Travelling on the Trans-Siberian in style: wi-fi, gyms, libraries, restaurant carriages, children's playrooms - even arrange for your own carriage to be attached to the train

It can only be the Russians, who are so used to the distances they have to cross getting from one part of the country to another, that they take it as an ordinary journey. 

To the rest of the world, as The Daily Telegraph writer Adrian Bridge said, is it an extraordinary experience: ‘We had met scores of intriguing, inspiring people. We had drunk to the end of the Cold War with Russians and dined with Japanese. We had enjoyed sunsets over Siberia… We had crossed time zones and great geopolitical divides. We had seen silver birch trees, silver birch trees and more silver birch trees. We had enriched our lives’. 

Departure from Moscow train station, and arrival to Vladivostok six days later. Pictures: Russian Railways

It will take you a minimum of 146 hours and 13 minutes, or six days to get from Moscow to Vladivostok, if to follow the ‘Classic’ Trans-Siberian route, which means that you are not stopping halfway and turning right, to Mongolia and China. Exactly nine thousand, two hundred and twenty six (9,226) kilometers of new impressions, with two hundred kilometers of the route going along magnificent Lake Baikal. 

Travellers can go all the way to Pacific, non-stop, or combine some travel on this great train journey with stopovers in Siberia's exotic cities and then make plane, or even river, hops to the destinations that really interest them, whether the remoter reaches Baikal or Yakutia, Altai or the Yenisei. 

Now exploring Siberia is easier than ever, both in terms of ever-better connections and a radical and ongoing improvement in hotel accommodation and tourist infrastructure. See more about hotels development in the cities along the Trans-Siberian railway in CityFocus/where-to-stay  (flick through the cities via ‘choose your city’ option, at the top of the page, a service we, too, will be improving and updating). 

The Siberian Times will explore other train routes to, from and about Siberia, but to start with here we offer a closer look at the types of trains which cross the Trans Siberian, and the services you can expect there, like wi-fi and phone connection, business meeting rooms, computer games rooms, gyms, kids playrooms, showers and basic clothes maintenance rooms with ironing boards. 

There is even an option to order an extra comfort carriage comprising only four compartments, personal showers with heated floors, wifi and phone connection and extra large beds — a great idea for a party! The service is available to companies, and should be pre-booked via the Federal Passengers Direction, see Russian Railways website for more details. 

Russian Railways say they are working hard on making sure that all their trains offer maximum comfort, installing conditioning systems and aiming that the summer time temperature inside the carriage are set for between 22-26C, and winter at 18-22C. 

There is a type of trains called ‘firmenniy’. These are worth knowing about before you book tickets, as they are more comfortable to travel with. Each of such train has its own name, linked to the history of the destination it services, its own unique colour, livery, interior design and a team of highly experienced attendants. 

The restaurant carriages have seats reserved for passengers with children, and passengers with limited physical abilities, with an option to order anything from the menu with delivery to the compartment. 

TICKETS 

There are also three classes of tickets — in russian they sound like platzcart, coupe and SV, which stands for economy, second and first class. No matter the class you are traveling, every ‘firmenniy’ train would have its own restaurant carriage, open from early morning till midnight. 

Scheme to help you make sense of your Russian train ticket. Picture: The Russian Railways, rzd.ru

SV, or the first class compartment is one of the most comfortable, and about twice as expensive as coupe (second class). Each compartment has two berths, a table where you can work and eat, good luggage space underneath and above the berths, and quite often a television. Single first class ticket on Moscow-Vladivostok ‘firmenniy’ train sells at 35,932 roubles (€918, $1,190). Please note that the prices vary depending on season and availability. 

Coupe, or second class compartment are the same size, as first class, but with four berths, with luggage space and table shared between larger number of passengers. Single coupe ticket on Moscow-Vladivostok ‘firmenniy’ train is 19,631 roubles (€501, $650). 

