Trans-Siberian Railway - Wikitravel
Trans-Siberian Railway
9 Stay safe
This article is an itinerary .
The Trans-Siberian Railway ( Russian : Транссиби́рская магистраль trahns-see-BEER-skuh-yuh mah-gee-STRAHL&#146; or Трансси́б trahns-SEEB), or Transsib is the name given to the three rail routes that traverse Siberia from Moscow .
The Trans-Siberian proper goes from Moscow to the Pacific terminus of Vladivostok .
The Trans-Mongolian goes from Moscow to Beijing , China via Ulaanbaatar , Mongolia .
The Trans-Manchurian travels through Siberia and Manchuria to Beijing.
See also: BAM, Baikal-Amur Mainline
Trans-Siberian train, Moscow to Vladivostok route
The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway in the world. It was built between 1891 and 1916 to connect Moscow with the Far-East city of Vladivostok . En route it passes through the cities of Perm , Yekaterinburg , Omsk , Novosibirsk , Krasnoyarsk , Irkutsk , Chita and Khabarovsk .
Prepare[ edit ]
Packing the following items is recommended for any lengthy journey on the Trans-Siberian railway
Pocket knife For slicing up bread and vegetables you can buy from the sellers at major stops
Cutlery Instant noodles, or its Russian version - instant potatoes, become essential snacks for most travellers, since each carriage is equipped with boiling water from the Samovar, unfortunately they often come without the usual plastic fork or spoon.
Perfumed wet tissues/baby wipes/wet wipes These little things can do wonders for your personal hygiene.
Head lamp On these long journeys (through 8 time zones), it often turns out that Einstein indeed was right - time does become relative. So bring a headlamp for reading when others want to slumber.
Flip-flops or other slip on footwear, for your days on the train
Deck of cards or other easily explained games are great for socializing with your fellow travelers, and making the long hours spent on the train immensely more enjoyable. Bring a deck of 5 Crowns for this is a favourite in Russia. If you are a chess player, by all means bring a little chess set - the game is really very popular in Russia.
Pictures of your home, country and family and a phrasebook with a conversation section (Lonely Planet's phrasebook is a good one) can work surprisingly well, since you'll have nothing but time to overcome the language gap. Many Russians tend to be curious about foreigners once the initial suspicion dies down, since they don't normally meet many - even these days. Recommended: make a list of vocabulary and study it in the train!
Itinerary There are many ways to "make Trans-Siberian", think carefully which cities you want to make stops in depending on your passions and interests. Russia Planner [1] gives support in planning a route, suggests places to visit and can help with booking tickets and accommodation.
Laptop PC, e-book reader, etc. Electronic gadgets are really an option for entertainment when there is nobody to make a good company with. Be sure to also take an extender with surge protection in order to charge your equipment conveniently and safely from the car wall outlets (they are ~220V 50Hz). Note that the sockets are originally designed for electric shavers, so the overall load should not exceed ~100W. If you find the outlets de-energized, it almost always means that the circuit is just switched off. Don't be afraid of asking the conductor to turn it on, he should do it immediately and for free!
Get in[ edit ]
Vladivostok station
The three termini of the Trans-Siberian are Moscow , Beijing and Vladivostok . There's also a weekly connection from Moscow to Pyongyang .
Moscow can be reached by train from anywhere in Europe. Fares from London (one-way) start at around £200. Eurolines operate the European coach system, and fares from London start from around £60. Aeroflot is the principal airline operating into and out of Moscow.
Ferries run throughout the year between Vladivostok and Fushiki , Japan . The trip takes about two days. Arrangements can be made through Business Intour Service , who have offices in Tokyo and Vladivostok.
Ferries also run from Sokcho [2] and Donghae [3] , South Korea to Vladivostok. Aeroflot and Vladivostok Air [4] serve Vladivostok, amongst others.
Beijing is served by numerous international airlines. It can also be reached by train from as far south as Lhasa (Tibet) or Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), but there are no rail connections to Thailand, Myanmar or India.
