Updated: 8/15/2019 | August 15th, 2019
I’ve always wanted to travel on the Trans-Siberian railway. It seems like an amazing adventure that literally spans the width of an entire continent. Until I make the journey myself, Katie Aune is here to share her experiences on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
In this guest post, Katie shares everything you need to know for the journey. She is a frequent traveler to Russia and knows this journey well. She’s here to share her wisdom with you to help you make the most out of your trip across Russia!
The Trans-Siberian Railway is one of the most famous train journeys in the world. For me, it was the highlight of the three months I spent in Russia. I traveled in reverse, going from Vladivostok to Moscow (most people start in Moscow) and went slowly, taking nearly a month to complete the journey and stopping in five cities along the way.
In this post, I’ll go over everything you need to know to plan your trip. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Step One: Planning Your Route
The traditional Trans-Siberian route stretches 9,288 kilometers between Moscow and Vladivostok. Two variations are also popular: the Trans-Mongolian (between Moscow and Beijing via Mongolia) and the Trans-Manchurian (between Moscow and Beijing, bypassing Mongolia). All three routes take 6–7 days if going non-stop.
Most travelers start their journeys in Moscow and go east. If you are anxious to interact with locals or improve your Russian skills, consider starting in Vladivostok or Beijing and heading west. You will likely encounter fewer tourists and more locals who are simply taking the train as a means of transportation, not as an adventure.
Beijing is probably a more attractive bookend to the journey than Vladivostok and likely provides easier onward connections — the best options from Vladivostok are to either fly back to Moscow (about $250 USD) or take a ferry to Japan or South Korea ($400 USD and up).
Chances are you will need a visa to travel to one or more of Russia, Mongolia, and China, so that may factor into which route makes the most sense for you. Rules vary by nationality, so I encourage you to visit the consulate website for your home country several months in advance to learn what is required.
For more on my experience obtaining a Russian visa, check out my post, How to Get a Russian Visa.
Where to Stop Along the Way?
Unless you love the idea of spending a week straight on a train, I recommend making a couple of stops along the way. One of the best things about the Trans-Siberian is the opportunity it affords you to see more of Russia than just Moscow and/or St. Petersburg. The most interesting people I met and the best experiences I had along the way came not on the train, but during my stops, which included the following:
Kazan
Technically a detour from the Trans-Siberian route, every Russian I met ooh-ed and aah-ed when I told them I was stopping in this 1,000-year-old city, exclaiming how beautiful it is. Ignoring the foot of snow I trudged through while I was in town and the cloudy skies that loomed over me, I have to agree.
Kazan’s Kremlin is a UNESCO World Heritage site and in my opinion, has much more character than the Kremlin in Moscow. A large mosque dominates the scene, the main drag is lined with pine trees, and vendors gather along the Kremlin walls, selling mostly Islamic and Tatar-themed souvenirs. I spent several hours there, including a visit to the Museum of Islam, the Russian Orthodox church, and the natural history museum.
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is best known as the place where the last tsar, Nicholas II, and his family were murdered in 1918. My fascination with imperial Russian history made it a must-see — particularly Ganina Yama, the site where their bodies were discarded.
Now considered holy ground, seven chapels have been constructed on the site, one for each member of the royal family. I was most touched by a photo display showing the family in their daily lives — it really personalized the tragedy of their deaths.
Krasnoyarsk
The city itself is fairly bland, but my reason for stopping was to visit the Stolby Nature Reserve, a collection of fascinating volcanic rock pillars scattered throughout the wooded hills outside of the city. Visiting in late November, I was surprisingly not alone in braving subzero temperatures and sometimes knee-deep snow to hike around to all of the rock formations.
My guide, Vitaly, provided sometimes inappropriate stories about the rocks, a much-needed hand as we climbed a few for incredible views, and some cognac for warmth before we started!
Irkutsk
Irkutsk provides a jumping-off point to see Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world. If you are short on time, plan on a day trip to Listvyanka, a small town on the shores of Lake Baikal and about 90 minutes from Irkutsk.
If you have at least 3 days, Olkhon Island, the largest island in the lake, is a must-see. Its main town, Khuzhir, takes you back decades, with sandy dirt roads and cows roaming the streets. The ride there is half the fun — I shared the six-hour marshrutka (mini-van) trip to the island with a cute Belgian couple, a couple of babushkas, and a large Russian man chugging vodka out of a bottle stashed in his jacket pocket.
