow (and best things to do)
      • Novodevichy Convent (and cemetery), one of my favorite places in Moscow
      • Star City Moscow, where the cosmonauts live – What to see inside?
      • Moscow City: Skyscrapers & Observation Decks (You can go up to enjoy for its views)
      • Traveling to Moscow with children: What to see and do as a family
      • The Tretyakov Gallery: Russian art like you’ve never seen before
      • VDNH (VDNKh), my favorite park in Moscow: Back to the USSR!
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
      • The Hermitage of St. Petersburg: What to see and how to avoid queues
      • Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets online
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • The Palaces and Gardens of Peterhof, a must-go site in St. Petersburg
      • The main cathedrals of St. Petersburg: Tickets and schedules
      • Opera and ballet in St. Petersburg: Where to go and how to buy tickets
      • What to see and do in St. Petersburg in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
      • The Church of the Savior in St. Petersburg: How to buy tickets and schedules
      • Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets and schedules
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg: Guide to not get lost
      • White Nights of St. Petersburg: When the city doesn’t sleep
      • Essential tourist maps of St. Petersburg (PDF and JPG)
      • Visiting St. Petersburg on a cruise without a visa (visa-free) and with a tourist visa
      • Drawbridges (and Pedestrian Bridges) of St. Petersburg: Schedules and Recommendations
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
      • Organizing a Trans-Siberian Train Trip
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • What to see (and do) at Lake Baikal between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude
      • Yekaterinburg, where Europe and Asia come together
      • Next stop: Novosibirsk. Welcome to Siberia!
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
      • The Golden Ring of Russia: from Sergiyev Posad to Suzdal
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
      • Trip to Veliky Novgorod: the birthplace of Russia
    • 4.6. Kazan
      • The Kazan Kremlin: it will captivate you
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
      • Where is it better to change Australian dollars for rubles?
      • How to send money to Russia: WesterUnion, PayPal or TransferWise?
      • Is Russia an expensive or cheap country to travel? Tips to reduce expenses
      • How to request a VAT refund in Russia (Tax Free)
      • How to pay for purchases in Russia without losing money in ruble exchange?
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
      • Is Russia a safe country for tourists? Travel tips
      • When is the best time to travel to Russia (and which clothes to wear)
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
      • How to buy a Russian SIM card for your smartphone (online or in a store)
    • 5.4. Russian products
      • Which souvenirs to buy in Russia? From Matrioskas to Cheburashka
      • 15 maps that will give you a better insight of Russia
      • Traveling to Russia with a travel agency or on your own? What is better?
Home › 1. Visa › 1.1. Invitation to Russia ›

Should I indicate nights on the train in the application for an invitation letter or Russian visa?

Posted on: 06.05.19 | by Irena Domingo

In this article I’ll explain how nights on the train should be reflected on both the application for a tourist invitation (also called visa support) and the Russian visa application form. As you will see, it’s quite simple.

Sample letter of invitation to Russia with train nights

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Nights on the train on the application for an invitation letter or a Russian visa
  • Caso No. 1: Trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg travelling on the overnight train
  • Case No. 2: Traveling through Russia on the Trans-Siberian

Nights on the train on the application for an invitation letter or a Russian visa

A question that I am frequently asked when the documents are being prepared to apply for the Russian tourist visa is whether nights on the train should be specified in the application for an invitation letter and the visa application form.

Note: invitation letter is also called visa support or confirmation of hosting a foreign tourist.

First let me say that nights on the train in Russia should be considered within the total period of the invitation. However, it is not necessary to include them in the hotels and cities section, as long as they are included within the total length of stay in Russia.

You should bear in mind that on the application forms for both the invitation letter and the Russian visa it is not necessary to indicate the specific number of days that you will spend in each city, but only the total length of stay in Russia.

You can see this much more clearly in some examples of common Russia itineraries:

Caso No. 1: Trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg travelling on the overnight train

A very common trip is to visit the two main Russian cities and travel from one to the other on an overnight train, such as the Red Arrow or the Grand Express.

Sample itinerary:

  • Stay in Moscow August 1 – 5
  • Overnight train trip from Moscow to St. Petersburg August 5 – 6.
  • Stay in St. Petersburg August 6 – 10.

In this example you will need an invitation letter specifying at least the period August 1 – 10.

The invitation letter or visa support does not have to indicate that you are going to spend a night on the train; the night on the train just needs to be included in the period covered by the invitation letter.

Invitation request to Russia - Night by train with the Red Arrow

Here is a sample invitation letter with this itinerary, which you can obtain in 5 minutes from iVisa, and which does not need to indicate the night on the train, August 5 – 6:

Visa support to travel to Moscow and St. Petersburg with train night in Red Arrow

Remember that on the visa application form you must put the same cities as in the visa support.

Case No. 2: Traveling through Russia on the Trans-Siberian

If you’re taking the Trans-Siberian Railway, in the invitation letter you must state the total period of your stay in Russia. For example, July 18 – August 4.

It is not necessary to indicate all the cities through which you will pass. It’s also not necessary to include the nights you will be spending on the train. It is sufficient to indicate the 5 main cities in which you will be staying, as well as the hotels. For example: St. Petersburg, Moscow, Yekaterinburg Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, and Vladivostok.

If the duration of the trip is from July 18 to August 4, in the application for the invitation letter you must indicate the total period of your stay in Russia, as well as the 5 main cities where you will be staying:

Tourist invitation request to Russia - Train route with the Trans-Siberian

Here is an example of a tourist confirmation letter if you are taking the Trans-Siberian Railway from St. Petersburg to Irkustk, where it is not necessary to specify the nights on the train:

Visa support confirmation to travel to Russia with the Trans-Siberian trains

Remember also that on the Russian visa application form you must put the same cities that you put in the application for the invitation letter.

 

 

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Categories: 1.1. Invitation to Russia

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1 Plane tickets 60 days Find cheap flights with Momondo
2 Visa application 30-45 days Fill out the online application
Get the invitation to Russia online
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3 Train tickets 30-45 days Use the official website of RZD
4 Accommodation 30 days Book accommodation with free cancellation
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About the Author

Irena Domingo's avatar

Hello, my name is Irena. I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I worked as a Russian teacher and as a translator and interpreter for the past 15 years. One of my main hobbies is traveling. Therefore, through this blog I want to help those people who want to travel to Russia.

Hey! I’m Irena Domingo

I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I started this blog with one goal: to create the most complete guide ever written to travel to Russia and beyond!

I want to know about …

  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Invitation to Russia
    • 1.2. Russian visa in Australia, USA and Canada
    • 1.3. Russian visa in China, Japan and India
    • 1.4. Russian visa in European countries
    • 1.5. Registration and immigration
    • 1.6. Visa to China, India and post-Soviet states
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
    • 2.2. Russian trains
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
    • 2.4. Car rental
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
    • 4.6. Kazan
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
    • 5.4. Russian products

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