If you are looking for a real alternative holiday why not travel on the Trans Siberian Railway and follow in the footsteps or many many backpackers and gap year takers! It may be the chosen mode of transport for backpackers crossing Asia but that doesn't mean it isn't an option for older travellers - on an organised tour you can travel in style! Read our guide below and find out just what you could be missing!
The Trans-Siberian Railway needs no introduction as one of, if not the best railway journeys in the world. It crosses six time zones, nearly 10,000km and a quarter of the globe. It crosses forests, lakes, rolling hills and deserts and takes in three very different capital cities – Beijing, Moscow and Ulaan Baatar.
This trip can be done as a tour or independently with a little organisation and pre planning. Doing it independently is far, far cheaper yet you’ll have to deal with the red tape of obtaining a visa for Russia and China as well as organising all your own accommodation should you break the trip up into sections. Be prepared for accommodation off the train to be basic, yet friendly, food to be a different experience and for your tastebuds to overdose on vodka. An organised tour can also vary in quality, but you will at least know about the standard of accommodation up front, and can choose to suit your tastes/needs.
Ulaan Bataar is Mongolia’s capital. It lies in a valley on the Tuul River and has strong Buddhist ties. Highlights of Ulann Bataar include the Winter Palace of the Last Emporer, the Gandan Monastery with its extremely large golden Buddha statue and the Manzushir Khiid Monastery ruins. Further out of the capital is the beautiful Khustai National Park – home to nomadic tribes and the Takhi horses.
Lake Baikal in Southern Siberia is another must-see. It’s the world’s deepest lake at 5500ft and also the world’s oldest. The lake contains a stagerring 20% of the world’s total fresh water and is homoe to over 1500 species of plant and animal, most of which are only found here.
Plan to spend at least a couple of days each exploring Moscow and St. Petersburg to find time to visit the Red Square, St Basil’s Cathedral and the Kremlin Cathedrals and Armoury. St. Petersburg has many leafy parks and quirky museums and some fantastic walking tours can revive legs stiff from too much train travel!
As well as the sights off the train, it’s the train journey itself that is the major attraction. Kick back, literally watch the world go by, read a book, drink vodka, chat with locals (if you can!) or other tourists, and simply enjoy the journey. There are even books out that you can read that inform you of the sights you are passing as you travel through. It may be a cliché but the saying ‘it’s not the destination but the journey that counts’ is worth its weight in gold on this trip.
Food on the train typically consists of ham and eggs for breakfast, schnitzel and potatoes for lunch and did we mention vodka? Free boiling water is available on the train so if you’re a fussy eater, you can bring your own soups and pasta to eat.
Tailored trips can be done in three weeks although if you’re in a rush the entire trip only takes five days. If you plan to visit Beijing, you’ll actually follow a different line – the Trans Manchurian. There is also a final route – the Tans Mongolian which goes as far as Ulan Ude on Lake Baikal’s eastern shore.
Independent tickets cost from US$250 for a four-sleeper one way or US$320 in a two-berth. If you want to add additional stops, the price will increase further. There are more economic berths or more expensive berths available depending on how much comfort you require.
Tickets are cheapest bought at the ticket office, followed by through a Russian agency and lastly a Western agency.
Children under five go free, children 5-10 travel at half price.
One way flights back from Beijing cost about £350.
May to September are peak months for tourists although a watching a Siberian winter from the comfort of a cosy train cabin is something not to be missed either.
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