The Trans-Siberian Railway runs all year around, but the journey varies slightly according to the time of the year. June to September are the high months to travel for international students and holidaymakers, as summer holds the longest days of the year in Europe. The spring holiday season in Russia is during March, so the Trans-Siberian Railway will be fairly empty then, allowing you to book your journey with plenty of time left.
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a great way to see Russia’s far east. The country has a very different look to that of other former communist states. The interior design and architecture is much less evolved, giving the place a more provincial feel. This, in turn, means that a study abroad Russia trip will offer an altogether different set of experiences to that of a study abroad UK trip or any other European travel.
The Trans-Siberian Railway has just one train, the Borei, which leaves Uzhurg and goes directly to Kaliningrad. It stops at various towns along the way to allow travelers to take a lunch or a nap. You can also rent a cabin for your journey if this is required. The cabins are clean, well kept and comfortable, as travelling on such a train is not like a tour bus. It’s all about sleeping in comfort and not worrying too much about the next stop.
The journey takes about three days and allows you to travel from Moscow to Irkutsk and back. A dining car is provided on board so that you do not need to worry about eating at a train station or a place where a restaurant is present. The train does make sure that the food served is of a very high standard though. On board the Trans-Siberian you will be treated to some fantastic views of the Trans-Caspian sea and also of the Altai Mountains. The views from the train are extremely beautiful.
On your Trans-Siberian journey you will travel through a large number of countries including China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. The countries that are most often included on a trans-siberian railway trip are China, Mongolia and the Russian Federation. The most important part of a Trans-Siberian railway trip is the crossing of the Khovsgol oblast which forms the junction of the two branches of the Oblast of Kemer. The journey continues along the foothills of the steppe to reach the capital city of Uzhurg, the main town on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
The longest railway in the world is in the shape of the Trans-Siberian. This is also the reason why the Trans-Siberian makes for an ideal vacation destination for people who like their vacation to include time spent in sightseeing and in exploring new territories. There are many routes that the Trans-Siberian follows. One of them is the Golden Circle that goes around the northern part of the country while the southern route covers the areas between the Caspian Sea and the Arctic Ocean. The shortest route is of course the Trans-Siberian which measures only 66 kilometers in length.
Since this is a long distance route it is possible that you may not always have spare time when traveling in such a huge vehicle. When studying abroad in Russia, you will therefore find it most convenient to arrange your vacation so that you can study at the same time you travel through the Trans-Siberian. If you decide to arrange your vacation in this manner, it is important that you contact your travel agent and ask him or her to suggest a Trans-Siberian train ride that will allow you to learn about the countries that you will be visiting while touring the Trans-Siberian. This is in fact one of the major perks of traveling via the Trans-Siberian.
Once you make all the arrangements necessary for your vacation, you will be ready to go! A lot of people have reported excellent Trans-Siberian train travel since they found that planning ahead as well as doing research on trains that travel between Russia and China made their trip travel to the far east even more interesting. Now that you know more about how to arrange your vacation and when to do it, you will certainly want to start planning your trip now!
My name is Joe Ambrose and I’m a passionate world traveller. A nomad in constant movement around our fantastic globe.