Once in Khuzhir, the couple and I split the cost of hiring a van and driver to take us around the island for an afternoon. Dipping my hand in the near-frozen lake, sliding on the ice that formed on its shores, and playing in the fresh snow on the north end of the island provided some of my best memories from my entire time in Russia.
Ulan Ude
Just an eight-hour train ride from Irkutsk and not far from the Mongolia border, Ulan Ude is the capital of Buryatia, home to Russia’s largest indigenous people, the Buryats. While I only had a day and a half there, I made the most of it, visiting the open-air museum just outside of town, stopping at a small museum on the history of Buryatia (some explanations in English), and enjoying the sunset from one of the highest points in Ulan Ude.
Ulan Ude is also a center of Buddhism in Russia. I hired a guide (about $12 USD/hour) to accompany me to the Buddhist monastery in Ivolga, about 40 minutes outside of the city. She taught me the basics of Buddhism and, being a Buryat, she gave me insight into their culture. It was well worth the price!
Step Two: Booking Your Tickets
If you are on a tight schedule, it makes sense to book your tickets ahead of time. Tickets can be issued up to 45 days in advance and many travel agencies can do this for you. I used Real Russia and highly recommend them — they can also help with obtaining a letter of invitation for visa purposes. It is also possible to book online yourself at www.rzd.ru or www.poezda.net if you can read a little Russian.
For more flexible travelers, you can purchase your tickets at the stations as you go along. However, be prepared for the possibility that the train you want may already be sold out, and don’t be surprised if none of the cashiers speak any English. And schedules posted at the stations will be on Moscow, not local, time.
Most trains offer three classes of sleeper service: spalny vagon (1st class), kupe (2nd class), and platskartny (3rd class). Spalny vagon compartments have just two berths, with both beds at the lower level. Kupe are four-berth compartments consisting of two upper and two lower bunks. Finally, platskartny are open six-berth compartments with both upper and lower bunks.
Both spalny vagon and kupe have doors that lock, while platskartny compartments are open — this makes third class a little more social, but a little less secure.
Step Three: How Much Should You Budget?
How much you spend on your train journey will depend on all of the factors mentioned above, but I would say around $1,000 for tickets, accommodations, and food is a good starting point.
For example, booking through Real Russia, a kupe ticket from Moscow to Vladivostok might run about $900, while platskartny would be less than half, at just $360. On the other hand, splurging on first-class would cost you nearly $1,800. Prices for the nonstop trip to Beijing are similar. You can save up to 33% by taking one of the lower-quality passenger trains instead of the cosmetically nicer firmenny trains.
Note that breaking up the journey into separate legs may add some additional cost to your trip. For example, making stops in both Yekaterinburg and Irkutsk en route to Vladivostok would increase the total to $1,130 for kupe.
Price can also vary by day and time of departure, so if you are on a tight budget, be sure to play around with the schedules and note that not all types of trains are available on all routes or run on all days. Russian Railways offered a sale this fall that offered up to 50% off fares booked at least 30 days in advance but also imposed a 5% penalty on tickets purchased less than 10 days before departure. Keep an eye out for similar deals in the future.
What to Expect on the Train
When I boarded my first train, I felt a bit lost. Everyone around me seemed to have their routines down, from the clothes they changed into and the food they neatly set out on the small table, to the way they effortlessly made up their bed. I just tried to watch and follow their lead, and by the time I departed on my second leg, I felt like an old pro.
Toilets Each carriage has a toilet on each end, and they will be locked shortly before, during, and shortly after most station stops (and border crossings if you’re heading into China or Mongolia). The toilet doors usually have a schedule showing these closures. Despite my fears, they were kept quite clean and well stocked with toilet paper (though this is not always the case, so be prepared with your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer).
Food and water: You will find a samovar with boiling water on one end of the car, usually opposite the attendant’s compartment. If you bring your own water bottle, you can also refill it with drinkable water from the attendant. While food is available for purchase in the dining car and from vendors roaming the halls, it can be overpriced and the selection may be limited. You may be better off bringing your own provisions, especially for a multi-day journey.
Electronics: Outlets for charging cell phones and the like are available in the hallways, though some of the newer cars have their own plugs. Most carriages have fold-down seats so you can sit with your device as it charges, although it was not uncommon for people to leave theirs hanging unattended.
