There are not enough train tickets: Ukrzaliznytsia explains how to get a seat

Buying a train ticket online in the summer can be a challenge, as it is in other seasons.

It is tough to find seats on popular routes, for example, to Poland or from tourist cities such as Truskavets. Tickets are often sold out within minutes of going on sale.

When do ticket sales start?

Due to the current martial law, Ukrzaliznytsia opens ticket sales for most trains 20 days before the departure date, usually at 08:00 in the morning.

Tickets to Poland become available from 09:00, also 20 days in advance.

Routes to Moldova – 30 days in advance, sales start at 08:00.

If tickets are not available within the specified time frames, the schedule needs to be adjusted, and they are temporarily not on display.

How to buy tickets for popular routes in time

On the day of the start of sales, you need to be ready at the appropriate time – 09:00 for Poland, 08:00 for other destinations. Prepare and copy the names and surnames of passengers in Ukrainian in advance to quickly fill out the booking form. For international trains, you can enter data in Latin, but the system will transliterate it if you do not do it manually.

There are some functions of “Ukrzaliznytsia” that can help you:

Tracking available seats: You can activate the option to track the desired flight. As soon as tickets appear, you will receive a notification. The main thing is that your device has a stable Internet connection.

Automatic purchase: this function allows the system to order a ticket as soon as it becomes available. However, it does not work for all routes, especially those subject to resale.

How to activate auto purchase

Go to the ticket search on the website or in the program. Turn on seat tracking. Specify the desired train, type of carriage, and number of tickets. Fill in the passenger data, confirm payment, and activate automatic purchase.

The system will block the amount corresponding to the most expensive ticket among the selected options on your card. If you manage to buy cheaper tickets, the difference will be refunded.

We remind you that earlier, “Ukrzaliznytsia” introduced new rules for checking documents for passengers. If all train tickets are sold out, there is always the opportunity to check alternative routes.