7thson

I have a relative who wants to ride the train from Moscow to the end of the line....which I guess would be Vladivostok in the far east???

Has anybody out there done this? What are the decent places enroute to take an excursion?

I have already heard that he will either fall in love several times and married a couple times while enroute....to he will be stabbed and robbed at least 5 times during the trip.

I would love to anybody who has done the entire journey. Personally, I would find it kind of boring, but to each their own. I just want to try and hear some real stories from people who have done this trip before.

Thanks!

crdtny

I have traveled several times to Japan overland from Cardiff in Wales UK.

Not keen on flying so therefore opt for the train.

Having arrived in London I then get the euro star to Brussels for afternoon connection to Cologne where I get a train to Moscow passing through Poland and Belarus. I spent a day in Warsaw one time and later in the evening continued my journey to Moscow.

I need to get to Qingdao on the west coast of China and have tried three different routes from Moscow.

1. Trans Mongolian leaves Moscow and heads along the Trans Siberian route through to Ulan -Ude deep in Siberia where it seperates and continues on through Mongolia in Central Asia and on to Beijing in China over 7,800 kilometres (4,900 miles) away.

Going through the Gobi desert by train was fantastic. seeing yurts in the middle on nowhere and young lads riding bareback on horses racing against the train.

I am restricted for time on these journeys so only stop at Moscow,Beijing and Qingdao on the east coast of China where I get a boat to Japan.

2.The Trans-Manchurian railway runs from Moscow in European Russian, through the Ural mountains, across the Siberian plain, around lake Baikal in Siberia and separates from the Trans-Siberian route at Chita and travels on to Beijing in China over 7,800 kilometres (4,900 miles) away.

This is the least troublesome journey as you only have to deal with customs upon entering China whereas on the Mongolian journey you have various custom and immigration formalities at the different borders.

3.Last year I decided to go to eastern China via Kazakhastan which meant my leaving Moscow and traveling for 5 days to Almaty near the border with western China.