During my time on the train, I shared my kupe compartment with Russians ranging from businessmen and babushkas to members of a girls’ volleyball team. Some of my “roommates” boarded and went straight to sleep; others were traveling with people in other compartments and spent most of their time elsewhere. One guy stood in the hallway staring out at the passing landscape for hours at a time. Just a few really wanted to talk.
A babushka flashed her gold teeth as she rambled nonstop to anyone who would listen. An orphanage teacher was wonderfully patient as I practiced my Russian with her over our two days together, while an engineer was anxious to try out his English, paging through my dictionary and asking me carefully formulated questions. None were looking to party — the drink of choice for most was tea, not vodka, which is contrary to many of the stories you hear about the Trans-Siberian.
By the end of my journey, I was exhausted, relieved, satisfied, and immensely grateful. My fears prior to the trip were unfounded, the people I met were some of the friendliest in my three months in Russia, and the experiences were unforgettable.
And back in Moscow, sharing my stories with friends there, I began to really appreciate the fact that I had just seen more of Russia in one month than most Russians will ever see in a lifetime.
Traveling on the Trans-Siberian Railway is truly a magical experience and I hope this guide helps you in your planning!
Katie Aune is a Minnesota native and former attorney who recently quit her job in nonprofit fundraising to spend a year volunteering and traveling through the 15 countries of the former Soviet Union. You can follow her adventures on Katie Aune or on Twitter @katieaune.
Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
- World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
- Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
Looking for the best companies to save money with?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and that will save you time and money too!
Photo credits: 1 – Dom McIntyre, 3 – Ben Beiske, 6 – Elena Dell’Omo, 7 – Mark Fonseca Rendeiro
Claudia
I love reading this. I also travelled by Transsib and it was an amazing experience. Thanks for this beautiful article!
Jade
Just read your other artcile about the trans siberian! Great tips! I really want to go from Vladivostok to Moscow but I think it will not be possible for me to get a visa since I will be travelling previously and not domiciled anywhere for three months 🙁
Katie
Thanks Jade! I know you’ve been following along and I appreciate it! Yeah, the visa stuff can be tricky. I’ve heard rumors of things getting easier leading up to the Sochi Olympics in 2014 but who knows? If you can get back to your home country for at least a month ahead of time you should have time to get the visa although you may need to pay to expedite things. 🙁
Dean
Great info! I’m definitely interested in travelling the trans-mongolian one day. Looks like a great experience.
Beth Partin
I’ve always wanted to take the Trans-Siberian railway. Thanks for a very informative description of it.
Alex
The rocks in Stolby Nature Reserve look marvelous! Would be my reason to visit over there, for sure! It’s the first time I hear about this place.
Katie
Yeah, I definitely had never heard of Stolby until I started researching for my trip. It was certainly worth freezing my butt off a little to discover!
Ali
Great tips Katie! I’m sure I’ll end up doing this trip someday!
Erin
What a fantastic, detailed guide. I have heard that foreigners always get put in cabins together so it sounds like travelling the other way helps avoid that (if you want a more local experience).
Katie
Thanks Erin! Hadn’t heard that about foreigners being grouped together – not sure how they would do that since you get your cabin & bed assignment as soon as you book, but I suppose maybe there’s something in the system…regardless, I think both the direction I went and the time of year I went kind of ensured I’d be just about the only non-Russian on the train. 🙂
Rhona
Thank you for sharing with us more of Russia. I always see Moscow but nothing so detailed and involved. Makes my wanting to see Russia even higher on the scales now.
Katie
Thanks for reading Rhona! I hope you’ll check out my site as I have over a dozen posts from the three months I spent in Russia – almost none about Moscow since that was one of my least favorite cities.
David Hoffmann
Wow this is something I have been dreaming about for years. So those are the only stops you recommend? I saw that there are many stops, should I stop in other places for a night or two?
Katie
I wish I had time to stop more! Other places that I have heard make good stops are Nizhny Novgorod (which would likely be a first stop coming from Moscow – you’d probably do either that or Kazan), Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Tobolsk, Chita and Khabarovsk.
anorwen
How do you propose to deal with the language issues? Most Russians (especially in the smaller towns) don’t speak English. I would think that at least some basic language skills are necessary (for things like getting food and asking for directions).
Katie
I do speak some Russian – studied it in college and took a language course in St Petersburg when I first go to Russia – so that made it easier. I would recommend at least getting a good handle on understanding the Cyrillic alphabet. Once you can read Cyrillic, you can sound out a lot of the signs and the words will actually be familiar.
