Am planning a trans-Siberian rail holiday in the next two years has anyone done it and any tips for the trip?
Answers:
I went from Vladivostok to Estonia last year kind of by accident (long story - don't ask). I did it alone and had the most amazing time of my life. I didn't go on the Trans-Siberian. I went on a domestic train third class (called platzkartny in Russian) which is a dormitory carriage with no privacy and is used by Russians, not tourists. It cost £80 total.
If you don't speak Russian, learn it. Being able to converse with locals will improve your trip 100%. Take toilet roll (essential), wet wipes and a toothbrush. Don't bother with anything fancier. Don't loads of food to share but keep it to things like bread, cheese, sausage and fruit, no junk. Oh, and vodka is absolutely essential.
Autumn is a nice time to go. There will be some snow but it won't be freezing. Summer and winter is too hot and too cold on the train respectively. Be nice to the provodnitsa (the caretaker lady on the train. She can make the trip heaven or hell for you.
Some interesting places to stop would be Kazan, maybe Perm, Tyumen and Irkutsk (of course, for Lake Baikal).
I'm jealous. Have a great time!
i did a small part of it i hated it, i spoke with others who have dont do it
Ignore the first answer, it is a trip to remember. I did Moscow-Beijing in 2001. You have to rough it a bit, on the train, but you have a lot of Russians/Mongolians/fellow tourists for company. There are some web sites/blogs where you can get info - just do a search.
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