Kostroma Transport

Kostroma is quite big provincial town 230 kilometers north-east of Vladimir and 340 kilometers north-east of Moscow.

BY TRAIN.
There are daily trains to/from Moscow, St Petersburg, Yaroslavl. The train station promises little from the outside, but as you get inside it surprises: very clean, no queues, some signs in english, a waiting room, a pharmacy, a barbery, a good small cafe, opened 24 hours a day, where you can eat fast for 70 roub. ($2.3 US), and it's written in the menu how long it takes to cook a meal.
Next to the exit there are phones to make free phone calls in the city.
Useful tips: [how to read the train schedules?] - opens in a new window
[how to buy the tickets?] - opens in a new window
The railway station: address: Sovetskaya, #33; information: (0942) 54-22-64.
Directions to the city centrum: You can either take a trolley #2 to get from the train station to the center of the city (and back), or you can walk to Privokzalnaya (Привокзальная) square (along the main avenue, going to the direction of the city centrum) and take any bus / trolley from there.
It takes around 15 minutes by trolley to get from / to the train station to / from the city centrum. How to get there from the bus station: walk along the main avenue to the direction of the city centrum, cross the large bridge and later a small pedestrian bridge over the railways on the right. It a 10-minute walk.

TRAIN SCHEDULES TO/FROM KOSTROMA.
Note, all the schedules below are subject to change.
The data below is as of 15 August 2001.

KOSTROMA - MOSCOW - KOSTROMA Time: around 7h-8h one way

Daily direct train #149 Kostroma [daily 23.10] - Moscow Yaroslavski [next day 6.20]. Total time: 7h10m. Price: around 200 roubles ($7) a berth in a 4-berth 'coupe'.

Daily direct train #150 Moscow Yaroslavsky [daily 21.53] - Kostroma [next day 5.00]. Total time: 7h07m. Price: around 200 roubles ($7) a berth in a 4-berth 'coupe'.

KOSTROMA - YAROSLAVL Time: around 2h - 2h50m

Daily direct local trains - 'elektrichka' Kostroma [daily 8.50 (#6405), 13.20 (#6403), 15.46 (#6407)] - Yaroslavl Moskovsky [same day 11.40 (#6405), 16.10 (#6403), 18.36 (#6407) - Yaroslavl Glavny. Total time: 2h50m. Price: 31 roub ($1.08) for a seat OR Daily train #149 Kostroma - Moscow Kostroma [daily 23.10] - Yaroslavl Moskovski [next day 1.10, departs further to Moscow at 1.33]. Total time: 2h. Price: around 50 roub ($1.7) for a berth in a common car.

YAROSLAVL - KOSTROMA Time: around 2h30m - 2h50m

Daily direct local trains - 'elektrichka' Yaroslavl Moskovsky [daily 5.45 (#6405), 8.25 (#6403), 15.23 (#6407)] - Kostroma [same day 8.35 (#6404), 11.15 (#6402), 18.13 (#6406). Total time: 2h50m. Price: 31 roub ($1.08) for a seat OR Daily train #150 Moscow - Kostroma Yaroslavl Moskovski [daily 2.30] - Kostroma [same day 5.00]. Total time: 2h30m. Price: around 50 roub ($1.7) for a berth in a common car.

BY BUS.
The buses depart to Moscow, Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Suzdal, Vladimir and other cities. The bus station is 20 minutes ride from the centrum of the city. There are automatic lockers, toilets at the station. The station's information office is opened from 7 to 19.30 (a break 12.30-13.30).
Useful tips: [how to read the bus schedules?] - opens in a new window
[how to buy the tickets?] - opens in a new window
The bus station: Kineshemskoe (Кинешемское) shosse, #21. Phone: (0942) 22-02-33. Directions: take a bus along the Kineshemskoe shosse to the direction of the railway station (vokzal) to the centrum of the city. It'll take around 20 minutes.

BUS SCHEDULES TO/FROM KOSTROMA.
Note: the data below is as of 15th August, 2001. The bus schedules are subject to change. Sometimes the buses are delayed or canceled, check it beforehand.

