Hello,
We are considering taking the Trans-Siberia railroad from Beijing to Ulaan Baator, Irkutsk etc to Moscow next spring. Wondering what experiences folks might have had on this journey. How are the accommodations, food, views. Is it worth the trouble and time? What do you do all day? Etc?
thank you

The only person I know who did this went with a tour group and it cost a fotune. If you are doing this solo, please come back and let us know how you made arrangements, etc.

As a train nut, the Transiberian is something Faux has always wondered about doing.

I haven't, but the Lonely Planet board has a sticky thread on their Eastern European board re: the Trans-Siberia/Trans-Mongolia. Lots of interest with the backpacker set which LP caters to.

http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/me...d=0&from=1

Also Seat61.com has a lot of info on that trip. Pictures and logistics stuff.

Sounds like a very interesting trip.

I've taken a portion of the Trans-Siberian (from Ulan-Ude to Irkutsk), as well as other overnight trains in Russia when flying wasn't viable. The three weak links are-

-the food
-showers, and
-difficulty in breaking up the trip (getting off/restarting in a city).

When clients ask me about it I always convince them not to do it, rather fly to the Irkutsk region and spend the time around Lake Baikal, one of the world's wonders.

As the other posters mentioned, Lonely Planet's board has reports from travelers who are planning the trip, and have taken it. And Faux mentioned a tour group-we have set this up as well, it is quite comfortable, but very pricey.

The Smithsonian also offers a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway, but it too is quite pricey. My uncle had the good fortune to travel on the railway back when it was a bit more affordable (WAY back) and absolutely loved every minute. But then he was a real railroad buff.

The Trans-siberian passenger rail by itself is not that expensive (comparable to flying from Moscow to Irkutsk or Vladivostok), but it is not like taking a train from, say, London to Venice.

The charter trains can be very comfortable but expensive.

If you could check:Http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/arti...223,00.html,an recent article offers detalis on the route and several inexpensive tours.

My aunt and uncle took one of those luxe tours and loved it - but said they had met people who took the rgular train and were very unhappy. The food was completely inedible and they were packed into a compartment with two complete strangers that they did not like/trust.

Well I bit the bullet on this one and will be taking a charter train trip from Vladivostok to Moscow in August 2007. I considered doing this without a package, but I could not find anyone else who wanted to go. The general reaction is, "You want to go where?" Most of my friends would rather go to someplace like Paris or London and think I am nuts to do this.

I signed up with elderhostel. I did not opt for the private cabins with a toilet and shower in the cabin. Toilets are at then end of the hall and there is a separate car for showers. Believe me, it was enough money this way. I can live without the private shower. I will be sharing with one other person; elderhostel matches people up--a huge price advantage if you are a single and do not want to get stuck with the infamous single supplement. The train provides bathrobes and towels, etc. The shower car is open 24 hours a day.

The trip takes 12 days on the train. The advantage of the charter trip is you do not have to worry about being stuck somewhere hassling a train connection and the accomodations will be more comfortable. Because the train is a charter, moreover, it moves mostly at night; on most days it stops and you tour during the day; also, because it is a charter, we will be going into Mongolia. I will fly to Vladivostok and return home from Moscow. The whole business, including crossing the international dateline going to Vladivostok, will take 16 days. There is an option to go to St. Petersburg, but, since I went there once before, I will not be doing that.

The Transiberian is just one of those things on my list that I absolutely want to do before I die.

And, for this, we have equity line.

I've been looking at a trip with Intrepid(www.intrepidtravel.com)
I'll probably take that trip sometime in the next two or three years.

Faux, congratulations! That was quick work on your part, very smartly done. If I had the chance, I would do all that sharing, too. Will eagerly await the report....

My husband and I traveled from Beijing to Irkust and back to Beijing on it two years ago. We weent with a company called Monkey Business which was recommended by LP. It was absoltely the best trip w have ever made. You'll have a wonderful time.

Elderhostel announced they were working on a Transiberian trip. When I read that, I asked to be called before it was put up for enrollment. I put the deposit down on it as soon as the called me. They are presently only offering it for a one time thing. If it goes well, there will be other trips. I just wanted to make certain I went THIS TIME because who knows if there will be another trip.

Apparently many people on the list for prepublic enrollment backed off when they heard the price. It will not the cheapest trip I have ever taken, but, hey, you only live once and I don't want to wait until I am too old and/or sick to do it.

The Transiberian is a trip you only do once in this life.

From "Lord of the East" to Moscow in August 2007!!!

This is a dream trip that I have been planning for years. Good job Faux in actually doing it! I agree it's expensive but your open-jaw airtickets alone would cost a lot! Please tell us how it goes.

If I get it ready, I hope to go in April 2007.

Well, if I actually end up taking this trip, I will be back to post a report. I still have to figure out how to pay for it!

I rode the Trans-Siberian thru Russia or actually the Soviet Union years ago - from Irkust to near Vladivostock (which was closed city at that time) to a port to get a boat to Japan. It was a long BORING journey - i expected nice scenery but it was pretty much all the same - few towns or anything and blah scenery - pine trees, meadows, pine trees, meadows, etc.
The Chinese portion must be infinitely more interesting but the scenes on the Russian portion suck.

I took the Trans-Manchurian in 1990 from Beijing to Moscow - that route is China-USSR (as it was back then) - no Mongolia.

My partner and I travelled solo - not with a group and had a first class carriage to ourselves. The bedding was under the seats - which turned into beds at night.

Agree with PalQ that the scenery through Russia is pretty boring and the buildings you do see extremely uninspiring. This was fine for us because we were exhausted as we had been travelling quite hard before getting in the train in Beijing – so it was nice to have a rest.

The food on the train was amazingly unappealing – how they got it that colour I do not know – but the beer was fine. However I am sure that things have improved significantly in 16 years

The book “Trans-Siberian Handbook” by Bryn Thomas gives you a blow by blow account of the route, the distance between stations and even how long the train stops at each station – very useful when you want to try and buy something edible at the station.

Before the train crosses the border they have to change the bogies – you don’t have to be an anorak to enjoy this – quite interesting because they lift the carriages off one set of bogies and then put it back on another set – you just hope that they tightened all the nuts properly.

When we went we found there was a huge price difference depending upon who you booked with. By going through one agency rather than another we saved about 80%. The difference was so significant, initially I thought it was a mistake but it was not.

Another experience was having a shower – only time I have had a shower on a moving train.

Hello, all - New to this forum thing - but love reading all - Husband & I are about to book with Sundowners to do the Trans SIberian including the Naadam Festival. Would love comments about any aspect as we do not know anyone who has done it. We hope to start in Beiijing and end in St Petersberg Cheers NZtravel

Just to up date you all here. I canceled the trip on the Transiberian because I got a home exchange in Vienna, Austria. Austria will be much cheaper and I can stay longer. So, do not look for a trip report on the Transiberian from me because I am not going. Maybe someday. . . .