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Trans-siberian railway
CharltonMadrid
Posts: 5,091
The ultimate train fan thread?
Starting to think of doing this next year for special wedding anniversary. Picked up some good travel tips on here from other questions so chucking it out there: anyone done it or hoping to do it one day?
Starting to think of doing this next year for special wedding anniversary. Picked up some good travel tips on here from other questions so chucking it out there: anyone done it or hoping to do it one day?
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Would love to do this simply because how long it is... Reckon you'd see some amazing places on your way through.
Remember being down in New Zealand a few years ago and I did their three train journeys (Auckland to Wellington) (Picton to Christchurch) (Christchurch to Greymouth) with the first one being a 10-hour trip1 -
It's the trans-Manchurian line we are interested in, finishing in Beijing eight days or so later - epic!1
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Wasnt there talk of amending the tracks slightly (Going I'm going proper geek) to extend the railway to London?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3822871/New-Trans-Siberian-rail-link-mean-passengers-travel-6-000-miles-London-TOKYO.html2 -
I feel like at one point there was talk of it going all the way through to the States as well? Maybe I just made that up in the hope it would be expanded all the way down to California (how epic would that be!!!!).ForeverAddickted said:Wasnt there talk of amending the tracks slightly (Going I'm going proper geek) to extend the railway to London?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3822871/New-Trans-Siberian-rail-link-mean-passengers-travel-6-000-miles-London-TOKYO.html1 -
If you haven't already come across it, this is the site you need for any rail travel, not just this one.
Personally I would baulk at it now because at my age I wanna do my 10k steps each day and eat decent food. But I would understand a lot of people would consider that a fairly wimpish/spoilt attitude. I did consider it a few times, but no-one else I knew ever fancied it. Lucky you if your wife is up for it. My wife thinks I am barking for travelling Ebbsfleet -Prague by train. She's told me in no uncertain terms that she's not up for that.1 -
Trans-Mongolian? Looks the best I agree.CharltonMadrid said:It's the trans-Manchurian line we are interested in, finishing in Beijing eight days or so later - epic!
If I remember rightly, you can basically go from London, London to Cologne, Cologne to Moscow, then onwards.
This is a very Charlton thread!2 -
That 26 mile tunnel between Russia and Japan sounds expensive!ForeverAddickted said:Wasnt there talk of amending the tracks slightly (Going I'm going proper geek) to extend the railway to London?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3822871/New-Trans-Siberian-rail-link-mean-passengers-travel-6-000-miles-London-TOKYO.html
I've always fancied the Trans Siberian, but it's one of these years type trip, rather than top of my list. I did do a long Amtrak trip a couple of years ago, Chicago to San Francisco which takes 2 days in total1 -
I would imagine you just see a couple of thousand miles of empty countryside.1
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For years I've been planning to go watch Amkar Perm, my favourite Russian team.CharltonMadrid said:The ultimate train fan thread?
Starting to think of doing this next year for special wedding anniversary. Picked up some good travel tips on here from other questions so chucking it out there: anyone done it or hoping to do it one day?
Because of my age, next year should be my last opportunity to take the transsiberian which stops in Perm.
And there's the World Cup.
I'll be alone, so will be delighted if we can have some dates coincide.
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Cheers guys. Thought the topic might appeal
We had our honeymoon in Russia so starting the trip from Moscow would be quite fitting. The starkness of the landscape quite appeals to me, along with the time to read some classic Russian novels. Going via Mongolia and the Gobi desert on the trans-Mongolian to China looks amazing.
Surprisingly my wife seems well up for it. I did watch Sex and the City 2 at the cinema a few years ago so must have some pretty high husband credit points, although some of the dross I have subjected her to at The Valley will have eaten into that quite substantially.7 - Sponsored links:
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Is it only 2 days? I thought it was closer to 3-4 but I haven't done it myself.killerandflash said:
That 26 mile tunnel between Russia and Japan sounds expensive!ForeverAddickted said:Wasnt there talk of amending the tracks slightly (Going I'm going proper geek) to extend the railway to London?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3822871/New-Trans-Siberian-rail-link-mean-passengers-travel-6-000-miles-London-TOKYO.html
I've always fancied the Trans Siberian, but it's one of these years type trip, rather than top of my list. I did do a long Amtrak trip a couple of years ago, Chicago to San Francisco which takes 2 days in total
Parts of that will be really interesting and really beautiful, but other parts will be pretty boring (namely the midwest and Nevada parts).
