Here is a summary of all the most important trains on the Trans-Siberian Railway.  Make sure you read the notes!  The times shown are departure times unless it says otherwise, at most stations you can assume the arrival time will be 5 to 15 minutes before departure.  There are other slower trains not shown here, in fact there's even a daily slow train (Train 904) from Moscow to Vladivostok taking 9 days compared to the Rossiya's 7.  Simply use the Real Russia online system or www.poezda.net to find train times for all possible trains, or to confirm these times.

All trains run to Moscow time whilst in Russia, even though local time can be up to 7 hours ahead of Moscow.  So the times shown below are all Moscow time except for Ulan Bator, Erlian, Manzhouli, Harbin & Beijing where they are local time.  So for example the Rossiya reaches Irkutsk at 02:33 in the timetable, but Irkutsk is 5 hours ahead of Moscow, so arrival is really at 07:33 local time.  Russia decided to abolish Daylight Saving Time (DST) in 2011, or rather, decided to keep it all year round, so Moscow is now GMT+4 all year round and Mongolia & China are now permanently 4 hours ahead of Moscow as they too have no DST.

Eastbound timetable...

* Moscow-Beijing is 7,622 km (4,735 miles) via Ulan Bator or 8,986 km (5,623 miles) via Harbin.          Map of Moscow showing Yaroslavsky station

** The Irkutsk time zone may be merged with the Krasnoyarsk zone to be just 4 hours ahead of Moscow at some point in 2011, so please check!

Note A:  Rossiya.  'Firmeny' quality train, see here for photos & more information.  Runs every second day, leaving Moscow on odd-number dates (1st, 3rd, 5th etc.), except 31st of the month.  Runs from Vladivostok on even-numbered dates from the 8th of each month onwards, plus the 2nd, 4th, 6th of March, May, July, October, December, and the 1st, 3rd, 5th of other months.  2-berth spalny vagon, 4-berth kupé, platskartny berths & restaurant car.  You can check days of operation using the online system here.

Note B:  Moscow-Beijing express via the Trans-Mongolian route, see here for photos & information & see here for an illustrated account of the journey.  Leaves Moscow every Tuesday eastbound, leaves Beijing every Wednesday westbound.  Uses Chinese coaches.  1st class 2-berth, 1st class 4-berth, 2nd class 4-berth.  Restaurant car throughout (Russian in Russia, Mongolian in Mongolia, Chinese in China).

Note C:  Runs from Moscow on Wednesdays, also Thursdays in summer, check dates using the online system here.  Runs from Ulan Bator Tuesdays, also Fridays in summer, check dates using the online system.  2-berth & 4-berth sleepers & restaurant car.  This train has Russian and Mongolian coaches.

Note D:  Vostok.  Moscow-Beijing express via the Trans-Manchurian route.  Leaves Moscow every Saturday (originally Fridays until March 2011).  Westbound, leaves Beijing every Saturday.  Russian coaches.  2-berth spalny vagon, 4-berth kupé.  There is a Russian restaurant car in Russia, a Chinese restaurant car in China.

Note E:  Baikal.  'Firmeny' quality train.  Runs from St Petersburg on odd-number dates (1st, 3rd, 5th etc., but not the 31st).  Runs from Irkutsk on odd dates (1st, 3rd, 5th etc., but not the 31st).  2-berth & 4-berth sleepers, platskartny sleepers & restaurant car.  Check days of running using the online system here.  The 'Baikal' used to run from Moscow, it was diverted to start from St Petersburg as of June 2010.  IMPORTANT:  It's reported that this train will be downgraded to run only between Novosibirsk and Irkutsk (5 times a week) as from late May 2013.

Note F:  This is a slower, cheaper, lower-quality alternative to the top-quality Rossiya and Baikal for journeys within Russia.  2-berth spalny vagon, 4-berth kupé and platskartny.  Eastbound, train number is 340 on some dates, 350 on others.  Westbound, train number is 339 on some dates, 349 on others.

Note G:  Runs daily.  4-berth kupé and platskartny sleepers from Irkutsk to Ulan Bator.  No 2-berth.

Note H:  Runs from Ulan Bator to Beijing on Thursdays all year round.  Westbound, runs from Beijing to Ulan Bator on Tuesdays, also Mondays from late June to late October 2011.  Please double-check days of running when you book as Chinese Railways can't make up their mind what day(s) to run it and it has changed seasonally over the last few years.  Soft class 2-berth & 4-berth sleepers and hard class 4-berth sleepers.  This link may help check days, times and fares for this train.  There are alternative, less convenient but more frequent ways to get from Ulan Bator to Beijing, with changes of train, click here for details.

Trains 3/4, 5/6 & 19/20 between Moscow, Ulan Bator & Beijing are intended for passengers making international journeys (for example, Moscow to Beijing, Irkutsk to Beijing or Moscow to Ulan Bator).  If you want to stop off at Ekaterinberg or Irkutsk (for example), you would normally take a Russian internal train (for example, the 'Rossiya') between Moscow, Ekaterinberg & Irkutsk.

Westbound timetable...

Information on connecting trains & ferries...

• For trains between Moscow and London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin or Warsaw, see the London to Russia page.

• For trains within China between Beijing and Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tibet, Xian or the Great wall at Badaling, see the Train travel in China page.

• For the weekly ferry linking Vladivostok with South Korea & Japan, see here.

• For ferries between China and Japan, see the ferries section on the China page.

• For ferries between China and Korea, see the South Korea page.

Alternatives between Ulan Bator & Beijing...

If you're trying to do the Trans-Mongolian route flexibly, buying tickets as you go, there are a whole range of daily domestic trains between Moscow, Irkutsk and Ulan Ude.  Then there's a daily train from Irkutsk or Ulan Ude to Ulan Bator.  So from Moscow as far as Ulan Bator it's relatively easy to buy tickets as you go without pre-booking, if you're prepared to take pot luck.  However, the weak point is between Ulan Bator and Beijing where there are just two weekly trains, one of which is the through train from Moscow so there are limited berths available for passengers joining at UB.  However, there are alternatives, so you're unlikely to be completely stuck.

• On Mondays & Fridays, a hard class sleeper train (number 33) leaves Ulan Bator at 20:10 arriving Jining Nan (Jining South) around 19:00 next day.  There are then several daily trains from Jining Nan to Beijing, journey 9 hours, fare about $7 with soft class seat.  www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains/ will confirm train times for any journey within China (click 'trains between 2 of all stations', this system recognises 'Jining South', not 'Jining Nan', beware that trains 3, 4, 23, 24 aren't daily).

