Choosing the route

 CHOOSING THE TRANS-SIBERIAN ROUTE

  The first things you need to decide before booking plane and trains tickets and getting your visa is the route, final destination and duration of your trip. These aspects are essential and the following information about possible routes on the Trans-Siberian Railway should help you in deciding them.


ROUTES


CLASSIC TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY

Trans-Siberian Railway Classic Route

  The classic route of the Trans-Siberian Railway is the only route which is totally located in Russia - it starts in Moscow and finishes in Vladivostok. There are only two trains which travel the entire route from start to finish - the premium Rossia (Россия) train No. 02 and passenger train No. 100.


Number of direct trains: 2

Operation time: whole year around

Frequency: No. 02 odd dates | No. 100even dates (sometimes odd dates)

Countries: Russia

Distance: №02 - 9,259km | No. 100 9,300km 

Duration without stops: №02 - 6 days No. 100 - 6 days 20 hours 

Price in 1st class: №02 - from USD830 

Price for 2nd class: №02 - from USD 300 | No. 100 from USD200 


  Although both of these trains run along the Trans-Siberian they have slightly different routes in the beginning: train №02 goes via Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod whereas train No. 100 takes a more northerly route through Yaroslavl and Kostroma. All of these cities are worth visiting. In addition to these two trains, there are many other trains which connect different pieces of the Trans-Siberian Railway along the route.


THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CLASSIC TRANS-SIBERIAN ROUTE

  Chita - one of the oldest cities of the Russian Far East where more than 20 ethnic groups live. However the most interesting sights are located outside the city - the Sokhondinsky and Daursky national parks and reserves. Lakes Arey, Halanda, Gorbunka; the Lagernoy source and other natural sights. There are also a few Buddhist temples and synagogues.

Chita Datsan

  Jewish Autonomous Region - not many people know that in Russia there is a whole region which Stalin gave to the Jews to establish their own homeland before the foundation of Israel. The centre of the region is Birobidzhan which is worth visiting briefly to explore the regional museum and city's sights.

Birobidzhan Railway Station

  Khabarovsk - the capital of the Russian Far East which has a few very interesting museums - the Khabarovsk Art Gallery for example has a collection of works from the State Hermitage, Treyakov Gallery and the Pushkin Museum of Art. The regional museum is one of the best in Russia and has fragments of moon soil, particles of the Sikhot-Alin Meteor and copies of the Sikachi-Alyan petroglyphs (the original petroglyphs are located 75km from Khabarovsk)

  Vladivostok - the final destination of the Trans-Siberian is often called the Russian San-Francisco. This city is very interesting due to its military glory and beautiful surroundings. Here there is a bronze marker indicating the Trans-Siberian's terminus. Also from here you can continue to travel even further in Russia - to the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Chukotka Autonomous District, Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands. The city also has transport links with Japan, North Korea, South Korea and China.

This trip is recommended for those:

  • who want to travel the whole Trans-Siberian railway trip and say they have really done the 9,300km trip from beginning to end without turning to Mongolia or China.
  • who want to see and learn about the Russian Far East.
  • who have visited or plan to visit China or Mongolia separately (these massive countries are worth dedicated trips without combining them with a visit to the largest country in the world too) and want to concentrate just on Russia.
  • who will continue their trip deep into Russia visiting the north-eastern corner of the country.

TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY VIA MONGOLIA


Trans-Siberian railway via Mongolia

  There are two version of this route - one with ending in Mongolian Ulan-Bator and another with continuation with return to Russia heading to Vladivostok (Moscow - depending on direction). The only train which runs the entirety of this route - from Moscow to Vladivostok with extension to Mongolia is the Golden Eagle tourist train. It is the most luxurious and comfortable train on the Trans-Siberian railway. 

  The train No. 06Ь is a direct train from Moscow to Ulan Bator. The train covers the distance of about 6000km in 4 days. Only 1st and 2nd class are available on this train.

Number of direct trains: 2

Operation time: No. 06Ь - whole year around (on Thursdays), Golden Eagle  - from May until September. 

Frequency: No. 06Ь - once a week on Thursdays, Golden Eagleonce a month.

Countries: Russia, Mongolia

Distance: No. 06Ь - 6,255km (if you finish in Ulan Bator) | Golden Eagle - 10,615km (if finish in Vladivostok)

Number of stops: No. 06Ь - 30 stops | Golden Eagle  - 8-10.

Duration without stops: No. 06Ь  - 4 days | Golden Eagle - 4 days .