Actually I say that but I'm not entirely certain what the route is, so I might just be talking nonsense.0 -
The key words there are Daily and Mail.ForeverAddickted said:Wasnt there talk of amending the tracks slightly (Going I'm going proper geek) to extend the railway to London?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3822871/New-Trans-Siberian-rail-link-mean-passengers-travel-6-000-miles-London-TOKYO.html
The tracks are not amended. In Russia (and Finland) the width of the track is slightly wider than the rest of the world, but the Russians build coaches whose wheels can be quickly adjusted at the border. Thats how you can see new Russian sleeping car trains in places like Paris, Nice or Venice. I believe the Japanese plan is all about freight rather than passenger transit. There is already a Silk Road freight train route from China through to the UK, I believe.
@adrian It's going off topic but how did you get to have a favourite Russian team, and how did it turn out to be Amkar Perm? I think you were one of those who followed my Viktoria Plzen thread, but Plzen is only an hour down the motorway for me, whereas Perm...
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It's a trip I'd like to make one day. I believe there are three possible routes with one of them little frequented by tourists (the most northerly one, I think) but the Mongolian route appeals most. I'd fancy breaking the journey frequently, jumping off at random obscure stations and spending the night there, copies of Tolstoy, Gogol and Chekhov in my backpack to keep me company.3
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Much of the Midwest section is at night anyway, the train is timed to go through the most scenic sections during the daySDAddick said:
Is it only 2 days? I thought it was closer to 3-4 but I haven't done it myself.killerandflash said:
That 26 mile tunnel between Russia and Japan sounds expensive!ForeverAddickted said:Wasnt there talk of amending the tracks slightly (Going I'm going proper geek) to extend the railway to London?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3822871/New-Trans-Siberian-rail-link-mean-passengers-travel-6-000-miles-London-TOKYO.html
I've always fancied the Trans Siberian, but it's one of these years type trip, rather than top of my list. I did do a long Amtrak trip a couple of years ago, Chicago to San Francisco which takes 2 days in total
Parts of that will be really interesting and really beautiful, but other parts will be pretty boring (namely the midwest and Nevada parts).
Actually I say that but I'm not entirely certain what the route is, so I might just be talking nonsense.
I broke the journey half way through2 -
I went Milton Keynes to Hong Kong by rail one way when returning to Asia for work in 2008
- got Belarus, Russia, Mongolia and China visas via an agency in advance. Big chunk. China currently only offers 200 quid 2 year visas, for example
- I stopped in Moscow 2 nights, Ulan Baatar 2 nights and Beijing a few nights
- it was very comfortable... not at all roughing it... lots and lots of well-heeled tourists in the sleeping carriages
-Moscow-ulannaatar train was full of Mongolian traders who used each stop along the way as a kind of Market situation with plenty of locals coming to grab the latest trends from Moscow
- dining car on moscow-ulanbaatar was underused and not massively overpriced. Very quirky. Often had it to myself. Locals hardly used. Contrast with super busy Chinese dining car.
- The different train options can be very different experiences so research which trains go on which days
- plenty of time for book reading
- glad I did it... gave a good sense of global distance
For the sake of balance I travelled back overland from china to uk through Kazakhstan (best train I've been on in my life), Azerbaijan (truckers boat over caspian), Georgia, turkey and then on through Europe. 2 great trips that generated plenty of tales
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God this thread is fast becoming "The most CL thread of the year."2
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One thing I've heard about taking the train or driving through the states is it really makes you appreciate how vast of a country it is. Americans get a lot of stick for not traveling abroad, and not necessarily wrongly, but this country is huge. All of you are roughly as close to New York city as I am. For me to just drive from Oregon to LA where my parents live, it's 14 hours. And that covers two states, and such a variety of topography and culture.killerandflash said:
Much of the Midwest section is at night anyway, the train is timed to go through the most scenic sections during the daySDAddick said:
Is it only 2 days? I thought it was closer to 3-4 but I haven't done it myself.killerandflash said:
That 26 mile tunnel between Russia and Japan sounds expensive!ForeverAddickted said:Wasnt there talk of amending the tracks slightly (Going I'm going proper geek) to extend the railway to London?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3822871/New-Trans-Siberian-rail-link-mean-passengers-travel-6-000-miles-London-TOKYO.html
I've always fancied the Trans Siberian, but it's one of these years type trip, rather than top of my list. I did do a long Amtrak trip a couple of years ago, Chicago to San Francisco which takes 2 days in total
Parts of that will be really interesting and really beautiful, but other parts will be pretty boring (namely the midwest and Nevada parts).
Actually I say that but I'm not entirely certain what the route is, so I might just be talking nonsense.
I broke the journey half way through2 -
@Siv_in_Norfolk
What a brilliant account, and hats off to you for that trip back especially. What was so good about the Kazakh train?0 -
Do it quickly as I understand Southeastern have the franchise from next year.7
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Good morning. We did the Trans Mongolian in 2005 and it was truly amazing.
