Travel on the Trans Siberian Railway

The Trans-Siberian Railway

The Trans-Siberian is the longest railway in the world: 9,289 km from Moscow to Vladivostok, crossing seven time zones and passing through the southern Urals, the West Siberian Plain, and the mountains and forests east of Lake Baikal. The original line was completed in 1916 after 25 years of construction. There are three principal routes depending on where you want to go: the Trans-Siberian proper to Vladivostok, the Trans-Mongolian branching south through Ulaanbaatar to Beijing, and the Trans-Manchurian, which enters China via Harbin.

A full run from Moscow to Vladivostok takes approximately 6 days and 2 hours on the flagship Rossiya service. Most travellers break the journey into segments.

Classes of Travel

Russian long-distance trains use a four-class system. Firmenny (Luxe/SV) offers two-berth compartments with doors – the most private and most expensive option. Kupe (second class/coupe) has four-berth locked compartments and is the standard choice for most travellers: private enough for sleeping, sociable enough to meet people. Platzkart (third class) is open-plan dormitory berths with 54 passengers in an open car; cheaper but with no privacy and significant noise. Obshchi (fourth class) has bench seating and is not recommended for long distances.

For the Moscow-Vladivostok full run, kupe is the practical choice for most travellers. Book as far ahead as possible through the Russian Railways (RZD) website or through a specialist agent; berths on popular trains in summer sell out weeks in advance.

Key Stops

Moscow: The journey starts at Yaroslavsky Station, one of three railway terminals clustered around Komsomolskaya Square. Allow 2-3 days in Moscow before departure if time permits.

Yekaterinburg (26 hours from Moscow): The fourth largest city in Russia, marking the conventional boundary between Europe and Asia. The Church on the Blood occupies the site of the house where Tsar Nicholas II and his family were shot in 1918.

Novosibirsk (51 hours from Moscow): Siberia’s largest city, founded in 1893 as a crossing point for the railway itself. The opera house (one of the largest in Russia) and the Akademgorodok scientific district are the main draws.

Irkutsk (75 hours from Moscow): The logical stop before Lake Baikal, with a compact 19th-century city centre of wooden houses. From Irkutsk, Olkhon Island in Baikal is 6 hours by bus and ferry. Lake Baikal contains 20% of the world’s unfrozen surface freshwater and reaches a depth of 1,642 metres.

Ulan-Ude (86 hours from Moscow): Capital of Buryatia, with the largest Lenin head sculpture in the world and several active Buddhist monasteries within reach by local transport.

Vladivostok (6 days from Moscow): The Pacific terminus, a steep, hilly city on the Sea of Japan with a significant naval history and a better restaurant scene than its location might suggest. Ferry connections run from here to Japan and South Korea.

Trans-Mongolian Route

Branching south from Ulan-Ude, the Trans-Mongolian crosses into Mongolia at Naushki/Sukhbaatar and reaches Ulaanbaatar in approximately 36 hours from Irkutsk. From Ulaanbaatar to Beijing is another 30 hours, crossing the Gobi and entering China at Erlian/Erenhot. The full Beijing-Moscow journey (or reverse) takes about 6 days.

The border crossings are slow: wheel bogies must be changed at the Russian-Mongolian and Mongolian-Chinese borders because the track gauges differ. The Chinese and Russian gauges are different widths; the whole train is lifted on jacks at the station while the bogies are swapped out beneath each carriage. This takes several hours and is something most passengers watch from the platform at least once.

Practical Considerations

Food on board comes from the restaurant car and from provodnitsa (carriage attendants) who sell instant noodles, tea, and a rotating selection of snacks. The restaurant car changes at each border. Stocking up on food at station platform vendors before departure is the standard supplementary approach; vendors at major stops sell bread, smoked fish, dried fruits, and cooked food through carriage windows during the 10-30 minute stops.

A universal power adapter is essential; Russian outlets are European standard (type C) but older cars may have intermittent power. A good novel, cards, and the willingness to sit still for long periods are more important than any specific gear. The scenery through the birch forests of western Siberia is monotonous for hours at a stretch; the landscape east of Baikal and through Mongolia is more dramatic.

Visas require advance planning. Russian tourist visas were significantly restricted or unavailable for many Western nationalities after 2022; check the current situation before planning a Russia-including itinerary. The Trans-Mongolian option through Mongolia to China remains viable for most travellers and requires Mongolian and Chinese visas in addition to a Russian visa if you board in Moscow.