Price in 1st classNo. 06Ь - from USD420 | Golden Eagle Imperial class from USD30,000

Price for 2nd classNo. 06Ь - from USD300 | Golden Eagle Silver class from USD15,800

  This route is excellent if you have already visited China and want to concentrate on Russia, but with a short trip to Mongolia. As all tourist trains along the Trans-Siberian, Golden Eagle train is limited in terms of the itinerary: in Ulan Bator and Kazan for example you will just stay for one day which is not enough to get a real picture of these cities. You can only buy tickets for train No. 06Ь in cashiers or from travel agents. E-tickets are not available for No. 06Ь train.

 This trip is recommended for those:

  • who want to visit Russia and Mongolia but don't mind missing out China.
  • who want to travel with limited stops.
  • who do not want to spend time planning the trip and just follow the established tourist route in comfort (Tsar’s Gold tourist train).
  • who are not concerned with missing out on meeting local people and experiencing cultures first hand.

TRANS-MONGOLIAN RAILWAY


Trans-Mongolian Railway

  This international route is very popular among tourists as during the one trip you will see three massive countries - Russia, Mongolia and China. There are three direct trains on this route - two of them are tourist trains and one is a passenger train.

Number of direct trains: 3

Operation: No. 04 - whole year around | Tsar’s Gold - from May until September (5-6 departures a year in both directions) | Imperial Russia twice a year.

Countries: Russia, Mongolia, China.

Distance: 7,620km

Number of stops: No. 04 - 36 stops | Tsar’s Gold  - 9 stops | Imperial Russia - 9 stops

DurationNo. 04 - 6 days and 6 hours | Tsar’s Gold - 16 days | Imperial Russia - 13 days 

Frequency: No. 04 - once a week | Tsar’s Gold - once a month (in summer) | Imperial Russia - once a year (summer)

Price of 2nd classNo. 04 - from USD 500 | Tsar’s Gold -  from USD 5,100 | Imperial Russia - from USD 4,950

  This route is perfect for exploring three counties during one long trip. Most of the route run along Russia, during which you will be able to see many main sights of Central Russia, the Urals and Siberia including Lake Baikal and the Republic of Buryatia. You also will pass through the capital of Mongolia - Ulan Bator and the capital of China - Beijing. The main drawback of this route is the limited number of trains and the fact that you will see just part of the Trans-Siberian and skip 3,700km of Russia.

 This trip is recommended for those:

  • who want to visit three interesting countries of Eurasia.
  • who want to travel with limited stops.
  • who do not want to have to worry about planning the trip and follow an established tourist track in comfort. (Tsar’s Gold tourist train and Imperial Russia tourist train)

TRANS-MANCHURIAN RAILWAY


Trans-Manchurian Railway

  This version of the Trans-Siberian route is quite interesting as it runs along Russia and China only without crossing Mongolia. This is the only international Trans-Siberian route where you don’t need to get on another train at the Russia-China border (in China the width of the track is different from Russia) as the train will change its wheels. As this train go along the Russian Far East and provincial China it is a really unique experience. You can only buy tickets for this train in cashiers or from travel agents. E-tickets are not available for this train.

Number of direct trains: 1 (No. 020 - Vostok)

Operation time: all year around

Frequency: once a week (Saturday from Moscow and Beijing)

Countries: Russia, China

Distance: 8,961km

Number of stops: 38

Duration without stops: 6 days

Price in 1st class: From USD 830

Price in 2nd class: From USD 550

 This trip is recommended for those:

  • who want to travel away from the establish route.
  • who have already been to Mongolia or do not mind missing it out.
  • who want to explore provincial regions of China.
  • who are quite flexible in terms of the itinerary.

CUSTOM ROUTE


  All of these routes are interesting and make your trip unforgettable, but following these routes means you will inevitably miss some interesting places as some must see places are located away from the Trans-Siberian railway which is actually the main reason why these sights and cities have been so well preserved. To get the best trip and see as many of the main sights of Russia as possible, you need to plan a custom trip to combine trains, boats and cars.


DIRECTIONS


  The direction of travel is quite important for such a grand trip. According to statistics most travellers prefer to go eastbound rather than westbound, starting their trip in St Petersburg, Moscow and the central part of Russia. This might make sense as there are lots of major sites here and so it is best to see them when you still have lots of energy then be able to rest when travelling through the vast taiga forests of Siberia.

  However travelling westbound also has its benefits as you will end your trip in the metropolis of Moscow where you can find all the comforts of home, although you might be a bit tired to fully enjoy it all.

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