Hotels in Russia
The legendary Trans-Siberian Railway is, the greatest train journey in the world, an epic endurance test of nearly 10,000 km (more than 6,000 mi) across the vast Siberian steppe. The journey has such resonance that we have even invented the notion of The Trans-Siberian Express - a mythical train that exists only in imagination. The Trans-Siberian Railway is in fact the collective name given to three routes between Moscow and the East, branching their separate ways at Ulan-Ude near Lake Baikal: the classic line to Vladivostok and alternative routes to Beijing - the Trans-Manchurian line via Harbin and the Trans-Mongolian line via Ulaanbaatar. The Trans-Mongolian line across the Gobi Desert to Beijing is the usual tourist route. It is the shortest and most scenic.
I The classic journey from Moscow to Vladivostok is an entirely different experience. Few people travel the entire length of the line and even fewer are foreigners, so you will find yourself completely reliant on your own resources without the camaraderie of other tourists. However, it gives you an entirely authentic experience of this vast country, and with careful pré-planning you can stop off at places of interest on the way. For those who have the stamina to travel without a break, it is still a relief that the train stops every few hours so you can stretch your legs and stock up on food from the platform vendors.
For the first three days, whichever destination you aim for, you cross kilometre upon kilometre of apparently boundless Siberian steppe broken only by intermittent industrialized cityscapes. Whether you end up in Vladivostok or Beijing, the experience will provide you with lasting memories of an incredible journey. This is an epic trip to be undertaken purely for its own sake - for the joy of travelling rather than the anticipation of arrival.
HOW
By train
WHEN TO GO
All year. May to September is the peak time but the trains are well · heated in winter and Siberia under snow is an incredible sight.
TIME IT TAKES
One week
HIGHLIGHTS
Yekaterinburg - Obelisk marking the boundary between Europe and Asia, 1,777 km (1,111 mi) from Moscow.
Views of Lake Baikal.
Ulan-Ude - historic Siberian town.
Khabarovsk Bridge - the longest bridge on the railway, 2,950 m (8,500 ft) across the River Amur.
Vladivostok Station – picturesque mock-17th century architecture and the last milestone of the railway.
YOU SHOULD KNOW
A through train goes all the way from Donetsk in Ukraine to Vladivostok - technically the longest train journey in the world. From Vladivostok you can take a boat to Japan. The crossing takes 36 hours.