Getting food isn’t too much of an issue if you shop in local markets or kiosks – just point to what you want and they can figure it out. In smaller shops, they’re probably ringing you up on a calculator anyway so they’ll just show you the total on the calculator. For restaurants, it would definitely help to have a phrase book as you likely won’t find any menus in English.
I met 2 guys in Ulan Ude who were doing the Trans-Mongolian who didn’t speak a word of Russian and they were getting a long just fine. It just takes some patience.
anorwen
I grew up in Russia (fluent in language), and the task still seems daunting 🙂
But you are right – all it takes is patience and dedication.
Katie
Good tips. I personally just found it much easier to go through an agent, especially with as many stops as I was making and the limited time I had, they were able to easily suggest an itinerary and I just went with it. Even if you book through rzd.ru I’d use Real Russia’s site to search timetables since they list in local time and then find the corresponding train on rzd.ru since they just use Moscow time.
Katie
The picture shown is a standard passenger train. If you want something a bit nicer, look for the “firmenny” trains. The cabins are brighter, the toilets slightly nicer and the beds are upholstered in fabric rather than leather, with beds that fold down rather than roll out mattresses. Although I personally found the mattresses on the passenger trains more comfy. 🙂
Turner
I am stoked you published this. I have this on my to do list. I met an Italian girl who took the 3rd class car and said it was def. the best option as it is the most social and fun. She had an American guy who took the first class but always came back to socialize. So I think this is less safe, but worth it for the fun and social factor. People will share vodka and try to speak with you and even yell at you sometimes, but I think this is what it is all about.
Although I would recommend trying to get a top bunk as people will sit and socialize on the bottom ones, so if you want to sleep, you are screwed.
Turner
Katie
Thanks Turner! Yeah, I did 2nd class all the way and while I met quite a few people it didn’t have a super social vibe. I really can’t imagine doing 1st class unless you’re traveling as a couple and don’t want to socialize at all.
I struggled over upper vs lower bunk. Watching people struggled to climb up into the upper ones made me glad I had a lower (one larger older woman looked like she was going to fall off the bunk numerous times as she tried to make it up the very tiny ladder!). And I was glad not to have to pull my big backpack up there to store. But it did get old sometimes if I wanted to lay down or stretch out and I had people sitting on my bunk.
Chris
Hi, i enjoy reading this post. Moscow is one of the city that I want to visit and Russia must be very interesting to see :-)thanks for sharing
Becky GlobalGrasshopper
Thanks for sharing, my friends did this for their honeymoon they said it could be a bit hard going but still one of the most amazing experiences of their lives.
Katie
Wow, I don’t know if I’d recommend it as a honeymoon trip (not exactly super-romantic!) but good for them!
Adam Costa
Hi Katie,
Truly excellent.
Thank you for posting such an in-depth post on something I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do. And it seems totally worth it – financially and otherwise – to take the extra stops.
Well done.
Katie
You’re welcome Adam! Glad you found it useful. And yes, I highly recommend making at least a couple stops – it breaks up the long train rides and you get such a different view of Russia than what you might see in St Petersburg or Moscow. And people were soooo friendly.
Katie
Haha, yes, very possibly related. Are you going in kupe or platskartny? You may encounter more vodka, or at least more socializing, in platskartny.
Oh – and even though you’re going in February, beware they keep the train temps at around 24 or 25 Celsius (high 70s Fahrenheit) – I was sweltering at times – especially during the day when the sun was shining on my side of the train!
Have fun!
Tash
Great post!
Kazan’s Kremlin looks amazing!
I did the traditional route, starting in St Petes, in 2010 – one of the best things I have ever done!
Roger Gordon
Really enjoyed the read. Not to happy about the lack of vodka drinking on the way but i am sure i can live with that!
Ham
Great post, well put together and very informative. I agree with your comment on fellow passengers. I did my trip in winter and tea was the drink of choice with the locals!
Lucas
Very nice article. I enjoyed reading it and it was informative. One question for you Katie. If I were to purchase a ticket from say Moscow to Beijing, what sort of options are there for getting on and off the train? Could I get off at as many stops as I want? Is there some sort of time limit from beginning to end for riding the train? I just want to do the trip and be able to get off at certain places and take a few days to explore. The spots you noted looked great! I would also like to get off at random different areas and have the possibility of staying off the train for a couple of days. Thanks again for all of the info and the great article!
rob
Do you have some experience with agencies like railbookers, greatrail or transsiberian-travel.com? What do you think about “luxury trains”?