• On Tuesdays and Saturdays, a hard class sleeper train (number 21) leaves Ulan Bator at 20:10 for Erlian, just on the Chinese side of the border, arriving next day.  There are daily trains from Erlian to Jining Nan (Jining South) and a number of daily trains from Jining Nan to Beijing.  Use www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains/ to find trains within China.

• There is also a daily train (number 286) departing UB at 09:35 to Saynshand, 40km from the Chinese frontier at Erlian, local buses or taxis available, then daily trains Erlian to Jining Nan (Jining South) and a number of daily trains from Jining Nan to Beijing.

•  If you have more information on this alternative UB-Beijing journey, please e-mail me!

In a nutshell...

• Around £555 buys you a one-way train ticket from Moscow to Beijing on train 4 including a bed in a 4-berth sleeper, pre-booked through a reliable agency such as Real Russia.  For almost 5,000 miles of travel, a bed for 6 nights and a memorable world-class travel experience, that's a bargain!  If you want a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, make that around £780.

• If you want to stop off at places on the way, that increases the ticket price somewhat, but not hugely.

• Add train tickets from London to Moscow for around £200 and you're all set for an epic journey from the UK to China.

• Don't forget the cost of visas.  This could add £100-£200 depending on which countries you need.  Russia, China, and possibly Mongolia and Belarus.

• You should budget for at least one night in a hotel in Moscow, £40 upwards depending on how classy a hotel you want.

The full story...

A Trans-Siberian journey certainly isn't expensive if you travel independently rather than with an inclusive tour.  It's a real railway with regular fares, not an expensive 'tourist experience'.  However, what you pay will vary enormously, depending on:

• Which class you choose.  Most western travellers go 2nd class 4-berth (kupé).  1st class 2-berth (spalny vagon ) is nice if you can afford it, but twice as expensive as kupé so only worth it if money is not an issue.  3rd class (platskartny open-plan bunks) is a bit basic for most western travellers and not available on every train, but some adventurous low-budget travellers enjoy it.

• For journeys wholly within Russia, whether you travel on a 'firmeny' fast quality train (recommended) such as train 2 Rossiya or a slow unnamed lower-quality train such as trains 240, 340 or 904 which have cheaper fares.  As a general rule, low train numbers are quality trains, slower low-quality trains have three-digit train numbers.  When you contact an agency, make sure you know what specific train number you're being quoted a fare for so you compare like with like.

• Whether you travel independently (cheaper) or book an all-inclusive tour (more expensive).

• If travelling independently, whether you buy your ticket through a Russian travel agency like Svezhy Veter or Real Russia (cheaper, recommended), a western travel agency (more expensive), or at the ticket office (cheapest, but not always practical if you need to be sure of being on a certain train on a certain date).

• If booking through an agency, which agency you use.  Demand for the two weekly Moscow-Beijing trains exceeds supply, Russian Railways sells off tickets to travel agencies before bookings open to the public, and these agencies sell tickets to tourists for whatever price they can get for them.  So you need to shop around!

• Some quality trains within Russia, such as the Baikal & Rossiya allow you to buy tickets 'with services' or 'without services'.  'With services' means that a light breakfast and cooked dinner with beer are served in your compartment (or sometimes in the restaurant car), like the meal shown in these photos.  This is usually good value and simplifies payment as you won't need cash, so buying a ticket 'with services' is often a good idea.

Ticket prices, if you buy tickets at the ticket office in Moscow...

Here are typical fares charged at the ticket office, taken from the Russian Railways website www.rzd.ru.  Russian fares vary by season, higher in summer, lower in winter, the ones below are for October 2012, summer fares will be a few percent higher.  Higher fares are charged for fast high-quality firmeny trains, lower fares for slower low-quality trains.  I recommend firmeny trains unless you are on a very tight budget.  Buying tickets at the ticket office is a practical option for most Russian domestic journeys, such as Moscow-Irkutsk or Irkutsk-Vladivostok or even Moscow-Vladivostok, if it won't upset your plans to have to take a different train or travel a day later than planned if your first choice of train is fully booked.  But if you have limited time and a definite itinerary, pre-booking your trains via an agency is a better option, see the next section.  How to buy tickets yourself at the ticket office in Moscow.

Where did I get these fares?  How can you check the latest fares & fares for other journeys?  How to check fares & availability using the Russian Railways website.

With or without services?

On the best trains you can buy tickets without services meaning without any meals, or with services meaning with all your meals included, either served in the restaurant or in your compartment.  All the fares shown above and below are without services.  Expect to pay an extra 1,336 rubles (£30) in kupé or 2,211 rubles (£50) in spalny vagon for a 'with services' ticket on train 2 from Moscow to Irkutsk for example, not bad value for a 4-day trip!  You can see an example of the food in the 'Rossiya' photos above.

Ticket prices, if you buy tickets from a Russian travel agency...

Unless you have lots of time and can afford to take pot luck when you get to Moscow, you'll probably want to book your trains in advance.  Most westerners buy tickets through a travel agency, either a local Russian one such as the excellent Real Russia or other reputable Russian agencies (recommended) or a specialist western agency (sometimes less hassle, but significantly more expensive).  Different agencies charge completely different prices for the same journey, so shop around for the best deal.  However, to give you a rough idea, here are the prices charged by Real Russia, including their agency mark-up.  'Shopping around' means emailing each agency for a specific quote, not just looking at their website, as some agencies don't update their sites when prices rise - and Russian & Chinese railways have imposed some big fare rises in recent years.  When emailing an agency, be specific about which train you want, and remember to ask about their delivery charges & credit card fees.  I've seen websites quote very competitive prices for (say) Moscow-Irkutsk which turn out to be for a low-quality slow train, and the price they charge for a quality 'firmeny' train such as the 'Baikal' or 'Rossiya' is much higher and less competitive.  When you get quotes, make sure you compare like with like!  And some agencies charge credit card fees of up to 12% on top of their advertised fares (Real Russia charge 2.5%), so make sure the quote explains these.  How to buy tickets from Russian travel agencies.

These are February 2012 prices without services (i.e. without meals) from Real Russia, prices will be higher in summer.

Where did I get these fares?  How can you check current fares & fares for other journeys?  See the Real Russia Trans-Siberian trip planner.

