The Trans-Siberian railway is the most famous train route in the world, and in the same time one of the longest. The Trans-Siberian railway was completed in 1916, and its original route was starting from St Petersburg all the way to Vladivostok.
During the communist regime, the route was modified to start from Moscow, shortening the railway to just 9259 km. Even in these conditions, the railway is one of the longest continuous train services, exceeded just by the Moscow–Pyongyang and Kiev-Vladivostok train services.
To board the real Trans-Siberian adventure, you should start your journey from St Petersburg, where trains towards Moscow take less than a day. Once in Moscow, you need to change the train, where you can board the real Trans-Siberian Express (Rossiia – train 1 and train 2), that goes all the way to Vladivostok with no other changes.
The journey from Moscow to Vladivostok is spanning a record of 7 time zones, taking 8 days to complete. Over 800 train stations are along the way, each with its own personality, with stops from few minutes to even half hours. Where time affords, you can get down and look for a babuski (Russian for granny), and buy dry sausages and hot potatoes to try on the local flavors.
The route will take you through most of Russia, crossing the Urals Mountains, Siberia’s taiga and steppes all the way to the Far East coast of Pacific Ocean, where Vladivostok awaits. You will get to experience the wilderness of Russia, or see the Baikal Lake (the world’s largest and deepest fresh water lake – a truly amazing place). This trip will also offer a great opportunity for relaxing and reflection as you will enjoy much free time.
As all Trans-Siberian trains have the same routes, we recommend making a few stops along the way and enjoy places like:
– Ekaterinburg (after one day) – the unofficial capital of Ural region. Check here for great Ekaterinburg hotel deals
– Novosibirsk (after two days) – the biggest city in Siberia region. Check here for Novosibirsk hotel accommodation
– Irkutsk (after two and half days) – a nice city with interesting architecture. Just 60 km away you have the Baikal Lake
– Ulan-Ude (after three and half days) – this is the first place along the route where you will feel you’re in Asia finally
– Vladivostok – the most important Russian Far East city. You can get from here flights to Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (S Korea), Seattle (USA). Some ferry services also operate from Vladivostok towards Japan. Check here for great Vladivostok hotel rates
The Trans-Siberian is a unique experience and must take journey for those passionate about traveling the world. Check BookingFair.com and get to make your holiday as you want it, at the best prices.