Stefania
How cool! A friend of mine just left for the Transiberian Trail! Happy and jealous at the same time!
Anyway, I’m all for hot countries, LOL!
Annie
The TransSib has been on my list for ages, thank you so much for all the tips! (Especially the Russian names for the different things, this is going to be very useful when I finally DO get to go)
Ross
Great post. Thanks for all the info, I will definitely use it. Sounds like you had brilliant time. I’m not sure if I’m happy or sad that everybody on the train wasnt drinking vodka and partying!
Max
I had a crazy idea of going from London to Beijing entirely by train. Eurostar to Paris, Paris to Berlin, Berlin to Moscow, Moscow to Beijing etc.
Has anybody got any experience with this?
NomadicMatt
You can easily do it! Plenty of trains to choose from. Check out the site seat61.com
swanny
I think you can get all the way to Singapore from London by train.
I am trying to get the whole way back to Australia from England and it’s the last bit from Singapore to Perth that is causing me all the trouble. I might have to book a cruise but i reckon it would be weird going on a cruise solo, and not to mention i would probably be the youngest person on the boat by about 50 years haha.
Marian
First of all, great article, it helped a lot.
I’ve just booked my tickets to trans sib railway via realrussia.co.uk
I tried to do that via rzd.ru, but my card wasn’t accepted. Just FYI, the final price from Vladivostok to St.Petersburg (4stops enroute) was 390 Euro. If you know your itinerary earlier, you can buy your ticket much cheaper. But I think only second class, 45-31 days before departure and only domestic routes. It is cheaper than 3rd class.
Johnny
Hey Matt,
I’m planning on taking the trans-sib from Ulaan-Ude to Moscow. Do you know how much the fare should be if I buy the tickets on the spot? (say in a month from now?)
Thanks!
Suzana
I love posts like this- it makes me feel like I’m in the story!
We’re thinking of taking such adventure this winter ourselves. We’re kinda bored of the typical tropical-sandy beaches and blue see resorts kinda vacation. I’m thinking of either going for a full service with Travel all Russia agency, or just taking flight there and buying tickets one by one as you mentioned. The thing is that we’re independent kinda tourists, we like to travel on our own, instead of buying all-included service, but I’ve heard that Russia can be dangerous sometimes… Oh, I need to look trough pros and cons again:)
Tania
Great tips!!! I’m doing the transmogolian on my own in octorber. Did you travel solo also? Did you find any difficulties finding lodges in the cities? I’ve been to Russia, but only Saint Petersburg, but I’m more unsure about Mongolia 🙂
Thanks!
Art
You can see what it is like to travel any part of the t/Siberian RR– from Moscow to-Velvostock, of the east coast. How due you due this?, on Youtube. You can see the whole route on Youtube. It is broken up into 5 subparts.. I started looking at the subparts—- I got bored an then started jumping forward.. when I got finished, on the east coast—- I decided going over the whole route would be to boning for me.
So, I got on board in Mongolia, went to Irkutsk, I spent 5days there. Then I got on the RR train an spent 2.5 days riding the train all the way Perm.. That way enough Trans Siberian RR for my. I next flew to Stalingrad. on the Vogua River, 2013.
Erkki
Hey!
Can anyone suggest a good travel book about Buryatia, Sayan mountains? Especially interesting would be any trekking, hiking activites. Closest thing is the LP Russia, but … Several blogs about Transsiberian railway, but the hiking experiences in the region would be nice to read abou. I am going Moscow to Irkutsk in August for some hiking.
Erkki
Verena
Hi Katie,
I’m currently traveling in Asia and I might do 2 months of volunteer in Mongolia. I found the just flying home after 7 months a little bit boring and thought about taking the Transsiberian train home. I would start in Ulaanbaatar and do the same trip as you did from Ulan Ude. I’ll travel in November – December, was it the same period as you? I’m worried that it might be too cold there. I’m also a solo traveling woman and wanted to ask you if you think it is inappropriate to go with the train without knowing any word in Russian.
Thank you,
Verena
NomadicMatt
Hey everyone! Due to the age of this post and the difficulty in moderating lots of posts spam, comments here have been turned off. If you would like to continue the discussion, head over to the forums at http://forums.nomadicmatt.com and chat there! I post frequently and reply to threads on the boards! See ya there! Thanks! – Matt