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Trans-Siberian Railway

Photo: Marc Heiden - User: (WT-shared) Gorilla Jones at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Trans-Siberian Railway (Russian: Транссиби́рская магистраль Transsibírskaya magistral' or Трансси́б Transsíb) is the name given to the rail routes that traverse Siberia from Moscow. Routes not trains, note; there's no such thing as the "Trans-Siberian Express". There are three principal routes, with multiple train services along them:

  • The Trans-Siberian proper crosses the enormous breadth of Russia, from Moscow via Perm, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude, Chita and Khabarovsk to the Pacific Ocean at Vladivostok.
  • The Trans-Mongolian follows the same route from Moscow as far as Ulan Ude, then branches south via Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia to Beijing in China.
  • The Trans-Manchurian follows that route further, past Ulan Ude to Chita, before crossing Chinese Manchuria to Beijing.

These routes are served by direct end-to-end trains, with those to Vladivostok at least daily and those to China once or twice a week. Several trains ply shorter sections, so you may not need to stay overnight to continue in the same direction. Like a meandering river the Trans-sib has changed its course over time so there are various parallel routes. Across European Russia the classic route is via Nizhny-Novgorod but other lines loop north via Yaroslavl or south via Kazan. The Trans-sib used to run via Petropavl but that is now in independent Kazakhstan: the route has therefore been diverted north but trains to Astana still go the old way. The "BAM" or Baikal-Amur Mainline is a northern parallel line that eventually reaches the Pacific at Vanino / Sovetskaya Gavan; there is talk of extending it to Sakhalin island or even Japan. These are interesting side trips but not considered here as part of the Trans-Siberian.

The Trans-Siberian Railway, built 1891–1916, is the longest railway in the world. The longest train service in the world is from Moscow to Pyongyang along the Trans-Siberian route to Ussuriysk near Vladivostok, where it branches south into North Korea. This runs as a through-train twice monthly. The longest train itinerary, in essence greatly extending the Trans-Siberian with changes in trains but without leaving the rail network, is Portugal to Singapore.

UnderstandA ride on the Trans-Siberian Railway is one of the few true adventures remaining.
PrepareTravelling independently is straightforward provided you are well-organised, and can plan and book all your stop-overs, accommodation and journey legs in advance.
Get inThe three termini of the Trans-Siberian are Moscow, Beijing and Vladivostok. There's also a bi-monthly connection from Moscow to Pyongyang, but it is generally not possible for foreigners to use this.
Visa informationMore detailed visa information in the Russia, Mongolia, China and North Korea articles
TicketsThe Russian train system is different from European systems. The train tickets are bought for fixed dates and all stops must be planned in advance.
GoIt's not worth getting off at every stop. The places listed below (except the junctions and border crossings) are the most interesting ones.
The Trans-Siberian properThe Trans-Siberian proper connects Moscow with Vladivostok.
Trans-MongolianThe Trans-Mongolian connects Moscow and Beijing. It follows the same tracks as the Trans-Siberian for a little more than half the way, then forks off south through Mongolia and into China.
Trans-ManchurianThe Trans-Manchurian is also known as Vostok (east) and like the former it goes to Beijing.
BuyCosts depend mainly on the level of quality you want. A trip in second class and staying at mid-range hotels together with a simpler meal and sightseeing or a show will cost you €100–120 per day.
EatYou will learn to know many different cuisines on a journey like this. For a more elaborate list of local specialities, please refer to particular cities' and regions' articles.
DrinkAlcohol is an important part of Russian culture and thus it's not unusual to have some vodka at your compartment picnic. At this stage, you have to be careful and you need to know when to stop.
SleepAll tickets for long journey trains are for sleeping places.9 m long and about half a metre wide. 3rd-class carriages have shorter berths. Some trains between Moscow and Saint Petersburg have seating places.
TalkWhile Russia is a huge country and some regions have their own local language, Russian is taught in every school, and serves as the lingua franca between different ethnic groups.
Stay safeSome say that the Trans-Siberian has a reputation of being a major route for illegal drug trafficking.
Stay healthyYou should be in good physical condition while starting a trip like this, with no reason to believe your condition will worsen during the trip.
RespectEspecially if you travel alone you will be spending some time on the train with locals, so it's useful to learn basic dos and don'ts before the journey.
CopeThe level of comfort and the number of amenities depend on the type of the train you are taking.
Go nextIf you have arrived in Vladivostok after a week on the train, you will feel like you have travelled to the end of the world, but as we know, the world isn't flat.

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