KOSTROMA - MOSCOW - KOSTROMA Time: around 8h20m one way

Daily direct buses Kostroma - Moscow. Total time: 8h20m, Price: 173 roubles ($6 US). Arrives to Moscow Shchyolkovski bus terminal. Departs Kostroma: daily 5.25, 8.35, 10.10, 16.00, 22.00, 22.50

Daily direct buses Moscow - Kostroma. Total time: around 8h20m, Price: 173 roub ($6 US) Departs Moscow Shchyolkovski: daily 6.45, 7.30, 9.50, 12.35, 17.10

KOSTROMA - YAROSLAVL - KOSTROMA Time: around 2h00m one way

Daily direct buses Kostroma - Yaroslavl. Total time: 2h00m, Price: 43 roubles ($1.5). Arrives to Yaroslavl Moskovski railway station and bus terminal. Departs Kostroma: daily 7.20, 9.10, 10.55, 13.30, 16.40, 19.05

Daily direct buses Yaroslavl - Kostroma. Total time: 2h00m, Price: 43 roubles ($1.5) Departs Yaroslavl Moskovski: daily 6.55, 8.10, 9.40, 13.00, 15.45, 20.30

KOSTROMA - VLADIMIR (thru Suzdal) - KOSTROMA Time: around 5h30m one way

Daily direct bus Kostroma - Suzdal - Vladimir. Total time: 5h30m, Price: 104 roub ($3.5) Departs Kostroma: daily 11.30

Daily direct bus Vladimir - Suzdal - Kostroma. Total time: 5h30m, Price: 104 roub ($3.5) Departs Vladimir: daily 12.00

KOSTROMA - IVANOVO - KOSTROMA Time: around 2h50m one way

Daily direct buses Kostroma - Ivanovo. Total time: 2h50m, Price: 60 roub ($2) Departs Kostroma: daily 6.30, 8.30, 10.35, 12.20, 14.00, 17.35, 18.40

Daily direct buses Ivanovo - Kostroma. Total time: 2h50m, Price: 60 roub ($2) Departs Ivanovo: daily 7.05, 7.55, 10.30, 11.55, 14.40, 16.20, 18.10

BY BOAT.
Kostroma is located on the Volga river, so the river transport is operating when there's no ice. There are some cruise boats, but they are expensive, local people use the local hydrofoil, which circulates between Yaroslavl, Kostroma, and Plyos.
The hydrofoil from Kostroma to Yaroslavl departs daily 18.00, except tuesday and thursday. It takes about 2 hours to get to Yaroslavl, and it costs 48 roubles ($1.7 US) one way. The hydrofoil departs from pier #1, they start to sell the tickets 30 minutes before the departure. It's better to take this boat on the weekdays, because on the weekends it's so popular, that people start to queue it 2 hours before departure. This hydrofoil returns from Yaroslavl to Kostroma daily (except tuesday and thursday), departs Yaroslavl at 6.20, comes to Kostroma (pier #1) 2 hours later at 8.20, and then departs at 8.35 further to Plyos (1 hour). It comes back from Plyos to Kostroma in the evening (departs Plyos at 16.40, comes to Kostroma at 17.40, and then sails further to Yaroslavl).
The pier #1: Located on the Volga river, just next to "Korvet" pier hotel. How to get there: walk from the main Susanina (Сунанина) square (where the trading arcades are) to the direction of Volga river, and as you reach the embankment, turn right. Walk straight ahead for 5 minutes, the pier will be on your left (of course). It takes 15-20 minutes to walk there from Susanina square. Information phone: (0942) 55-36-87

THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT .
There are buses and trolleys with discounts (for old people and students) and without discounts. A trip costs 2 roubles ($0.08). The trolleys have the price written on a plate behind the front window, so don't mix it up with the trolley's route, which is written on top. The useful trolley routes are #2, that goes from the train station to the city centrer (Sovetskaya (Советская) street and Susaninskaya (Сусанинская) sq.), trolley #3 goes from the centrum (from the stop on Sovetskaya st., next to the Trading Arcades on Susanina sq) to the eastern part of the city, stops close to Ipatievski Monastery, which is on the other shore of Volga river.
A bus #13 will take you from the main square of Kostroma - Susaninskaya (Сусанинская) ploshchad (where the Trading Arcades are) directly over a bridge above the Kostroma river to Ipatievski monastery.

TAKING A CAR .
You can wave down any car on the street and use it as a taxi. The prices are like in Moscow. If you want to get from the centrum of the city to Ipatievski monastery it'll cost 15-20 roubles ($0.5-$0.8).
Taxi service: (0942) 22-00-72, 22-01-33