Are you keen to travel on one of the most famous trains in the world? No doubt you have heard about the Trans-Siberian. It is the longest single-service railway line and spans nearly 9,300 kilometres, connecting Vladivostok and Moscow. The train passes through no less than seven time zones and takes a week to complete.
Image by Durandi2 via Flickr
That’s the most popular route, but there are connecting services that will bring you from Asia, through Europe from Beijing to Moscow. There is also the Tran-Manchurian which bypasses Mongolia.
There’s a lot to consider when choosing an express tour package. Here are our top 4 tips.
Booking Your Tickets
If you’re going to take a Russian train, you can book your tickets directly online. This is a good option if you are comfortable with the DIY route, but if you’d prefer a more organised and definite trip, The Trans-Siberian Travel Company specialises in Trans-Siberian express tours and holidays and can help you plan a memorable trip.
A few things to note when booking your trip include:
- The train times – Russian train times are listed in Moscow time
- Departure/arrival station – There are several different stations in Moscow, but they aren’t very far apart. Be sure to note which one you are arriving at or departing from so you don’t miss your train
- Check the box for linen and sheets. You will need to pay extra for this
- Seating allocation – Not all seats are the same, choose carefully or let your travel agent advise you
Seating and Classes
There are three class choices on the Trans-Siberian railway: spalny vagon, kupe and platskartny. The first class is a private cabin for two with higher-quality facilities. Second class offers a cabin for four people and third class is an open carriage with dozens of beds, arranged into four-berth spaces.
You’ll find that first class is full of tourists. If you’d like to interact with the locals, and you may be on a budget, book a second or third class ticket. You may want to avoid the side berths in third class as these run along the corridor and offer less privacy with people walking past.
Besides the different berths and classes, different train numbers and names have different facilities and take different lengths of time to get you to a fantastic location.
Border Crossings
Chances are, you will complete international border crossings during your trip. This can be laborious as visas are checked, custom forms have to be filled in, and even the cabins are inspected. Often, you can get off the train, but sometimes you are not permitted to. Be sure to check the stopping schedules so that you know what’s permissible.
The Facilities and What to Pack
- Food – You can buy food from the restaurant car. Some of the higher-end tickets include meals too. But, it’s a good idea to bring a few supplies along. Some of the stops are long enough to pop to a shop or the kiosk on the platform.
- Hot water – This is provided so you can make things like pots of noodles, but cold water isn’t provided, so make sure you take drinking water with you. You may also want to take a mug to make your soups in. Tea and coffee is provided at a price.
- Electrical outlets – There is no access to outlets unless you are in first class. There are a few communal ones in the corridors but are quite inconvenient.
- A few other things to take along include a pocket knife for opening food packets and cut food up, wet wipes, toilet paper, and sandals.
We hope that these tips could help you with your Trans-Siberian tour. If you’ve travelled via the Trans-Siberian railway, feel free to share your experience in the Comments below.
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