Ticket prices if you buy tickets from a western travel agency...

There are various western agencies who specialise in Trans-Siberian travel.  They can sell you a package tour or arrange a tailor-made tour for you, but they can also sell just a train ticket if you like.  Their prices vary enormously, so shop around.  With higher overheads to support, a western agency will charge much more than a local Russian agency.  More information about arranging your trip through a western tour agency.

If you buy tickets in Ulan Bator...

A Ulan Bator to Irkutsk ticket costs about 33,000 togrog ($30) if bought at the station.  More information about buying tickets in Ulan Bator.

If you buy tickets at the station or through China Travel Service (CITS) in Beijing...

You can buy tickets in person at Beijing main station or via CITS (the Chinese state tourist agency).  You used to be able to check fares at www.cits.net but they now refer you to another site, www.chinatraveldesigner.com/trans-siberian-trains (their 2012 fares are shown below).  You can also check the 'official' train fares in RMB at www.cbwchina.com/travel/ticketprice.html.  More information about buying tickets in person in Beijing or by email via CITS.

Children...

• In Russia, children under 5 sharing a berth with an adult go free, children 5 to 10 travel at half the adult fare. 

• On the Trans-Manchurian and Trans-Mongolian international trains (trains 3, 4, 19, 20), children under 4 go free if they share a berth, children 4 to 11 (inclusive) travel at 75% of the adult fare. 

• For journeys wholly within China, children under 120cm tall travel free, 120-150cm tall travel for half fare, over 150cm tall pay full fare (new child height limits as from December 2010).

This form allows you to check train times & prices and buy tickets for any mainline train in Russia and the other CIS states, including the Trans-Siberian Railway. This version is for checking and booking one journey at a time, if you want to plan or book a multi-leg Trans-Siberian trip with stopovers, try the Trans-Siberian trip planner instead.

How to buy tickets - eastbound

There are four ways to book a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway, each with advantages & disadvantages:

• Option 1:  Buy tickets at the station - cheapest, but most uncertain & not always practical;

• Option 2:  Buy tickets in advance using the Real Russia online trip planner - easy to use, fairly cheap, secure, often the best option;

• Option 3:  Buy tickets in advance through a local Russian agency - quite easy to do, fairly cheap, also one of the best options;

• Option 4:  Let a specialist western travel agency arrange it all for you - least hassle, but by far the most expensive.

Option 1:  Buy tickets at the ticket office...

You can walk up to the ticket office at any Russian station and buy a ticket for any journey in Russia, including the Trans-Siberian Railway.  This is the cheapest way to book because you pay the real Russian Railways price.  It's not usually difficult to get a ticket for internal Russian journeys a day or two before departure, for example Moscow-Ekaterinberg, Moscow-Irkutsk or even Moscow-Vladivostok, if you can be flexible about your exact departure date, time or class of travel.  The daily Irkutsk-Ulan Bator train is not too difficult to book at the ticket office, either.  To avoid language problems, it's a good idea to learn the Russian alphabet so you can write down your requirements to show to the ticket office staff.  When writing dates, use roman numerals for the month, or example for '3 June 2010' write '3 VI 2010'.  Many big Russian stations now have a 'servis tsentr' (service centre) where you pay a small fee (about 100 rubles) to book your ticket in a relaxed air-conditioned environment, and it's well worth paying this small extra fee for the hassle it can save you.  Russian railway reservations are computerised, so you can arrange any journey from any station, as long as the journey starts in Russia or one of the ex-Soviet states.  For information on buying train tickets at the station in Ulan Bator (Mongolia), see below.

If you know the Russian alphabet, you can check Russian train fares and availability online at the Russian Railways website using this step-by-step guide for non-Russian speakers.  So for example, you could see how many tickets are left today for tomorrow's train to Irkutsk.  That might give you a good idea of how easy it is to get tickets at short notice.  Just remember that summer will be busier than winter, and Fridays busier than mid-week.

However, demand exceeds supply for the two weekly Moscow-Beijing Trans-Mongolian & Trans-Manchurian trains (trains 4 & 20), also the weekly Moscow-Ulan Bator train (train 6), especially in the busy May-September peak season.  Here's how the system works:  Russian Railways open up bookings to travel agencies for these and other trains 60 days before departure, before bookings open to the public 45 days before departure.  Knowing that demand for these particular trains exceeds supply, the Russian agencies buy up blocks of tickets, leaving few or none for sale at the ticket office when public bookings open.  The agencies then re-sell these tickets for whatever price they can get, which often bears no relation to the face value of the ticket.  Trans-Mongolian Moscow-Beijing train number 4 is particularly popular, and 1st class deluxe 2-berth on this train can sell out very quickly indeed, with more travel agencies trying to fulfil orders from rich privacy-loving westerners for deluxe berths than there are deluxe berths on the train.   So these particular trains should be booked through an agency, see the next section.  Ulan Bator to Beijing is also a pinch-point, as there are only 2 trains a week, so this too is best booked in advance through an agency.

Option 2:  The Real Russia trip planner & online ticket system...

Unless you're on a six-month sabbatical with time no object, you'll probably want to arrange your Trans-Siberian tickets in advance before you leave home, rather than take pot luck at the ticket office.  The best option is to buy tickets over the internet through a reputable local Russian travel agency such as Real Russia or Svezhy Veter. Real Russia (www.realrussia.co.uk) deserve a special mention, as they've developed an online trip planner that makes planning a Trans-Siberian journey & ordering tickets remarkably easy, even with several stopovers on the way.  In terms of price, simplicity & reputation, they're one of the best Russian agencies to use.  The company was started by a Brit who now lives in Russia, hence the '.co.uk'.  The prices shown on the Real Russia system are the actual Russian railways price plus a small (15%-23%) mark-up (all agencies mark up the basic price, naturally).  Their system is linked to the actual Russian Railways timetable & fares database.

Option 3:  Other reputable Russian agencies who can arrange tickets...