Visa information[ edit ]
Most travelers will need visas for all three countries except if you are going to Vladivostok or Sakhalin by Trans Siberian route without visiting any other countries apart Russia.For example by the main Trans Siberian line or BAM.
China and Mongolia are fairly straightforward. The best way to obtain a visa is through your own embassy or consulate or in Hong Kong . Visas for British citizens cost £30. However, Mongolian visas can easily be obtained from the Mongolian consulate in Irkutsk (Russia), and Chinese visas in Ulaanbaatar (Note: For the moment it is not recommended to apply for Chinese visas in Mongolia, due to tightened regulations.) US citizens (90 days) and Israelis (30 days) do not need Mongolian visas.
Russia is more problematic. Invitations are generally required for issuing a visa. Practice shows you can get it from online services like Russian-visas [ [5] ]. Tourist visa gives you up to 30 days in the country. Business visa is a choice for people who want to spend up to 90 days, however, you might need to use russianvisas.org for 3 month double-entry visas or travel agency in your country to arrange it.
Every foreign tourist has to get registration for stays in one place of more than 7 working days (9 days with weekend). Hotels provide it for free most of the time, some hostels will do it for an extra charge. Apparently any Russian can register you in his/her house at the post office for a small fee. If you stay less than 7 working days you don't have to register legally. In any case, it is advised to keep all your tickets with you.
However, Russian transit visas issued in Beijing, Shenyang or Harbin last 10 days and require no invitation. This would be enough time to make the trip with no stops along the way and spend a couple of days in Moscow.  The Beijing consulate is open from 9:00 to 11:00 but remember that many Chinese nationals are also trying to acquire visas with you, so show up early.  The Shenyang consulate is open from 9:00-12:00 for visa services drop-off and 15:00-16:00 for pickup, and is far less crowded or strict than Beijing. The cost varies for each nationality, but Americans can expect to pay $250 for same-day service or $150 for the five-day service. Upon arrival in Moscow you have four nights valid on your transit visa, which allows for one or two nights in Moscow, an overnight train and one or two nights in St. Petersburg respectively, but you must be across the border before midnight on the final day of your visa.
There are many exits from St. Petersburg, including buses to Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Kiev and various other places in Europe, but be wary that nearly all nationalities need a transit visa (or tourist visa) for Belarus (see here if unsure) so be sure to be prepared with a visa if your plans take you through Belarus. An exception is the once weekly ferry from St. Petersburg to Lübeck (Germany). See: [6] . It is a great way to leave (or to start your journey to Russia).
It is generally assumed that border police stationed at bus routes that exit the country are less likely to make a fuss versus the police on trains. A Russian transit visa cannot be extended under any circumstances. If you arrive from Beijing , you can register your visa after arriving in Moscow.  If you have a 10 day Transit Visa and do not stay in one place (go to Saint Petersburg) you do not have to register your visa, though it is recommended that you register your visa, if possible, within three days of entry into Russia.
Unfortunately, if you encounter police officers they might not have the same opinion and you could be faced with a "fine". Have your ticket ready as proof that you were unable to register sooner and keep all receipts from hotels and/or hostels from places where you have not registered. Israelis do not need Russian visas (90 days).
Tickets[ edit ]
Kupe-class passenger cabin on the Trans-Siberian. This is one of the old Waggonbau Ammendorf cars from East Germany, still common in more than a half of Russian trains
The Russian train system is different from European systems. Order your tickets as soon as possible especially from July to September and around New Year. The train tickets are bought for fixed dates and all the stops must be planned in advance. If you have a ticket from Moscow to Vladivostok and step off the train in Irkutsk, you can’t use your ticket for a next train going to Vladivostok. If your stop is not planned in advance and not revealed in your tickets, your ticket will be canceled and you’ll get stuck in Irkutsk. It’s somewhat similar to a plane going from New York to Moscow with a connection in Amsterdam – if you decide to go out in Amsterdam and lose your flight you can’t use your ticket for a next flight to Moscow. - Actually: you buy separate tickets for every trip (for example: Moscow - Irkutsk. Then Irkutsk - Ulan Ude. Then Ulan Ude - ...). (The rules state that a passenger is actually allowed to make one stop on his journey (for no additional charge), but this requires a little paperwork while on the train and will be difficult to arrange with the attendant without knowledge of Russian.)