Third class compartments are the most economical way of traveling. Quite often Russian people would refer to it as to ‘platzcart’ — the word has been copied from German a while ago and is widely used to refer to this type of train carriage. What do you get? Your own bed, a table, a place to put your luggage — plus a good company, as there are no walls between you and all the other people in the carriage. Single platzcart ticket on Moscow-Vladivostok ‘firmenniy’ train is 9,356 roubles (€239, $309).

Please note that in Russia on all train tickets departure and arrival times are given in Moscow time, no matter where you buy the ticket, or which part of the the Trans-Siberian line you are on. Whatever the time zone, though, trains are usually punctual.

Prices vary depending on high (end of spring-summer) or low seasons; advanced booking should give the best value. 

Should you wish to buy a paper ticket, a full list of Russian Railways ticket offices in English is here.

Tour companies are widening their choices of packages to Siberia, but in fact it is also easier than ever, thanks to the Internet bookings and the myriad new connections to the outside world for the free-spirited to find their own way here and explore this part of Russia. 

For those of you who do so, please do contact us and tell us your impressions on news@siberiantimes.com. Bon voyage! 

ROSSIYA 
Aka 'The Main Train of Russia' 

The route: Moscow to Vladivostok
The distance: 9,226 km
Time on way: 146 hours, 13 minutes 

Departs from Moscow: even days
Departs from Vladivostok: odd days

First class ticket: 35,932 roubles, €918, $1,190

Second class ticket: 19,631 roubles, €501, $650

Services on board: restaurant carriage, showers, library, children playroom, basic clothes maintenance room with ironing board. Passengers can cook and store food at carraige's attendant compartments, which are equipped with fridges, microwaves and stoves.

SIBIRYAK
The name translates as 'The Siberian' from Russian

The route: Moscow to Novosibirsk

The distance: 3,303 kilometres

Time on way: 47 hours 27 minutes 

Departs from Moscow: odd days

Departs from Novosibirsk: even days 

First class ticket: roubles, €, $

Second class ticket: 9,534 roubles, €244, $316 

Third class ticket: 5,409 roubles, €138, $179

Services on board: compartments for people with limited physical liabilities, restaurant carriage with traditional Siberian dishes and European cuisine; library, children playroom, children library, internet room, shower, ironing board, fridge, microwave and stove. 

YENISEI
The trains is named after one of the mightiest Siberian rivers 

The route: Moscow to Krasnoyarsk

The distance: 4,044 km

Time on way: 60 hours 30 minutes 

Departs from Moscow: odd days

Departs from Krasnoyarsk: even days 

First class ticket: 26,313 roubles, €673, $873

Second class ticket: 13,292 roubles, €340, $441 

Third class ticket: 5,984 roubles, €153, $198

Services on board: restaurant carriage, newspapers and magazines, food delivery to compartment, showers, ironing board, fridge, microwave, stove. 

ALTAI
The train is named after magnificent Altai Mountains, one of the jewels of Western Siberia 

The route: Moscow to Barnaul 

The distance: 3,420 km

Time on way: 56 hours, 40 minutes 

Departs from Moscow: odd days

Departs from Barnaul: even days 

First class ticket: 9,629 roubles, €246, $320

Second class ticket: 8,595 roubles, €220, $285 

Third class ticket: 3,977 roubles, €102, $132

Services on board: restaurant carriage, food delivery to compartment, internet room, shower, ironing board, fridge, microwave, stove; souvenir shops, taxi order at the arrival via the train attendants.

BAIKAL
The train is named after Baikal, the world's oldest and deepest lake

The route: St Petersburg to Irkutsk 

The distance: 4,416 km

Time on way: 86 hours, 35 minutes 

Departs from St Petesrburg: odd days

Departs from Irkutsk: even days 

First class ticket: roubles, €, $

Second class ticket: 11,084 roubles, € 284, $367 

Third class ticket: 6,769 roubles, € 173, $225

Services on board: restaurant carriage, food delivery to compartment, internet room, shower, ironing board, fridge, microwave, stove; souvenir shops, taxi order at the arrival via the train attendants.


Pictures: The Russian Railways, rzd.ru and glavpoezdrus.ru