Flew London, Amsterdam to Moscow and had a couple nights there before getting the train. I would recommend you stop over en route if you have time. We stopped over in Ekaterinburg, Irkutsk and Ulan Bator which broke up the journey. Mongolia and its people are amazing, so friendly and helpful, stay a few days if you can.
The train is very comfortable and sitting having a meal with Vodka trundling through Russia will be a memory never forgotten. On the border with China, they change the wheels by lifting the carriage, with you all in it, and placing a new set of wheels underneath. Met lots of tourists from all over the world and everyone really gets on. The locals at the station sell all sorts of things and we even found bottles of Stella at one station.
Stayed in Beijing and did the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army before flying HK and home. Thoroughly recommended but do plenty of planning in advance, there was a Russian site that did all our bookings for us, I’ll see if I still have the details.
2 - Sponsored links:
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Brand new. High quality interior throughout. Super clean. All laid out functionally with charging points and USB. Had my own cabin for a low low price with shower, bed, sink, hangers etc.PragueAddick said:@Siv_in_Norfolk
What a brilliant account, and hats off to you for that trip back especially. What was so good about the Kazakh train?
All of this is in part due to China investing in infrastructure through Central Asia for its stated aim of creating a "new Silk Road"
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@PragueAddick I befriended some Russians from Perm at a coin collectors' fair a few years ago. They talked about their city's history which boasts the largest avenues in Russia. Due to the armament industries during WW2, Perm (then called Molotov) was a forbidden city for foreigners - and not only.
Now these guys were die-hard fans of Amkar. What a name ! Made up of the abbreviation of ammonia and carbanide, chemical substances produced by main plant in Perm.
Although Amkar's history only goes back to 1994, they had a lot to talk about.
What I remember, is their team holds several clean-sheet records, that they were frustrated because they had just been ousted by Fulham in the UEFA Cup and the fierce rivalry they have with Ural Ekaterinenburg.
To the extent that when these teams meet, to drown and silence the crude insults exchanged by the opposing fans, music is put on DURING the games!
That's why I'm eager to attend a derby and enrich my Russian vocabulery with some 'crude' insults.
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This book -
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1033279/human-punk/
- will give you a good insight into the trip!
It's written by John King, who wrote the Football Factory trilogy.
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so they are the Russian equivalent of Billingham Synthonia !!!adrian said:@PragueAddick I befriended some Russians from Perm at a coin collectors' fair a few years ago. They talked about their city's history which boasts the largest avenues in Russia. Due to the armament industries during WW2, Perm (then called Molotov) was a forbidden city for foreigners - and not only.
Now these guys were die-hard fans of Amkar. What a name ! Made up of the abbreviation of ammonia and carbanide, chemical substances produced by main plant in Perm.
Although Amkar's history only goes back to 1994, they had a lot to talk about.
What I remember, is their team holds several clean-sheet records, that they were frustrated because they had just been ousted by Fulham in the UEFA Cup and the fierce rivalry they have with Ural Ekaterinenburg.
To the extent that when these teams meet, to drown and silence the crude insults exchanged by the opposing fans, music is put on DURING the games!
That's why I'm eager to attend a derby and enrich my Russian vocabulery with some 'crude' insults.0 -
Also went on the Chicago - San Francisco 'California Zephyr' train a couple of years ago. About 3 days, two nights on the train. Stunning views of through the Rocky Mountains and along the river towards Glenwood Springs. Then the Nevada plains.
Got to meet all sorts on the trip, some real characters. Highly recommended.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Zephyr2 -
Take a look at this site too: http://www.seat61.com/Trans-Siberian.htm
Also very useful for European trips3 -
I did the Trans Mongolian trip in 2009 as part of a world trip. From St Pete's to Moscow by overnight train with time in each and then train one Moscow to Irkutsk, Irkutsk to Ulan Bataar and then train three onto Beijing. There are some tourist trains that are expensive and take the trip in one go (as you can) but I did the normal passenger train and stayed at places on-route, as its a lot of time on the train. It's a bit basic but a great way to travel across Russia and Mongolia into China. When in Irkutsk a trip to Olkhom Island is a must, as is a trip out of Ulan Bataar into the countryside. A small travel company Lupine Travel organised this trip including accommodation, train tickets, invite to Russia (needed for a visa) and they were very good and also much cheaper than other providers. Their website is www.lupinetravel.co.uk and the owner is Dylan Harris. Hope this helps3
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Starting to plan this properly now for the summer and very excited about it. Thanks for all the suggestions and shared experiences above - really helpful. Any other advice well appreciated. This site is better than Tripadvisor for travel tips!4
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Are you doing the Trans-Mongolian?0