There are several ways of buying tickets for the trip. You can purchase them from a travel agent in your own country, a travel agent in the country from which you will start the journey or turn up and buy tickets yourself – or you use the online booking system of Russian Railways [7] .  The first option is safe, but most expensive, the third the cheapest but riskiest – and the last is easy and the cheapest. Popular trains can be sold out well in advance, particularly in peak season. For some trains in peak seasons there is no public sale, these tickets are only sold to certified travel agencies.
Russian tickets, also to Mongolia and China, at Russian fares are sold via Russian Railways (see above), a bit more expensive by agencies like VisitRussia [8] or others (Transsib Reisen St. Petersburg [9] ).
Normally it is said to be possible to buy the tickets in any Russian station, not necessarily one on the route of the train. Russia, Ukraine and Belarus have a common ticketing network, so it is possible to buy a ticket for a Russian train in those two countries (eg. Brest ), and it will probably be even cheaper than in Moscow. The difference occurs for several reasons, including whether additional insurance is present or not. All tickets include a small mandatory insurance, but cashiers will try to sell you additional insurance (150-200 RUB) by default. Selling it by default is prohibited and you always have the option to opt-in or opt-out: just say bez strakhovkee (без страховки, without the insurance) or so strakhovkoy (со страховкой, with the insurance). The ticket itself is issued on two layers of orange paper, insurance (if included) is a pink/green paper of the same size.
If you live in Germany you can buy tickets for Russian trains at any "Bahn"-Counter (German Railways).
The problem is that some Russian trains are sold out weeks before departures.
In some stations in Russia, there are still special windows for selling tickets only for foreigners, but the price of tickets should now be the same for foreigners and local people.
Tickets are normally individual, with name and passport number written on them, so you may need to show passports for all travelers when you pay (although a passport photocopy usually is enough). Also, if you plan to buy tickets on more than one occasion, it may be useful to keep handy a piece of paper with the travelers names written in the Cyrillic alphabet instead of transcribing them each time.
In Beijing, you must buy tickets in person from a hotel travel agency near Beijing's main train station.
Tickets online[ edit ]
Map of the Trans-siberian railway (red)
Tickets can be purchased online, but you have to receive a paper ticket at the station anyway. You cannot board a train with just a printed copy of your order confirmation. For some trains and classes you might be able to "check in" online (at the time of purchase), which means the conductor will have a list with your name on it, so you won't need a ticket - you just show your passport.
Arrive to your station of departure at least 180 minutes in advance (queues may be extremely long) and go to the same cash desks where you would normally buy tickets. Hand over your passport and order confirmation (or just the order number). The cashier will issue you a paper ticket for no additional fee.
Besides this, railway stations in Moscow and other bigger cities, have self-check-in counters where you have to enter your order number and surname, and the ticket will be printed automatically.
Buying tickets at the official Russian Railways website at http://ticket.rzd.ru , english: http://pass.rzd.ru/main-pass/public/en is very good and easy to use and a lot cheaper than through an agency because there will be no processing fee, however you will need a credit card issued by a Russian bank to make a reservation. You can also select the railway car and your seat/place.  Tickets within CIS countries are also available. However, tickets to China and Mongolia cannot be bought online.
Station numbers[ edit ]
Station numbers are used internally in the Russian railway computer system, but they are usually printed on the tickets as well. Knowing them may help when making the reservation in smaller stations (you could bring this page and use it for pointing), or when buying the tickets abroad.
Train Talk
I would like to buy a ticket - Ya hachu kupit bilyet - Я хочу купить билет
From - iz - из
One, two, three persons - adeen, dva, tree chelavyeka - один, два, три человека
Today - sevodnya - сегодня