GREAT RAILWAY JOURNEYS - THE TRANS SIBERIAN RAILWAY
For railway enthusiasts and the adventurous amongst you, this is the ultimate railway experience and the longest on earth. Connecting Europe and Asia, the Trans Siberian Railway is almost 10,000 Km in length and passes through seven time zones in a journey of almost a week. (You can leave your watch on Moscow time which is used on the train throughout the journey.)
The popular route is west to east from Moscow to Vladivostock a city which was only opened to foreigners in 1992. You can continue by ferry to Japan if 10000 Km is not enough for you. There are other routes including the Trans Manchurian to Beijing in China.
On board you have the choice of first or second class compartments. We would not recommend the third class accommodation which has many berths in one communal wagon. First Class is a 2-berth in a “spainy wagon” (sleeping) while the Second Class (”Coupe”) has 4 berths. It is difficult to obtain a first class ticket in the height of summer as most are reserved for travel agents and Embassy staff.
The train stops several times a day for a limited time enabling you to buy snacks and souvenirs. It is possible to arrange for stopovers in many of the cities en route. These include Yaroslavl, a port on the Volga and a centre of textile manufacture. Ekaterinburg is the first stop, in Asiatic Russia and the home town of Boris Yeltsin. Krasnoyarsk was founded in 1628 as a trading post on the Yenisei River. Irkutsk is the region’s most important city with nearby Lake Baikai, a major tourist attraction Ulan Ude is a centre of the Buddhist culture, revived after Stalin’s departure. Vladivostock is now a major Pacific commercial port and also the HQ of the Russian Pacific Fleet.
With a week in transit, you will need toilet facitities. There are toilets and wash basins at the end of each carriage. Most facilities are kept clean but our travel advice would be to take cleaning materials and wipes. Towels are provided with the bed linen. Showers are provided only in the first class compartments.
All Russian trains have restaurant cars but the quality of the food is questionable and the prices are high. More travel advice would be to take some favourite snacks and drinks in your luggage also try out the stations, locals sell good home made food so no one need go hungry. Cheap favourites are the “Pirozhki,” cakes filled with cheese, vegetables or fish. Bottled beer and water are also sold but milk is not available. Tea is a traditional Trans Siberian beverage and the Provodnik (Conductor) in each wagon will oblige with hot water (free) and tea bags.
Luggage can be stowed under your bed. Russian and Chinese dealers travel on the trains and sell their goods during the short stops and tend to takeover luggage space. It is therefore advisable to claim your luggage space an hour before departure.
Finally, payments on board are made in local currency. Changing US dollars on the train is not a good idea as rates will be low. In addition to foreign money, have some Russian Roubles, Chinese Yuan or Mongolian Tugriks with you until you find a bank.
On such a long trip, a good book(s) and a source of music is a good idea in case you tire of the scenery or just want a change of activity. Also we would recommend taking a pack of cards or a couple of travel board games or a hand held games console.
This has to be one of the great railway journeys. A trip on the Trans Siberian Express is a unique journey on the longest railway line in the World, traveling over one third of the globe through the vast expanse of Russia. Interaction with Russians and Russia make this journey an unforgettable experience for tourists, photographers, the adventurous and of course the railway enthusiasts.
