8 Comments

Superb.

To anyone considering this trip, I highly recommend taking the Trans-Mongolian route instead, from Moscow to Beijing (or vice versa). You'll cross the Gobi Desert, stop in the Mongolian capital, and pass some wonderfully remote views of the Great Wall.

If you're based in the UK, I also recommend starting the trip from London. It took me 8 days on the train from London to Beijing, with one night's accommodation in Moscow (and two fairly full days of sightseeing).
David Airey
2010-02-18 11:54:02

David is entirely correct, I spent 3 of the best weeks of my life doing this journey. I took the Beijing to Moscow route, stopping for 5 days in Mongolia. They have some crazy nightclubs. Seriously. Go on the lash in Ulaanbataar.

Fantastic project though... brought back some incredible memories of hanging out of train windows/and Chinese/Russian border crossings.
Aaron
2010-02-18 13:11:01

"foreign travellers making up an estimated 90% of passengers" - I'd be interested to know where this stat came from because I've never heard it anywhere else and having both travelled from Moscow - Vladivostok and read quite a lot about these trains, I'd definitely dispute it.

There were other tourists on my trains (especially on the Moscow - Ulan Ude stretch, before trains break off towards Beijing), but the vast majority of people were Russian. Like, the vast, vast majority. Admittedly, this was in 2006, but I was led to believe then that going by train is the only way most Russians can afford to travel long distances, and that's why this route is a seriously important piece of national infrastructure. Tourists were a definite minority. (Sure, perhaps not many Russians go the whole way - maybe that's where the stat comes from?)

Also, to disagree with the last two comments, I found virtually everyone I met on the Trans-Sib trains was going Moscow - Beijing (or vice-versa). I followed the less-touristy route right through to Vladivostok and would highly recommend it - assuming, of course, you want to get a feel for Russia. As well as the smugness factor of not following the "crowds" to Beijing, you also get the bonus of being able to catch a ferry to Japan once you hit the end of the line.
John McGarvey
2010-02-18 14:35:05

@John

Thanks for the comment. I think that stat might specifically refer to the Trans-Siberian Express, rather than taking into account the other trains/routes than run on the line. Luke Harding in the Guardian mentioned that "Russian railways said that the Trans-Siberian Express remains extremely popular with foreign tourists, who make up 80 to 90% of its passengers". Maybe the RR have upped the stats a bit?
 Mark Sinclair
2010-02-18 15:05:00

ok- 1 CR_ I love you, that's amazing (even if Google scares the pants off me at the moment)

2- do the people who've made the journey think it would be suitable for train ethusiastic children?
Gemma Mercy
2010-02-18 17:34:04

@Mark - cool, thanks for responding. I do think if there's any truth to that stat, I'd encourage people to seek out the trains which aren't packed with foreigners. The reason my trip was so memorable was because I met loads of fantastically-friendly Russian people. When you're crammed into a sleeping compartment with them you have to communicate - even if you don't speak a word of the language!

@Gemma - if you don't mind roughing it a bit I think you'd be fine. You could book out a four-berth compartment for some privacy and take your own food and drink. The (shared) toilet facilities can be a little primative, but I think the hardest thing with kids would be keeping them amused. Seven days on a train is a long time - even if you break it up you'll be looking at 24 - 48 hour hops between the big cities. These trains don't have any modern distractions like TV screens or power points so you can plug stuff in.
John McGarvey
2010-02-19 09:58:25

Dont know if I could watch the whole of this, the journey in real life is much more interesting. A fantastic way to see the change of cultures across Asia, especially if you do the Trans Mongolian to Beijing.
simon Connellan
2010-02-19 13:08:14

Ive wanted to do this journey for ages. My aunt did it a few years back to my amazement so it cant be that uncomfortable. My only dilemma has been to descide which route to take, and your comments arent helping as both seem so good. Maybe I will just have to do both.
Another train journey I want to do some day is the Beijing to Lhasa line, just opened a few years back. Sounds amazing.
Thanks.
peter donaldson
2010-02-24 10:22:29

Tell us what you think

Your comment: What happens with my feedback?

What happens with my feedback?

We no longer require you to register and have a password in order to comment, simply fill in the form below. All comments are moderated so you may experience a short delay before your comment appears. CR encourages comments to be short and to the point. As a general rule, they should not run longer than the original post. Comments should show a courteous regard for the presence of other voices in the discussion. We reserve the right to edit or delete comments that do not adhere to this standard.

Name: (required)

Title:

e-Mail: (required)

URL