TRANS SIBERIAN RAILWAY TOURS
As the world’s longest railway, the Trans Siberian boasts some impressive numbers. It is 9,600km long and crosses six time zones, passing through a multitude of different terrain, from forest to mountain to desert and steppe. It spans two continents and goes through 90 cities, making up to 120 stops along the way. If you want to travel continuously from Moscow to Vladivostok, it takes six days. However, most people travelling the route for a holiday, rather than simple transport, will break the journey, hopping off at fascinating cities, ancient lakes and beautiful nature reserves along the way.
For much of the 19th century, foreign speculators petitioned to build a railway across Russia, but work only began on it in 1891, using funds purely from the Russian treasury. This was to become a national endeavour; a people’s project that would unite wild Siberia with the network of Russian railways that already existed further west. It was completed in 1916, but during the Civil War, many bridges were blown up and a great deal of track deteriorated. A major renovation of the line was completed in 1925 and it services have continued, without a break, since then.
There are two other lines that branch off from the main Trans Siberian: the Mongolian and Manchurian. The Trans Mongolian line was built from 1940 to 1956 between Ulan-Ude at Lake Baikal, across the Gobi desert to the Chinese capital Beijing. The Trans Manchurian coincides with the Trans-Siberian as far as Tarskaya, around 300km east of Baikal, then heads southeast into China, also terminating in Beijing.
There are two other lines that branch off from the main Trans Siberian: the Mongolian and Manchurian. The Trans Mongolian line was built from 1940 to 1956 between Ulan-Ude at Lake Baikal, across the Gobi desert to the Chinese capital Beijing. The Trans Manchurian coincides with the Trans-Siberian as far as Tarskaya, around 300km east of Baikal, then heads southeast into China, also terminating in Beijing.
Where to get off?
Lake Baikal is an established, must-see destination on the route, with most travellers getting off in Irkutsk on its western side. If you’d like to see a less-visited side of the lake, try hopping off in Ulan Ude on its eastern side. This is the capital of the Republic of Buryatia, with a large Tibetan Buddhist population, where Buryat is spoken alongside Russian. Visit the huge statue of Lenin’s head in the central square and the open-air Ethnographic Museum, which has great examples of Siberian architecture, before heading for the lake.
Olga Sitnik, from our supplier ExploRussia, has this advice for breaking up a Trans Siberian Railway trip: “We recommend staying on the train not more than 30 hours or so. Why? It is simply starting to get boring. So try to get off the train and stay for a couple of days in different places which are not further than 30 hours by train from each other. We know it sounds like a lot, but you know, Russia is a big country! Usually there are cities worth visiting within an overnight train ride from each other. You can find all kinds of experiences along the way: great nature spots, culture, big cities, small villages, and depending on what interests you, you can decide which stops to make.”
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Railway or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
01273 823 700
Call us today after 9am
Calling from outside the UK
For trekking and lovely scenery, get off at Krasnoyarsk for Stolby Nature Reserve. Interesting, pillar-shaped mountains (stolb means pillar in Russian) are reached on well-marked trails through woodlands. If you’re after culture and science, Novosibirsk is the place to disembark. Novosibirsk is home to the Theatre of Opera and Ballet, where classical concerts also take place. It’s home to Akademgorodok, too, the educational and scientific centre of Siberia, situated in beautiful forest on the edge of the city. The Novosibirsk State University is here, alongside 35 research institutes, a medical academy, apartment buildings and houses, shops and hotels.
Food & drink
If meals are included with your train ticket, expect pancakes or porridge for breakfast and a main meal and salad for lunch or supper. Be aware that vegetarian options often aren’t available. There is also a restaurant car on each train, serving food all day. Local people aren’t generally allowed to sell their goods at stations, but if you get off at smaller cities, stock up on good regional food, like porozhki (small pies with different stuffings), or dried fish, honey and tea for your journey.How to travel
You can’t hop on and off the Trans Siberian with a single ticket, like an Inter-Railer in the 1980s! You have to buy point-to-point tickets that cover each section. That’s why organised tours that travel all or some of the Trans Siberian are so convenient, as they include all the train tickets, plus activities, transfers and accommodation at key stop offs. Summer is the most popular time to travel on the Trans Siberian, but holidays run in winter, too, and riding this epic train through the snowy landscape makes for a unique and unusual trip. If you hope to travel independently, be aware that during the summer in particular, local people use the Trans Siberian for their own trips and holidays, so tickets will sell out sooner – book early.Two trains travel along the Trans Siberian. The Rossiya train offers a higher comfort level and it travels faster, stopping at just 90 cities. Train 100/99 travels a longer route and makes more stops (120). It only has second and third class accommodation, but it’s cheaper.
More about Railway
The journey is often more exciting than the destination - and never is that more apparent than on a railway holiday.
Take a look at our interactive map, below, to see our railway holiday highlights around the world.
There are opportunities for you to dip in and out of this style of travel depending on how hardcore you want to go.
There are some destinations that make you think of classic train journeys - the most famous being Siberia and India, where spending several days rattling along the rails is as quintessential an experience as you can imagine.
Browse through our Rail holidays FAQs to learn more about how these trips work - from stopping time in each place to group vs.
One of the world’s most splendid railway journeys, The West Highland Line takes you through mountains, moors and marine marvels, between Glasgow and Mallaig on the west coast.
Although nicknamed 'bullet', which is kind of apt due to the shape and speed, Japan's Shinkansen trains provide peace, safety and comfort for passengers travelling north, south and west in Japan.
Take a ride on a train that you won’t want to get off although it would be a shame to miss out on Agra’s Taj Mahal and Jaipur’s Amber Fort, as you’re passing.
The Kyle Line is otherwise known as the Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness Line and takes you coast to coast between the Kyle on the west coast and Inverness on the northeast.
Our railway gurus have shared their top rail holiday tips with us - from what to pack (not too much!) and what to eat, to meeting your fellow passengers and getting a good night's sleep.
Responsible train holidays are pretty much a given: you're embracing slow travel, stepping outside of the multinational resorts and in some cases, cutting down on domestic flights.
Find all of our rail holidays guides in one place, for rail travel in particular places such as India and Scotland.