Real Russia are just one of several reputable Russian agencies who can arrange Trans-Siberian train tickets, see below for the best of the rest...  Booking through a Russian agency is much cheaper than booking a package tour or tailor-made tour through a western travel agency.  Naturally, these Russian agencies charge more than you'd pay at the ticket office, but not usually that much more.  However, prices vary enormously from agency to agency, so shop around.  Make sure that any quote you get is inclusive of any credit card fees, and that you know whether it's for a slow low-quality train (3-digit train numbers) or one of the fast quality trains such as the 'Baikal' or 'Rossiya' (one or two-digit train numbers & usually a name).  Travel agencies keep their own waiting lists and will take Trans-Siberian bookings months ahead, well before the 60 day point when they can buy up the actual ticket, so contact a booking agency as far ahead as you can.  If you're booking closer to the departure date, you may find that one travel agency says the train is full, but another agency has bought a block of tickets speculatively and has some left, or knows a rival agency that it can buy tickets from.  So again, shop around! 

• Svezhy Veter (www.sv-agency.udm.ru/sv/trains.htm)

• G&R International (www.hostels.ru)

• Way to Russia (www.waytorussia.net/Services/TrainTickets.html)

• All-Russia Travel Service (www.rusrailtravel.ru)

• Ost West (www.ostwest.com)

Svezhy Veter, G&R International, Ost-West & Real Russia have all been highly recommended by Seat61 correspondents and are all reputable companies, although further feedback is always welcome.  Tickets can be picked up at their offices in Moscow or sent to you for a courier fee.  Some agencies (but not Real Russia) may ask you to fax them a photocopy of your credit card and/or passport, which sounds dodgy, but for some reason seems quite usual when dealing with Russian companies.  Be prepared for a 7%-12% credit card fee (Real Russia charge only 2.5%), but using a credit card is still a safer way to buy tickets than using a money transfer.  These Russian agencies can also book hotels in Moscow and other Russian cities, and they can arrange a visa support letter for Russia (or use the recommended visa service at www.realrussia.co.uk).

Remember that Russian Railways opens its reservation system to the public 45 days before departure, and to Russian travel agencies 60 days ahead.  Whatever they promise you, an agency cannot 101% confirm your train reservation until then.  However, travel agencies will still take your booking (and money) several months ahead as they keep their own internal waiting lists for the most popular trains such as the Moscow-Beijing Trans-Mongolian & Trans-Manchurian trains.  They will make your reservation with Russian Railways the moment bookings open for agencies, 60 days before departure.  99.9% of the time there's no problem, but very occasionally there are more tourists wanting berths than there are berths, especially for the deluxe 2-berth 1st class on Trans-Mongolian trains 3/4 as this is very popular with rich shower-loving westerners.  If you're trying for the deluxe 1st class, tell your agency in advance that you'll accept a 1st or 2nd class 4-berth ticket (or that you're willing to pay for dual occupancy of a 4-berth compartment) if the deluxe 2-berth is sold out.

Most of these Russian agencies can arrange hotels or train bookings in Mongolia or China through their contacts there.  Otherwise, you can arrange these separately.  A good starting point for Mongolia is the official Mongolia tourist board website, www.mongoliatourism.gov.mn, also try www.discovermongolia.mn.  You can make onwards train reservations within China (for example, Beijing to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Xian, or even Hanoi) through www.chinatripadvisor.com, or book yourself at the ticket office when you get to China.

Option 4:  Let a specialist western agency arrange your whole trip...

The most hassle-free way of arranging a Trans-Siberian trip, but the most expensive, is to arrange a tailor-made itinerary through one of the western travel agencies who specialise in independent travel to Russia.  There are various agencies in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and so on.  They can arrange your Russian visa, your hotel in Moscow, your Trans-Siberian train reservation, stop-overs and tours if you want them in places like Irkutsk or Mongolia, connecting trains in China and even the ship to Japan.

• Real Russia, www.realrussia.co.uk.  This is a well-respected UK-Russian company, originally doing just visas, then Russian train tickets, and now inclusive Trans-Siberian tours.  Real Russia really know what they're doing, and have tours with better class of hotels and more feature-laden itineraries, at cheaper prices than many other western operators.  For example, a Moscow-Beijing 'Three capitals' trip with visits, city tours and hotels in Moscow, Mongolia and Beijing starts at £1,335 per person for two people travelling together or £1,450 for a solo traveller, with 2 tour departures a month, departure dates guaranteed with no minimum group size, but there's a maximum group size so (as their site puts it) you're a small group not a 'herd'.  Seat61 gets some commission if you use the www.realrussia.co.uk link, but feedback is always welcomed.  Reports on Real Russia's service with visas and train tickets are always very positive.

• Railbookers, www.railbookers.com (020 3327 0761) are an up and coming UK rail holiday specialist, and they can book the whole train journey from London St Pancras to Beijing, including Eurostar, 1 night in Berlin, sleeper to Moscow, 2 nights hotel in Moscow, 6 nights aboard the Trans-Mongolian express (train number 4) to Beijing, 1 night hotel in Beijing and British Airways flight back to London, from around £1,799.  They can extend the trip to Shanghai or Xian, or add extra nights in Beijing if you like.  They also have an Australian office, www.railbookers.com.au.

• The Russia Experience, www.trans-siberian.co.uk, call 020 8566 8846:  Another reliable and experienced agency with good-value tours and tailor-made itineraries.  The Russia Experience charges about £840 for a ticket from Moscow to Beijing in 2nd class 4-berth on train 20 including two nights hotel in Moscow.  Travelling 1st class in a 2-berth room on this train costs about £1,240.  Getting to Moscow, hotels in China, visas and return trains/flights are extra - you can arrange these yourself or they can do this for you.  Unfortunately, The Russia Experience no longer book places on the Chinese Trans-Mongolian train (train 4), but they can book you on the Moscow-Ulan Bator and Ulan Bator-Beijing trains with a stop-over in Mongolia.

• Erail, www.erail.co.uk, 020 7619 1080.  Please quote 'Seat61.com' when you call...  UK-based Erail offer a remarkable 19-day trip, actually starting in London by Eurostar & the Russian railways air-conditioned sleeping-car from Cologne to Moscow, then by scheduled Trans-Siberian trains to Beijing with stopovers at Irkutsk & Ulan Bator.  From £2,445 in 4-berth, £3,210 in a 2-berth.