Here is an a account of my travels I sent to my friends last June

left Cardiff on the 26th June and having changed trains in London and Brussels before arriving in Cologne where I felt obliged to visit a Beer Keller and have the obligatory bratwurst with pickled cabbage ( pickled pigs head was on the menu).
In the shadow of the Dom I always encounter a bicycle with a teddy bear strapped to the front. It has got to the stage that I now look out for this bicycle and on the last six visits "hey presto" its there. Would love to know why its always there and also why the teddy bear.
Maybe some things are best kept a mystery.
Three days across Poland and Belarus where on the border with Russia a change of wheels take place. Gauge is different in Russia, apparently for military reasons to prevent movement of foreign troops as a result of previous escapades of a military nature.Stayed in the carriage whilst the wheels were removed. The machinery to lift the carriage and transfer the wheels was awesome
Arrived in Moscow Belaruski station on the morning of 29th June and was met by Sasha (Ruskie friend).and went to Hotel Vega about ten minutes on the metro.The metro WOW like tunnels of museums.Bronze statues.crystal chandliers,marble tiles etc graced the platforms and passageways.
My two days spent in Moscow consisted of visiting two monastries just outside the City and also a night at the Moscow Music Theatre for a performance of Giselle.
I just cant get around men jumping round the stage in tights.The ladies looked fantastic. If I had my way only women should be allowed to perform ballet.
On 29th June left Moscow Paveltskaya station for my four day journey through Kazahkstan.Shared my compartment with a ex Russian submariner.The language between us was all hand signs and facial expressions,You can imagine how he explained his past history.
The journey was pleasant enough with people up and down the train all day selling fish,watches,bread,alcohol,mobiles,carpets,hats etc etc.
I was heading for Almaty near the Chinese border in order to get a train for the first part of my leg in China.I had read about the Police in Kazahkstan being a bit dodgy but did not pay too much attention and also had been warned about taxi drivers who cheat and overcharge...even had read that it was worth getting cheated by a taxi driver in order to avoid contact with police................well I had not even arrived in Almaty when suddenly the compartment door burst open and two smartly clad Kahzak policemen entered the compartment and sat themselves down....the Russian submariner was out having a cigarette somewhere.
Having showed passport and answered questions as to where I had been and where I was going they eventually asked me for money..... just then the Russian came back and was promptly ushered out of the compartment and the door closed. Well the conversation was nil as I could not speak Kahzak and they could not speak English. Their knowledgge of the English was confined to one word "MONEY".....anyhow got out of paying by shrugging my shoulders and making facial expressions of a nature suggesting I was shocked or did not understand. after they left the Russian returned and started cursing the police.
Was met at Almaty by two gracious ladies whom my friend Sasha had forewarned of my arrival and was escorted to a very nice Hotel to wash and brush up.
Almaty is one of the nicest City I have visited around the world and although Kahzakstan is a Islamic country it felt less Islamic than most cities in the UK.i.e absence of burkas,hijabs,pakistani restaurants,ladies wearing hot pants and mini skirts etc.
Interesting point....whilst in a taxi with friend she pointed out that men at the side of the road with hands outstretched holding pieces of whits paper were touting for business to rent their rooms for whatever length of time whether it be for an hour or a week.The rooms, according to my lady friend were usually rented for amourous purposes and not for business meetings.
Strangest experience in Almaty was going up the local mountain and finding a life size statue of the beatles...very popular with the locals.Friend said pop stars visited Almaty and unofficially entertained. This may be due to religious or political reasons.
Left Almaty at 23:10 on 3rd July heading for the Chinese border.
In the midst of a barren desert the epitome of no mans land there is a border crossing where taking photos is banned getting off the train is banned going to the toilet is banned etc.Lots of Kahazak police,customs,military etc fumbling about and also the same in China when having crossed the border. Chinese customs,police and military are very anxious to go through the contents of your computer.I dare not ask what they are hoping to find.
Arrived at Urumqi in China on Monday 5th July and stayed a couple of nights, visited Tianchi Lake (heavenly lake) and also visited Uygers settlements.
The grand bazaar in Urumqi was like being in the middle east but with Chinese faces.
Massive military presence due to it being the anniversary of the mini uprising last year when several hundred people were killed.Again big Islamic city but not like the UK with burkas and screaming mullas.
Left Urumqi on 7th July and arrived at a one horse town called Liuyuan at 4:00 in the morning.Wanting to get to Dunhuang but no through train.What a palava outside the station.Taxi drivers jumping over each other trying to get your attention for the 120 kilometer drive to Dunhuang.After much tribulation and a retreat back inside the station managed to get a taxi which rapidly sped across the desert for just over an hour.
Arrived at the Silk Road Hotel around 6 in the morning and after depositing baggage in the room went up on the roof terrace for breakfast to watch the sunrise over the MingSha desert mountain.
MingSha is a desert with a creescent moon shaped lake very popular with Chinese tourists.hundreds of two humped camels giving rides around the mountain and lake.Did not go up the mountain mainly because I could,nt.every time you took a step the sand was so fine you would go slightly backwards. the sand was so fine that if you dropped your camera the sand could never be fully removed from the same.
On the 9th July visited the Mogaoku caves wherein dwell the Giant Budda's some 30 meters tall...what a fantastic sight...one of my all time favourite visual experiences...a magical place.
Said goodbye to Dunhuang on 10th July (my birthday) and heade for the ancient Chinese Capital Xi'an home of the terracotta army and all sorts of ancient antiquities. By now the heat was getting to me and I did'nt know if I was ill or my age was getting to me but I began to slow down.
The terracotta army was an anticlimax after having seen the Giant Budda's but nevertheless beats watching the television.
Disappointed with Xi'an.Very busy.aggressive,pushy sort of place so unlike the image of the wise Old Chinese sage with is calm philosophical outlook on life.
Onward to Qingdao (Beer City) my favourite City in China overlooking the Yellow sea next stop Korea or Japan.
Finishing these brief notes notes now as I have to jump on a boat to cross the Yellow Sea to Port of Shimonoseki on the Island of Japan...to be continued

Here is part of a blog I borrowed from another site and it fascinated me so much I made my mind up I would seek out the lost City of Urano....it was so lost my hired guides did not know where it was but I persevered and forced them to enquire of locals and villagers along the road and it paid off....I did find the lost city and was the only one there...it was one of the highlights of that journey...

