Chapter 2: How to reach Kaliningrad 2.1. Travel options By plane International flights available to Kaliningrad are serviced by LOT - Polish Airlines (Kaliningrad - Warsaw - Kaliningrad) every day except Saturdays. You can book your flight via Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, or another Russian city connected with Kaliningrad by domestic airlines. The nearest international airport that can be recommended is in Gdansk, Poland. Your trip there will take approximately 5 hours, including border crossing. The price of a transfer by taxi is around $100 - $120. See section 2.2., it contains information on how to cross the border check-points. International flights from/to Kaliningrad by LOT Polish Airlines (Summer 2003) Please note that all flights are via Warsaw Depature from Kaliningrad Arrival to Kaliningrad Destination Dates Dep. Arr. time Days of Dep. Time Arr. Time Time return Warsaw 2-3,5-7 14.55 15.15 2-3,5-7 11.50 14.15 1,4 16.15 16.35 1,4 13.10 15.35 Milan 2,3,5,7 14.55 18.25 2,3,5 07.40 14.15 1,4 16.15 21.55 1,4 07.40 15.35 Rome 4 11.30 14.55 4 07.05 10.30 7 11.30 13.55 7 08.10 10.30 1,2,3,5,6 16.25 18.50 1,2,3,5,6 13.05 15.25 2,6 11.30 15.15 The time is local for departure and arrival. For detailed information, please contact BaltmaTours incoming department: 7 (0112) 21-18-80, 22-84-19 (0112) 21-18-80, 22-84-19 Domestic flights from Kaliningrad to Moscow and Saint-Petersburg Destination Flight Days of Time Time Flight Days of Time Time Prices ** dep. of of dep. of of dep. arr. dep. arr. Moscow/VKO, K8986 daily 08:55 11:25 K8985 daily 12:45 13:25 2000/2800/ - Tu134 3200/3900 Moscow/VKO, K8990 1,2,3,4,6 15:30 18:10 K8 1,2,3,4,6 19:15 20:00 2000/2800/ - Tu134 989 3200/3900 Moscow/VKO, K8990 5,7 15:30 18:10 K8 5,7 19:15 20:00 2000/2800/ - Tu154 989 3200/3900 Moscow/VKO, 4216 daily 17:50 20:30 4216 daily 15:55 16:50 1600/2300/ - Tu134 3000/3200 Moscow/DMO, K8994 1,3,5 08:00 10:50 K8993 1,3,5 20:10 21:00 2000/2800/ - Tu134 3200/3900 Moscow/DMO, K8992 2 08:00 10:50 K8991 2 20:10 21:00 2000/2800/ - Tu134 3200/3900 Moscow/DMO, K8988 7 08:00 10:50 K8987 7 20:10 21:00 2000/2800/ - Tu134 3200/3900 Moscow/DMO, K8996 6 08:00 10:50 K8995 2 20:10 21:00 2000/2800/ - Tu134 3200/3900 Moscow/DMO, K8984 4,7 08:00 10:50 K8983 2 20:10 21:00 2000/2800/ - Tu134 3200/3900 Moscow/SVO, SY daily 11:20 14:15 SY daily 09:15 10:20 E=2000/2800/ Tu134 758 757 B=5300/ - 3200/3900 S.Petersburg, K8485 1,3,5 09:25 12:00 K8486 1,3,5 18:55 19:45 2500/ - 4250 Tu134 S.Petersburg, PL 6 20:10 22:35 PL 4 08:35 09:05 E=2500/B=3400/ Tu134 909 910 -4250 S.Petersburg, PL 4 10:15 12:40 PL 2 16:10 16:30 E=2500/B=3400/ Tu134 911 912 -4250 S.Petersburg, PL 2 17:55 20:20 PL 3 08:35 08:55 E=2500/B=3400/ Tu134 921 922 -4250 S.Petersburg, PL 3 10:20 12:45 PL 6 17:40 18:10 E=2500/B=3400/ Tu134 907 908 -4250 S.Petersburg, PL 5 19:00 21:25 PL918 1 10:45 11:15 E=2500/E=3400/ Tu134 917 -4250 S.Petersburg, PL 1 12:25 14:50 PL919 5 16:55 17:25 E=2500/B=3400/ Tu134 920 -4250 S.Petersburg, PL 7 15:20 17:45 PL965 7 11:35 12:05 E=2500/ -4250 Tu134 966 - tariffs are used on flight depending on terms of acquisition of tickets ** - tariff "Economy / Business / Amount" Kaliningrad airport Kaliningrad airport is divided into two parts, adjoining, but with separate access, distant five kilometres one from the other. There is the domestic area for flights to/from Russia and a smaller area dedicated to international departures. The airport is located about 30 km away from the city and, due to the traffic, going to the centre takes about 30 minutes. The domestic departures area is nearer to the city. Foreign passengers arriving from Russia are subject to passport control and their data are registered in a computer, but no stamp is affixed (for those who have a one entry visa or a visa with a limited number of entries, it is important to mention that the arrival in Kaliningrad from Russia is not considered as an entry in Russia!). Luggage delivery is immediate: in order to receive the luggage it is necessary to show the relevant coupon. There are no luggage trolleys in the airport, either in the domestic or in the international departures area. The price