• Intourist UK, www.intouristuk.com, call 0844 875 4026 (UK callers only):  A well-established and experienced UK agency, Intourist can arrange tailor-made Trans-Siberian itineraries.  Intourist offer fares of about £720 per person for a Moscow-Beijing ticket on the Trans-Mongolian train in 2nd class 4-berth, including one night in a hotel in Moscow, but always get a quote as these prices are subject to availability. 1st class deluxe 2-berth is offered at £1,013, again subject to availability.  Intourist can also book westbound Beijing-Moscow trains (which for some reason cost a few pounds more than eastbound), stopover tours along the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Vladivostok-Japan ferry and key trains in China. Getting to Moscow, hotels in China, visas and return trains/flights are extra - you can arrange these yourself or they can do this for you. For Moscow to Vladivostok, Intourist charge about £792 one-way in 2nd class 4-berth or £1,445 in 1st class 2-berth.

• Vodkatrain www.vodkatrain.com:  An Australian agency offering budget Trans-Siberian tours.

• Trans-Sputnik, www.trans-sputnik.nl.  This is a Dutch agency, but very good value so they are worth contacting even if you're not Dutch!  They offer one-way Moscow-Beijing fares from 510 euros (£465) 2nd class 4-berth or 750 euros (£680) 1st class 2-berth on train 4, a bit more for train 20.  They can also arrange an Amsterdam-Moscow ticket from 265 euros (£240) one-way with sleeper.

• Sundowners, www.sundownersoverland.com:  Sundowners offer all sorts of tours, including trips covering just train travel plus a night or two's hotel at each end.  Sundowners offer Moscow-Beijing trips via Mongolia, with many options and stopovers available.

• Flower Travel Pty (Australia), www.trans-siberian.com.au, an Australian agency.  A whole range of Tans-Siberian trips is offered, with visas and tickets and hotels all arranged for you.

How to buy train tickets from London to Moscow...

The Trans-Siberian Railway starts at St Pancras station in London, so don't cheat by flying the first few hundred miles!  It's easy to travel from London to Moscow using Eurostar to Brussels, a connecting train to Cologne and the daily Russian sleeping-car direct from Cologne to Moscow, see the London to Russia page.   You can only book European trains 2 months in advance or less, so wait to buy your train tickets to Moscow after you've arranged everything else.  Decide which service you want using the London to Russia page, then call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (no booking fee) or www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083 (£35 booking fee, but sometimes more familiar with exotic bookings like this) to buy tickets.

How to buy train tickets in Ulan Bator, Mongolia...

You can buy tickets at the International Railway Ticketing Office on Zamchyd Gudamj, a couple of roads over from the railway station.  The foreigners booking office is in room 212, open 08:00-20:00 Monday-Friday (at weekends use the normal booking window).  International trains to Irkutsk, Moscow and Beijing can be booked up to 30 days in advance, except for berths on the Moscow-Beijing and Beijing-Moscow trains 3/4, which only become available the day before departure.  To reserve trains starting in Ulan Bator from outside Mongolia, either (a) try www.traintomongolia.com, a Mongolian train travel agency that has so far been recommended strongly by one seat61 correspondent; (b) contact a local hotel, guesthouse or travel agency in Ulan Bator for example, www.discovermongolia.mn or www.legendtour.ru), or (c) use one of the Russian agencies as most have contacts in Mongolia who can arrange tickets starting in Ulan Bator.

How to buy onwards train tickets to Shanghai, Xian, Hong Kong, Vietnam...

If you book through a travel agency (either a western or a Russian one) they may be able to book connecting trains within China for you to Xian, Shanghai, Hong Kong or even Hanoi in Vietnam.  Or you can book trains in China yourself at the ticket office when you get there.  Alternatively, you can pre-book using www.chinatripadvisor.com.  For train times, fares and how to book trains in China, see the China page.  Train times and fares for the twice-weekly train from Beijing to Hanoi are shown on the Vietnam page.

How to buy tickets for the ferry to Korea or Japan...

If you book through a UK travel agency, they may be able to book  the Vladivostok to Korea & Japan or Shanghai to Japan ferries for you.  However, it's cheapest to book these ferries yourself by e-mailing or calling the ferry company.  See the Vladivostok-Korea-Japan ferry section below for the sailing schedule and how to buy tickets, and see the China page for Shanghai-Japan sailing schedule and how to buy tickets.

One-way flights:  Try Virgin Atlantic Airlines or search www.e-bookers.com

If you're going Trans-Siberian one-way & returning by air, it's not hard to find affordable one-way flights.  Virgin Atlantic Airlines has direct non-stop flights from Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong to London, a great choice for both price and service.  Or search e-bookers.com to compare multiple airlines to or from a whole range of far-eastern airports.   Seat61 gets a small commission through these links.

How to buy tickets - westbound

Option 1:  Buy tickets in person at Beijing...

The absolute cheapest way to buy westbound Trans-Sib tickets is in person at one of the reservation offices in Beijing.  However, the two weekly Beijing-Moscow trains get booked up well in advance, so buy tickets as far in advance as you can.  Westbound trains are easier to get berths on than eastbound trains, and winter is easier than finding a place than the peak summer season from May to September.  Train 3 to Moscow via Mongolia is often fully booked a couple of weeks in advance especially in summer, although it can be easier to get a berth on train 19 via Manchuria, which occasionally has berths available even a few days before departure (but not always!).  So the basic message is this:  If you positively have to be on a specific train on a specific date, forget booking at the ticket office, you should pre-book via CITS or some other agency and pay their extra fee.  But if you're living in Beijing, or plan to be there for some time before leaving, and can be a bit flexible about exactly what date you leave, booking in person can be a practical option.  You can buy Trans-Siberian train tickets in person in Beijing at:

• the international train booking office on the ground floor of the Beijing International Hotel.  This is about five minutes walk north of Beijing main station on Jianguo Men Nei Dajie, open 08:30-12:00 & 13:30-17:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-11:00 & 14:00-16:00 on weekends and holidays.  The staff speak basic English and leaflets are available with international train times in English.  See the section above for fares or try www.cbwchina.com/travel/ticketprice.html. 

• Beijing main station (metro Bejingzhan), in the ticketing office for foreigners.  This is on the north west corner of the 1st floor, accessed via the soft seat waiting room, open 05:30-07:30, 08:00-18:30, 19:00-23:00.  It's now reported (2008) that this office no longer sells international tickets.

• BTG Travel & Tours, on Fwai Dajie between the New Otani and Gloria Plaza Hotels, open 08:00-20:00.  They have a desk for Trans-Siberian tickets, with information in English.

Option 2:  Buy tickets by phone or email with China Travel Service (CITS)...