There is a permanent structure about 30kn south-west of Urumqi which marks the geographic centre of the Asia continent. The structure looks like an A shape and is worth a visit.


The Tianshan Mountains surrounding Urumqi can be explored via day excursions from the city, especially the remote Tianshan No. 1 Glacier.


THE BORDER
Any border has a sense of 'nowhere land', desolation and solitude, but this one in the middle of the Taklamakan Desert was specially isolated. You could fell like being in the middle of nowhere!

THE LOST CITY OF URANO

It is very difficult to find reliable information about some of the older, archaeological sites around Urumqi. It is one of those cities where the tourist books expect the visitor to be more interested in tractor factories, the new post office and the highway underpass. Then there is the steady staple diet of "touristic sites" which have great scenic beauty but little history.
When I explained to a taxi driver where I wanted to go, I learned the Chinese word for "insane" (fengkuang). After much persuasion, he agreed to take us out there.
It had been snowing heavily and although snow hadn't settled, the temperature was -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees F). With a 30 knot wind blowing, the wind chill factor made that -36 degrees C (-33 degrees F).....so I suppose he had a point. It was certainly the coldest temperature I had ever felt. My lungs hurt every time I drew breath. I had two layers of thermal underwear on, and two scarves: I looked like a mummy. My eyes constantly watered from the cold. One digital camera froze solid after 3 minutes. Fortunately I have a manual Leica which kept on going for the 20 minutes I was out in the open.
The site of Urabo....or was it Ulanbay....is outside Urumqi to the south. After about 20 minutes, alongside the railway, a right hand turn is taken onto a graded road which eventually crosses a big plain which is actually the bed of a recharge dam - the dam wall was visible in the distance. The driver said that when it rains, another track needs to be followed. We were heading towards the mountains, and passed a small village. Immediately beyond a huge wall becomes apparent on the left. This is the ruins of the city of Ulanbay. Each wall is about 4 metres high and about 450-500 metres long. Most of the walls are intact, but inside blown snow made it difficult to see the ground and whether there were traces of streets or structures.
The city sits on a rise above the main plain, and even in the poor visibility, it was clear that it has a great view across the entire valley, a great strategic location.
It is considered to be the ruins of a city called Luntai, founded in 648, towards the end of the reign of of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, there was great turmoil in Central Asia, and it all threatened to spill over and down into China. The Chinese felt it necessary to block the main arteries into western China.
Further walls apparently divide the city into three parts, but I couldn't see this, and when you are freezing your nuts off, who cares? Three parts, four, five, whatever.
Fengkuang. You bet.

Hope you found something interesting in my ramblings.

I would like to mention that living sleeping and eating on a train for some 7 to 10 days is in my opinion a very pleasurable experience and the movement of the train at night rocks me to sleep like a baby.

BigRuss

Well, you can read a bleak description of it in Imperium by Ryszard Kapuscinski who took the trip in the late '30s.

