Travelling On the Trans-Siberian Railway as A Backpacker
If you love backpacking, cheap travels, and plenty of adventure, check out the benefits of a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Image by Enzojz via Flickr
The whole idea of travelling to Russia has become popular with backpackers, it seems that they are either making their way to major destinations in Moscow or St. Petersburg, or they choose to traverse the entire country by heading off on the Trans-Siberian railway. This is a highly recommended train trip adventure for just about anyone, and here is why.
- 1. Russia Is a Massive Piece of Land
The Trans-Siberian expands from Moscow to Vladivostok, and lasts around six days. If you decide to take the Trans-Mongolian route, you are looking at around seven days. To backpack around the country to some of the cities along the route, the train makes for an easier and cheaper journey.
- 2. Trains Are a Comfortable Way to Get Around
Unlike planes and busses, you can walk around on trains and enjoy flat-beds. You can even hop off for some fresh air when you need to. Best of all, you don’t have to cope with checking in bags or navigating through airport security. Epic Trans-Siberian railway travel is a backpacker’s delight!
- 3. The Train Is an Experience Not to be Missed
When it comes to train travel, the journey really is half the adventure. With the Trans-Siberian, you can ride in what was once Soviet surroundings, meet the locals, or sleep comfortably to the sounds of Russian conversations. Every train is an exceptional adventure. From the breeze of vodka and cigarettes to the smell of dried fish, Russian trains are a thrill for foreigners.
- 4. Purchasing Tickets Can Help the Visa Process
One of the most discouraging tasks to making your Russian train experience a certainty is the inconvenient visa process. While it may not be the most affordable visa on the market, you will also need a letter of invitation and an itinerary beforehand. However, using a reputable travel company for your train tickets in advance can help secure a place on the train and get you all the information needed to speed up the visa process.
- 5. Head for the Road Less Travelled
Interest in travelling through Russia has certainly increased, but it still remains a little more complicated than a trip to Europe. By riding the railways through Russia, you really get to take the road less travelled.
- 6. Bypass the Airplane System
It is a known fact that the Russian air transport system has been riddled with bad experiences over the years. While this may not be the case these days, you can still go across the beautiful country overland instead of in the air.
Customise Your Journey
Many backpackers think that a trip on the railway has to be done all in one go. The idea of five to seven days of just sitting on a train isn’t everyone’s idea of an adventure, but it doesn’t have to be that way at all. You can use your train booking service to customise your adventure, so you may want plan a 3-week adventure from Beijing up to St. Petersburg with a few stops along the way, and utilising various classes of service.
You can even take a hands-on approach to booking your tickets, but hiring a reputable travel company will ensure every step is fully planned out for you.
Interessanter Artikel! 🙂
XX,
http://www.ChristinaKey.com
♥
Nice post, dear!
Baci,
Marina
http://www.maridress.it
Mit dem Zug kann man aber auch super nach Russland reisen.
Liebe Grüße Kristina von KDSecret
Wonderful post dear.
http://www.MonaCristo.com
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The Trans-Siberian is my dream – I will definitely go one day! I would consider the route that is going via Mongolia – this is totally my dream backpacking trip!
http://www.pret-a-reporter.co.uk/blog/
awesome tips!!!
Beautiful post.
http://www.thestylegalaxy.com/
Ein sehr interessanter Artikel 🙂 Russland ist bestimmt ein sehr interessantes Reiseziel, auch wenn ich bisher noch nicht dort war :/
Alina // thelittlediamonds.de
I’ve always wanted to do this! What an amazing experience it must have been!
Rachel xx
http://www.thedailyluxe.net
I really really want to do this. Russia is a country I would love to see one day.
District of Chic
Very interesting!! This sounds like fun!
Adi xx
http://www.fancycorrectitude.com
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Liebe Carrie,
ich möchte sehr gerne einmal nach Russland gehen 🙂
Ich wusste gar nicht, dass man da so einfach und schnell mit dem Zug fahren kann. Freunde von mir sind einmal mit dem Auto hingefahren und meinten, dass es gar nicht so einfach gewesen wäre. Sie mussten angeblich an verschiedenen Zöllen Geld bezahlen, um überhaupt weiterfahren zu können 😀
Liebe Grüße
Jasmin
Nice article girl!
I’m all about trains – such beautiful views and so comfortable!
xx Yasmin
http://banglesandbungalows.com
I love this! It’s been my dream to travel this way for ages!
Sounds like quite the journey! Thanks for all the info <3
Very informative, thanks for sharing!
This looks amazing. I’m sure there are so many interesting things to see while speeding through on a train.
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Met a guy in Beijing who had just come off that trip! Really want to do it now :‘) Thanks for this post!
Cool! That’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Maybe I’ll get to try it next year.
Travelling is the ultimate.
Cool, I like your tip that the Trans-Siberian Railway doesn’t have to be done all in one go. Whenever I hear people talking about this journey I think of the crazy, smelly folks who spend a week on board, lol, but making it into a longer journey with more stops is a good idea.
I’m planning to go from St Petersburg to Beijing next year – great post!
Ah so jealous! I will keeping a close eye on your blog for updates! 😀
Never thought of travelling the Trans-Siberian Railway but it actually sounds really interesting now!
Love the article and I want to experience more of this freedom to travel as I please. Going through Russia on train seems like just the kind of think I’d love to do.
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Adding to the bucket list now…
What a pleasure to read!
Great post! I have always wanted to do the Trans-Siberian but I absolutely love train travel, so the long distance wouldn’t bother me! It is definitely high on my bucket list.
Lovely website you have here! Can’t wait to drop by more often to read more of your adventures.
I love your post! Please check out my first Travel Post on why it is never the right time to travel
https://jkbeautytake.wordpress.com/2016/09/29/travel-why-it-is-never-the-right-time-to-travel/
Thank you!
Exciting stuff! I’m looking for adventures to interview for my blog. Reply if interested! – http://www.thejournaloftomday.wordpress.com
I’m hoping to be booking a trip to Russia for next summer, my husband has been wanting to go there.. St. Petersburg probably. I’m excited! Thanks for the tips!
https://courtneylivin.wordpress.com
Thanks for the travel inspiration and tips! I’m seriously considering traveling to Russia in the future!
Great post, this is most inspiring for my bucket list. 🙂
Feeling inspired to add Russia into our trip!
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Wonderful post. On my bucket list
very interesting
I first saw a documentary on Trans-Siberian Railway on Discovery Channel some years back. When I saw this article one name came into my mind, one of the coldest places on earth. Here, a camera battery didn’t last more than 8 minutes.
Nice Post this, keep writing…
Nice post! Been considering visiting Russia/Mongolia for a while and I’d love to do this. Your post makes me want to do it even more, argh!
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Ah I have always wanted to do this, it’s one bucket list destination I absolutely must do.
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Very cool! I may add this to my list of adventures!
Very interesting – on my bucket list for a while now 🙂
Great read! Keep it up!:)
I love train travel! Thank you for sharing!
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sounds great, I definitely want to go on such trip. By the way, I also started to write travel blog, recently I went on a road trip 3500 kms may like to check it out. http://wp.me/p8p4rd-a3 do give your feedback.
I completed the trip in 2015, travelling from east to west across the country. I fully agree that people should try to go on this trip. I never felt unsafe or unwelcome (although I did watch a knife fight in our hostel once) and really enjoyed the culture and history. One day, I’ll write about it in detail, but until then, I completely recommend this journey to anyone who is considering it.