CITS are the official Chinese state tourist agency, and this is probably the cheapest way to buy westbound Trans-Sib tickets starting in Beijing, other than buying in person at the ticket office, see the fares above.  You can book trains from Beijing to Moscow, Irkutsk or Ulan Bator by emailing info@cits.com.cn or by calling CITS on + 86 10 6522 2991, lines open Monday-Friday 09:00-17:00 GMT+8.  The CITS website is www.cits.net, but they now refer you to a separate site for Trans-Siberian train fares & bookings, www.chinatraveldesigner.com/trans-siberian-trains.  Expect to pay by bank transfer rather than credit card.  Reports also suggest they can't book Beijing-Irkutsk tickets on train 3, only Beijing-Krasnoyarsk and beyond, so by all means ask for Beijing-Irkutsk, but be prepared to accept an offer of a Beijing-Krasnoyarsk ticket and simply get off in Irkutsk (though their website shows Beijing-Irkutsk fares!).  They will still be the cheapest way to buy tickets!  Further feedback on the CITS booking situation is very welcome, to help keep this page updated.

Option 3:  Buy tickets through an agency in China or Hong Kong...

If you're in China or Japan and want an agency to arrange your westbound Trans-Siberian trip, try one of these two agencies:

• Chinatripadvisor (www.chinatripadvisor.com):  If you just want the Trans-Siberian train ticket, a cheaper option is to buy it through www.chinatripadvisor.com.  Beijing to Moscow costs $610 in hard/2nd class 4-berth, $899 in soft/1st class 4-berth or $979 in deluxe soft/1st class 2-berth on Trans-Mongolian train 3, or $719 2nd class 4-berth, $1109 1st class 2-berth on Trans-Manchurian train 19.

• Monkey Shrine (www.monkeyshrine.com).  Monkey Shrine is an experienced China-based tour agency who can arrange a tailor-made itinerary with stop-overs and hotels along the way, plus help with visas.  Monkeyshrine offer a good service, but are naturally more expensive than booking it all yourself via CITS.  A key advantage is being able to arrange onward tickets, not just tickets starting in Beijing, and to arrange hotels or tours along the way.  They charge 649 euros (about $850) for a one-way Beijing to Moscow ticket in 4-berth on train 3.

Option 4:  The Real Russia trip planner & online ticket system...

Real Russia's online trip planner makes planning a Trans-Siberian journey & ordering tickets remarkably easy, and it works westbound as well as eastbound.  The prices shown on the Real Russia system are the actual Russian railways price plus a small (15%-23%) mark-up (all agencies mark up the basic price).  Their system is linked to the actual Russian Railways timetable & fares database.

Option 5:  Buy Russian train tickets from a Russian agency

If you want a ticket from Vladivostok to Moscow ticket, or intend stopping off within Russia and need some tickets for Trans-Siberian travel wholly within Russia, you can book through several Russian agencies.  They can often arrange westbound Beijing to Moscow tickets through their contacts in China, too.  These agencies charge more than the ticket office price, but not necessarily that much more.  They can also arrange visa support for Russia and hotels in Moscow.  Try each agency to see who charges the best prices.

• Svezhy Veter (www.sv-agency.udm.ru/sv/trains.htm)

• G&R International (www.hostels.ru)

• Way to Russia (www.waytorussia.net/Services/TrainTickets.html)

• All-Russia Travel Service (www.rusrailtravel.ru)

For travel from Japan to Europe via Vladivostok, you can book the ship from Japan to Vladivostok directly with the shipping company as shown below, then book the Vladivostok-Moscow train through one of these Russian agencies.

Option 6:  Let a specialist western agency arrange your trip...

The most hassle-free way to book Trans-Siberian travel, but the most expensive, is to arrange a tailor-made itinerary with a western agency specialising in Trans-Siberian trips.  They can arrange your whole journey, either eastbound or westbound, with stop-overs and hotels along the way if you want them, plus visa support.  See the section above for agency details, links and sample prices.

How to buy train tickets for onwards travel from Moscow to western Europe...

Don't cheat!  Finish your Trans-Siberian journey by train all the way to London St Pancras.  You can book onwards travel by train from Moscow to Berlin, Brussels, Prague, Vienna and many other European cities through a Russian agency such as the four agencies listed in option 4 above, though the final Eurostar leg to London will need to be booked separately online.  See the London to Russia page for train information from Moscow to London.

How to buy train tickets in Ulan Bator, Mongolia...

You can buy tickets at the International Railway Ticketing Office on Zamchyd Gudamj, a couple of roads over from the railway station.  The foreigners booking office is in room 212, open 08:00-20:00 Monday-Friday (at weekends use the normal booking window).  International trains to Irkutsk, Moscow and Beijing can be booked up to 30 days in advance, except for berths on the Moscow-Beijing and Beijing-Moscow trains 3/4, which only become available the day before departure.

One-way flights:  Try Virgin Atlantic Airlines or search E-Bookers

If you're going Trans-Siberian one-way & one-way by air, it's not hard to find affordable one-way flights.  Virgin Atlantic Airlines has direct non-stop flights from the UK to Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong, a great choice for both price and service.  Or search e-bookers.com to compare multiple airlines to or from a whole range of far-eastern airports .   Seat61 gets a small commission through these links.

After sorting out your Trans-Siberian tickets, you need to get your visas.

How to arrange a Russian visa...

You will need a Russian visa.  Always check the latest visa information, as it changes from time to time.  But here's a quick run-down of the arrangements as at 2010:

• Tourist, transit or business visa?  A tourist visa allows stays of up to 30 days, and is usually what you need.  A business visa allows a longer stay, but is more expensive.  A transit visa allows up to 10 days in transit, but you aren't allowed to spend time in Moscow, as most Trans-Siberian travellers do, so a tourist visa is usually better.

• When to apply?  Visas are only issued 3 months or less before your intended date of entry to Russia, so there's no need to apply before then.  Ideally, allow a month for the visa processing, but if you have less time than this, don't panic, various agencies offer 'express' services that will help you get a visa much quicker.