But there are lots of trans-Siberian railroad tours that will have information on the activities and stops on offer that can give you an idea of just how many days you'd spend on the train doing nothing.

thursdaysd

I did the Trans Mongolian as part of a much longer train trip in 2004. You can read my trip report here:

http://wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004/index.html

Tell him to get either the Lonely Planet guide to the Trans Siberian, or the Trailblazer guide, or both. There are several worthwhile stops en route. Depending on his budget there are high end tours, using special tourist trains, run by outfits like MIR and IRT, or cheaper ones using the "real" trains run by outfits like:

http://www.trans-siberian.co.uk/
http://www.sundownersoverland.com/
http://www.monkeyshrine.com/
http://www.intrepidtravel.com

Or he can go solo, possibly with support from an outfit like http://www.travelcentre.com.au/

I would not, and did not, just stay on the train for the whole distance all at once.

7thson

Outstanding responses! Thanks so much! After reading the replies, I have changed my opinion of the journey and it actually sounds exciting!

JaneB

We used MonkeyShine several years ago to go from Beijing to Irkustk and back to Beijing. Now we are planning to use them to travel from Moscow to Vladivostok next year. We booked 1st class (2 bunks) or all 4 bunks in 2nd class when 1st class was not available. It was definitely one of our favorite travel experiences.

yentakvetch

What an adventure! I have always wanted to do the Transiberian but don't think I would do that one solo. There are limits to my sense of adventure and I have heard that regular Russian trains are not so nice (meaning they are dirty).

thursdaysd

You heard wrong. At least where the Trans-Siberian trains are concerned. Commuter trains around Moscow and St. Petersburg are another matter.

yentakvetch

Well that is a good thing. Perhaps it was an old report. I know that unless you want to spend a lot of money, you stay in rooms without showers and toilets and that they are in a separate car. Is that still true? If I ever can sell my house given the lack of mortgage money. . . .

thursdaysd

I think the only train with any showers is on the Trans Mongolian. Toilets & sinks at each end of the carriage. Boiler with hot water at one end. I recommend breaking the journey, not doing the whole thing in one go.

For more info online (see above for recommended guide books) go here: http://seat61.com/Trans-Siberian.htm

yentakvetch

I do have the Lonely Planet guidebook. I believe the train that goes between Moscow and Vladivostok also has showers but I could be wrong.

And, I certainly would not spend 6-8 days straight on the train if I were to do this. I would want to see Lake Baikal, Irkutsk, etc.

That website you mentioned is very helpful. This is not likely to happen until I can sell my house (not even worth putting it on the market right now). I already own some condos and would move into one one of them. I am retired. I have always wanted to do this.

thursdaysd

Well, it's not going to get any cheaper. Moscow, in particular, has got a great deal more expensive since I did the Trans-Mongolian in 2004.

Monkeyshrine will do you a basic Moscow-Vladivostok small group tour with a stop off in Irkutsk in second class for around 1500 euro ($2100). You could maybe do it for less booking it yourself, maybe not. I don't have the current guides, but since you do you can look up the cost of just the train tickets easily enough.

yentakvetch

I would like to stop at Lake Baikal and Ekaterinburg as well.

That is a great site. I am going to purchase the other guidebook recommended. I already have Lonely Planet. I do have to wait til I have the spare change.

This summer I have a trip to Turkey planned based on a home exchange in Istanbul.

I do know that Moscow especially is very expensive.

Thanks for posting.

JaneB

We plan to make stops at Kazan, Ekatrinaburg, and Ulan Ude on our trip next year. We spent several days at Irkustk and Lake Bikail on our last trip so we are skipping that stop this time.
Usually, we are "do it yourself" travelers but prefer to let someone else make the arrangements for train tickets in Russia that include several stops.

There is some useful information on TripAdvisor.com's Russia forum-- and "Everbrite" on LonelyPlanet.com's Russia forum is a good source for all travel in Russia.

julia1

bookmarking - thanks for info, everyone.

TrainRider2011

I've never been on the train journey itslf, but ive got some cool interesting facts for you..
Longest train journey in the world (9000kms)
Travels Trans Siberia over 8 time zones through mountain to desert to Russian grasslands
Starting from the far west (Moscow) to the far east (Vladivostok) of Russia including Kremlin, Red Square, Buddhist Temples, and Ural Mountains