Ukrzaliznytsia has separate travel rules for children depending on their age and destination country. The youngest passengers can travel for free without a separate seat, while older children are entitled to discounts from 25% to 64%. Ukrzaliznytsia reports this according to RBC-Ukraine citing Ukrzaliznytsia.
The conditions differ for trips within Ukraine and international routes to Poland, Moldova, Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary. There are no student discounts for international flights.
Free Ukrzaliznytsia tickets for children in 2026: until what age the benefit applies
Within Ukraine, children up to 5 years old can travel for free with an adult without providing a separate seat. The same age limit applies for trips to Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary.
On international routes, the rules are different. To Poland, children up to 3 years old can travel for free without a separate seat, while to Moldova, the limit is up to 4 years old.
If a child needs a separate seat or is older, child rates apply. Within Ukraine, passengers aged 6 to 13 get a 25% discount on the ticket price.
For trips to Poland, children from 4 to 15 years old receive a 50% discount; to Moldova, passengers from 5 to 9 years old get 62-64%. On routes to Slovakia, Austria, and Hungary, children from 6 to 15 years old receive a 50% discount.
The discount applies only to the ticket price, not to all components of the travel document. In particular, the 50% discount does not apply to sleeping car fares on corresponding international routes.
Unaccompanied children's travel and student discounts from Ukrzaliznytsia in 2026
Children can board a train and travel within Ukraine unaccompanied from the age of 14. There are separate requirements for crossing state borders, which depend on the passenger's age, the country, and the presence of accompaniment.
For students and pupils, discounted travel on international routes is not provided by law. If a student is traveling within Ukraine on a foreign train, a discount is only available on the ticket portion of the cost, while the sleeping car fare is fully paid.
Before international travel with a child, Ukrzaliznytsia also recommends checking the current border crossing rules as they may differ depending on the destination country.