• Letters of invitation & visa support:  A hangover from Soviet times is that to get a visa you need supporting documentation, usually just called 'visa support'.  In theory, this is a letter of invitation from your travel agency setting out confirmed travel & accommodation arrangements for your entire stay in Russia or (for independent travellers) an accommodation voucher issued by your hotel(s) showing confirmed accommodation for each and every night you plan to spend in Russia.  Having to pre-book all this would be ridiculously restrictive, so here's how it really works:  You go to an agency such as www.realrussia.co.uk or one of the Russian agencies listed above and they sell you the necessary visa support for a small fee, which allows you to get a visa without any genuine hotel bookings, so you can travel around freely just as you would in any other country, buying tickets and finding hotels as you go.  Behind the scenes, the agency usually has an arrangement with a local hotel, they make a dummy 'reservation' for the period you want to be in Russia so they can legally issue the visa support, though of course you don't pay for the hotel and everyone knows (apart from the Russian government) that you have no intention of ever using that hotel room.  Crazy, eh?

• The easy way to get a Russian visa:  The easiest, quickest & least-hassle way to get a Russian visa is to ask www.realrussia.co.uk to get it for you (to use their service, you need to be a UK resident, or at least resident in the UK for over 90 days before the application).  Real Russia is a reliable UK agency based in Russia which arranges Russian visas simply and cheaply, with all the necessary visa support included in the price.  They have been recommended by several seat61 correspondents.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through www.realrussia.co.uk using this link.  www.realrussia.co.uk can also arrange visas for Belarus, Mongolia & China, and arrange train tickets too.  If you have feedback on their service, please email me.  If you're a resident of the USA, try similar US-based agency www.russia-travel.com.

• Dates of entry & exit:  Make sure you get these right.  It should be obvious, but I've known people date their visa for the date they arrive in Moscow, then get thrown off their sleeper train when it arrives at the Russian frontier the night before, as their visa wasn't valid for entering Russia until the next day.  Your date of entry into Russia is the date you physically enter Russian territory, in other words the date your train rolls across the frontier, not the date you reach Moscow, which is irrelevant.  Similarly, your date of exit is the date you physically leave Russian territory, which on a westbound sleeper train could be the day after you leave Moscow.  Double-check train times to see when it reaches the frontier, and double-check that the embassy have given you the right dates when you get your passport back with the visa.

• Arranging a Russian visa in Beijing:  It's reported that the Russian embassy in Beijing will not issue tourist visas for Russia to anyone except Chinese residents, although a more recent report (early 2012) says that they now will, at least to Dutch passport holders, so by all means ask them.  However, they can certainly provide you with a transit visa, valid up to 10 days.  It costs around £70 and can be obtained in 1 day.  This will get you home, but will not allow you to stop off anywhere, other than as necessary to change trains in Moscow.

• More information:  The Russian embassy in London website is www.rusemblon.org.  www.waytorussia.net has good information on Russian visas.

How to arrange a Belarus transit visa...

• You'll need a Belarus transit visa if you are travelling between London & Moscow on the direct London-Cologne-Berlin-Warsaw-Moscow route, as all the direct trains from Cologne, Berlin or Warsaw to Moscow or St Petersburg pass through Belarus.  However, getting a Belarus transit visa is relatively straightforward.  You'll need a tourist visa if you plan to stop off in Belarus.

• You will need to get your Russian visa before applying for the Belarus one, although you can apply for both together if you go through www.realrussia.co.uk.

• Cost:  The Belarusians significantly increased visa fees in June 2007 and again in August 2008.  A Belarus transit visa now costs £63 one-way or £114 return if you arrange it yourself direct with the embassy, or £83 one-way or £133 return arranged through www.realrussia.co.uk.  It takes 6 working days, or there's an extra-fee express option which takes 2 days.  Ouch!  Before you blame Johnny Foreigner for this, the high costs are in retaliation for stringent visa requirements imposed on Belarusian by the UK Foreign Office.

• For official visa information see the Belarus embassy website, www.uk.belembassy.org or call 020 7938 3677.  The embassy address in London is 6 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL, visa section open 09:00-12:30 Monday-Friday. 

• The simple way to get a Belarus transit visa:  If you live in the UK, the easiest and quickest way to get a Belarus visa is to use www.realrussia.co.uk.  Real Russia is a reliable UK agency which arranges visas simply and cheaply, including all necessary visa support included in the price shown on their site.  They have already recommended by one seat61 correspondent.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through www.realrussia.co.uk using this link.  www.realrussia.co.uk can also arrange Chinese and Mongolian visas, and train tickets too.  If you have feedback on their service, please email me!

• Should you avoid Belarus?  Some people get worked up about trying to avoid Belarus, and with the new higher visa fees you might want to try.  Just remember that if you pay the visa fee, you can travel quickly and simply from western Europe to Moscow on a direct train through Belarus saving time and expense.  Avoiding Belarus by travelling via the Baltic states means an awkward and time-consuming relay race of trains and buses, taking at least 48 hours longer, with two extra hotel nights.  Going via Ukraine (Ukraine no longer requires EU citizens to buy a visa) is quicker, but will still take at least an extra 24 hours, changing trains in Kiev and with no easy way to pre-book the Kiev-Moscow train before you get to Kiev.  In other words, the detour might be interesting if you have the time and particularly want to see Ukraine or Lithuania/Latvia on the way, but it will take longer and in the end cost more than simply buying the visa and travelling direct.

• Getting a Belarus transit visa in Moscow:  If you're travelling westbound and want to arrange a Belarus visa in Moscow, here's how.  The Belarus embassy is at Maroseika 17⁄6, 101990, Moscow.  It's a couple of blocks from Kitai Gorod or Lubyanka metro stations.  You will need photocopies of your passport, your Russian visa & your train ticket through Belarus, one passport photo, US$45 for same day visa issue or US$36 for next day visa issue (for British & EU citizens), payable in clean post-1995 US dollar bills, no change given.  The visa office is open 10:00-12:00 Mon, Tue, Thur & Fri (allow plenty of time) and you pick up your passport and transit visa between 16:00-16:30 on those days.  The visa entrance is down the side, the door on the right then walk up the stairs to the 2nd floor.  If you need dollars, you can change money into dollars at a nearby exchange office.  There's also a Belarus consulate in St Petersburg at 8/46 Naberezhnaya Robespiera, Apt. 66. US passport holders are currently charged $177 for a same-day visa, because of charges imposed by the USA on Belarusians.  Visa regs & costs change from time to time, the above is current at the time of writing.

How to arrange a Mongolian visa...

• If you are taking the Trans-Mongolian route and you're a UK or EU citizen, you'll need a Mongolian transit visa (if crossing Mongolia non-stop) or tourist visa (if you intend stopping off).

• See www.embassyofmongolia.co.uk for information on how to obtain a Mongolian visa in the UK.  US, Singaporean, Malaysian & some other nationalities no longer need a visa for Mongolia, so check on their website.

