Can anyone help me with information on the Trans Siberian railway? I’m hoping to travel this Summer (August) East-West, probably ending my trip in Moscow, hoping to have a semblance of a bank account when i return home… Would love you forever if you could provide info on costs, places to go, who to book through, what to avoid, what i might think about taking. Cheers, Rick.;j
Monkeyshrine is a popular outfit that makes the trip a lot easier than doing it on your own. I booked my trip through them, also East-West, and it was a breeze. It’s been 4 or 5 years and they might have changed, but I had a good experience. I took a boat from Korea, a train to Beijing, and hooked up with the Monkey folks from there.
Don’t recall the costs, and anyway, they’ll have changed by now. It wasn’t expensive, but then again, if you want to get to Moscow cheap, just fly. The train is a lot more interesting, of course.
My advice: Plan a stop or two. I haven’t yet forgiven myself for not spending more time in Mongolia and especially Irkutsk. Lake Baikal is fascinating, and all I did was see it from the train window. Of course those stops drive up the cost, and the trip is a blast with or without them. But how often are you going to be back in Siberia? (If you go from Vladivostok, Mongolia won’t be on your way, but Baikal will.)
It’s a good idea to bring some non-perishable snacks. There is stuff available at stations, but they can be far between, and I missed a lot of meals because of not keeping up with how the time zones work. (The dining car operates according to whatever time zone it’s passing through, as I recall.) A book, of course, though you might not find time to read it. Lots of people to talk to, and the scenery is not boring. Even in summer, there can be cool spells, so don’t rely on only shorts and T-shirts. Unless you go first class, there won’t be a shower for about a week, but bring some toiletries and clean up a little in the lavatory, for God’s sake. Some of my fellow-travellers didn’t, and the car got pretty rank by the time we hit Moscow (which is another fascinating place, by the way.)
If you haven’t already, check out the Monkeyshrine site. Lots of info there. Book early–well, it isn’t early now, but I’m sure you can make it if you act fairly soon.
If you have a question that isn’t answered on the site, I’ll be glad to give it a shot, and maybe some other dopers have been there more recently. Take lots of pictures, keep your cash and passport safe, and have a good trip!
cheers MrO. will check out the site. you’re right. i’m gonna try and find a happy medium as i probably won’t be back there for a long time. thinking of flying to vladivostok, getting all the way down to the greek islands, flying back from athens to japan.
i believe mongolia is now enjoying a spot on the SARS hit-list, and as my company has threatened 10 days of quarantine to anyone who visits an infected country, i’ll likely take the long route round. thanks for your info,
regards, rick.
I took a chunk of the Trans-Siberian in the summer of 1995 (Novosibirsk to Irkutsk/Baikal, about 36 hours). I second the recommendation to bring non-perishable snacks. Also be prepared to drink LOTS of tea; you should be able to purchase tea on board for practically nothing, but some of the food in the dining car can be a bit scary. (One “vegetarian” breakfast we were served involved cold overboiled spaghetti with half-rancid chunks of a hot dog-like sausage, with ketchup over everything.)
Bring something to read, and anything else you might bring for a really long road trip. A portable chess set might be good, if you play chess, and a deck of cards. You can have fun teaching your traveling companions new card games.
Definitely get off in Irkutsk if you can, and check out Lake Baikal! It is soooo beautiful, and so clear you can see every pebble on the bottom. There are something like 4,000 species there that don’t exist anywhere else in the world, including freshwater seals. There is also a really cool solar telescope, which I climbed to the top of. I would have given my eyeteeth to go out on Baikal in a canoe or rowboat to see some actual wildlife, but all we could manage was a motorized fishing boat, which was very noisy and scared everything away.
Of course, the usual travel warnings apply, such as bringing OTC medication for stomach problems and such. But you probably know that. If you can manage it, I highly recommend a side trip to St. Petersburg!