Take a Ride on the Trans-Siberian from Moscow

The Trans-Siberian railroad runs across European Russia into Asia, connecting Moscow with Mongolia and China. It goes one-third of the way around the world and crosses eight time zones. To say it’s an epic trip would be an understatement.

One of the world’s greatest rail journeys, the Trans-Siberian run in both directions, journeying to or from Moscow and ending in either Mongolia or Beijing, China. You can stay on the train the whole way, or stop at towns along the route. A nonstop journey takes less than a week, but most people opt for two weeks for more flexibility when it comes to stop-offs. For many, the journey is a once in a lifetime opportunity, the completion of one of the most iconic trips in the world, and one that shouldn’t be rushed.

But this bucket list experience doesn’t come cheap. Round-trip tickets can cost around 350-500 Euros and if you buy them piecemeal (so you can make decisions on stop-offs as you go) the price can go up to 400 euros each way, plus a reservation supplement of 30-60 Euros for 4-berth sleepers, which are the cheapest option. And don’t forget that your journey will take you between two of the most expensive cities; Hotels in Moscow and Beijing aren’t exactly cheap and you’ll probably want to spend a few days at either end, adding to your expenses.

Still, if a ride on the Trans-Siberian is one of your dream trips, it’s worth the cost. Days on the train might not be the most exciting – the landscape will change ever-so-slowly as the languages spoken on the train switch from mostly Russian to Chinese, but after a few days you’ll fall into a comfortable routine unless you get off the train for a day or two in day at Irkutsk, Ekaterinburg or Novosibirsk, where you can experience rural Russia and get a deeper glimpse into the history and culture of this fascinating country.

If you’re making the journey to Moscow and the Trans-Siberian is on your travel dream list, consider taking the long way home for an experience you won’t soon forget.

To assist you along the journey, download a Moscow Travel Guide or a Beijing Travel Guide

by Katie Hammel of BootsnAll

Photo by Bernt Rostad