of the taxi into the city centre is approximately 10 euros. Taxis are not always available, so it is a common habit to stop private cars and ask for a lift. In this case the price of the transfer has to be agreed upon, but usually it does not exceed 150Rb. It is also possible taking the bus (the ticket can be bought on board and costs 5 Rb) or the so called marshrutnyj taxi, namely a bus following a prearranged route that stops on the way upon clients’ request. For domestic flights the check-in normally starts one hour before departure and finishes 40 minutes prior the departure time. Passengers are boarded about half an hour before departure. The boarding procedure envisages a luggage safety control before checking- in. Luggage is weighed (usually also hand-luggage is weighed) and in case it exceeds the allowed weight (20 kilos in economy class), an extra sum has to be paid. Pay attention: the airport staff is very rigorous to this respect! The boarding pass may not always be given: for instance, the seat can be assigned automatically when the ticket is bought, or there can be no assigned seats on the plane. After checking-in, personal safety and passport are controlled again. Even in this case, no stamp is affixed. After personal safety control passengers enter the waiting room, with a Free Duty Shop at disposal where perfumes, pieces of jewellery and especially amber are sold. In the airport hall there is an information office, a post office, a newspaper kiosk (selling newspapers only in Russian language), two souvenir shops, drinks (but not vodka) and ready-made food, the offices of two air companies and a bar where it is possible to find some snacks. In the basement there is also a left-luggage office, whose opening time changes quite frequently. It is better to check it before claiming the luggage. The arrival area consists of a simple roof where documents are controlled and luggage is given back. Outside there is a wide parking area where it is possible to leave the car (the cost is 30 Rb per day). The international departures area is used at present only for flights to/from Warsaw and is much more spartan than the domestic departures area. The building is very simple. The check-in is carried out right at the entry, followed by the security and passport control. The waiting room has a little shop (where it is possible to buy amber) and a bar inside. For international flights as well the ticket registration begins two hours before the flight and finishes 40 minutes prior to the departure time. It is a good rule to be at the airport at least 1 hour before departure time, because once the plane arrives the outgoing passengers are passing through the passport control, which usually may cause mixing up with passengers boarding the plane since they stand in the same passport control area. At the international arrivals area it is much more difficult to find a taxi. For this reason it is a good rule to have the pick-up already organized with the hotel. By train The railway connects Kaliningrad with mainland Russia, Moscow and Saint-Petersburg (via Lithuania and Belarus) and Poland, namely Gdynia. Two trains to Moscow and one to Saint-Petersburg are available daily. A trip from Kaliningrad to Moscow or Saint-Petersburg takes approx. 24 hours. The ticket cost varies from 30 $ to 90 $ depending on the travel class. As far as it was possible to find out, citizens of the European Union travelling from Kaliningrad to Russia do not need transit visas to pass through the territory of Belarus and Lithuania by train. The train to Poland (Gdynia) is available daily. The trip takes approx. 6,5 hours. The ticket cost is approx. 15 $. Should you go to Germany or any other Polish city you’d better buy a ticket in Kaliningrad to Tchew for about $13 and there buy a ticket for your final destination. Some train connections are also available with Belarus and the Ukraine. Railway Timetable City Time of dep. Time of arr. City Time of dep. Time of City arr. Gdynia 7:00 13:32 Kaliningrad 15:55 21:20 Gdynia (Poland) (Poland) Moscow 14:06 10:45 Kaliningrad 10:20 9:30 Moscow S. Petersburg 18:13 19:34 Kaliningrad 11:47 13:14 S.