• Since 2008 the Mongolian embassy in London no longer accepts visa applications by post, so either fill in the online form at www.embassyofmongolia.co.uk then take your passport round to the Visa section of the embassy in person and collect it again some days later, or use a visa service agency such as www.realrussia.co.uk.

• The Mongolian embassy in London is at 7-8 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL.  Open Monday-Friday 10:00-12:30, see www.embassyofmongolia.co.uk & click 'visa'.

How to arrange a Chinese visa...

• You'll need a Chinese visa if you're visiting China.

• You should apply for a visa at least a month before you leave, but less than 3 months before entering China.

• In the UK, the Chinese embassy (www.chinese-embassy.org.uk) has outsourced visa issuing, and UK citizens should apply for a visa via www.visaforchina.org.uk.  It costs about £30 for a single-entry tourist visa.  Alternatively, you can use a visa service agency such as www.realrussia.co.uk.

• Chinese visa requirements were tightened in 2008 for the Olympics, to require confirmed tickets into and out of China, plus confirmed hotel bookings for every night in China.  They were relaxed again afterwards, but tightened up yet again in November 2011, so always check current requirements with the local Chinese embassy.  You may now need hotel reservations for every night you plan to spend in China to get the visa, but you can easily make hotel bookings at a site like www.booking.com which can be cancelled at zero cost up to a day or two before the stay.  Feedback is always appreciated!

• No Chinese visas in Moscow:  The Chinese embassy in Moscow will now only issue Chinese visas to Russian nationals, so don't plan to get your Chinese visa there. 

• Reduced visa validity period:  Note that the validity window (the period for which a visa is valid when issued) has reduced to just a couple of months, so don't plan on months & months of travelling around before you reach China, as your visa will have expired by then!

When should you go?

Trans-Siberian in winter:    This is the 'Baikal' to Irkutsk in November.  You can travel all year-round.  Courtesy of Sascha & Manuela Dubach

Worried about finding your train if you don't speak Russian?  Here's the departure board at Moscow Yaroslavski station.  Learn the alphabet and you can easily read the destinations.  You can see that train 318 to Archangel leaving at 19:35 will depart from platform 3.  The platforms for train 2 to Vladivostok (the 'Rossiya') departing 21:25 and train 6 to Ulan Bator departing 21:35 are not yet shown as they are not ready for boarding.  Learn the Russian alphabet here. Photo courtesy of Daniel Brewster.

The Trans-Siberian Railway runs all year round, so you can go at any time of year.  May to September are the peak months for foreign tourists, with the warmest weather and the longest hours of daylight.  This makes booking a specific date more difficult (you need to book well ahead) but you might like the party atmosphere amongst like-minded travellers on Moscow-Beijing trains 4 and 20.  On the other hand, Siberia in winter is a sight to see - the trains are well heated, warm and cosy, you'll just need to wrap up well when you get off for a stroll at station stops!  Traveller Rebecca Day reports from a February 2011 trip from Ulan Bator to Moscow:  "The train was really warm and comfortable.  For the outside I had snow boots, a jumper and a long wool coat, and this was fine most of the time. The temperature drops significantly once the sun goes down, but as long as I was wearing a hat and gloves I felt warm. I also brought a North Face down filled body warmer which was like a heater in itself! I ended up not wearing this most of the time, but it packs up really small and I'd probably bring it again if I were travelling in winter."

Should you travel 1st or 2nd class?

On the Russian internal trains there are normally 3 classes:  'spalny vagon' 2-berth compartments, often described as 1st class (and sometimes called 'myagky' or 'lyux'), 'kupé' 4-berth compartments, usually described as 2nd class, and 'platskartny' open-plan dormitory cars, sometimes described as 3rd class.  The Russian Trans-Manchurian train (trains 19 & 20) only has spalny vagon 2-berth and kupé 4-berth, there's no platskartny.  Kupé is the way most travellers go, and can be considered the normal class of travel.  Spalny vagon gives you much more privacy, with 2 people instead of 4 in the same size compartment, but it costs twice as much.  The choice is yours.  Platskartny is a bit rough for most western travellers, but some budget-minded backpackers enjoy it.  The Chinese Trans-Mongolian train (trains 3 & 4) has 1st class deluxe 2-berth, 1st class 4-berth and 2nd class 4-berth.  1st class deluxe 2-berth is expensive but worth the extra if you can afford it as it has two beds, an armchair, and a private washroom with showerhead shared with the next door compartment.  It gets booked out very quickly!  However, 1st class 4-berth on train 3/4 is virtually identical to 2nd class 4-berth (see for yourself in the photo gallery!) and is probably not worth the extra.

What do you do on a train for six or seven days?

This is the question most people ask.  Well, you put your feet up and relax.  You read, watch the scenery, look out for the sights listed on your Trans-Siberian Handbook, go to meals in the restaurant car, sleep in your own comfortable bed at night, meet people, talk, play chess, drink tea, drink vodka, get off at station stops and take photographs....  The Moscow-Mongolia-Beijing route is arguably the most interesting because of both the people on board and the sights and scenery on the way.  You are unlikely to be bored - the time just goes!

• The Trans-Siberian Handbook has a kilometre-by-kilometre account of the sights to look out for from the train.  Highly recommended, as this helps you get the most from your journey.  You can tell where you are from the black and white kilometre posts all along the line, usually on the south side of the tracks.

• Take plenty of reading books - Tolstoy's War and Peace is the most predictable title, but it's a great read.  The funny thing is, you probably won't finish it - there's so much else to do..!

Is not speaking Russian a problem?

No, it isn't.  Very few western travellers on the Trans-Siberian Railway can speak Russian or for that matter, Chinese or Mongolian.  However, even if you don't speak Russian, it is worth learning the Cyrillic (Russian) alphabet.  You will then be able to read place names and understand many Russian words.  For example, 'PECTOPAH' is pronounced 'restoran' and means (surprise surprise) 'restaurant'.  'ABTOБYC' is pronounced 'avtobus' and means 'bus'.  You'll also realise that 'CCCP', the old acronym for the Soviet Union, is not 'see see see pee' but 'SSSR'.  You can learn the Cyrillic (Russian) alphabet here.

What about food?

All the main Trans-Siberian trains have a restaurant car, a Russian one when in Russia, a Mongolian one in Mongolia and a Chinese one in China.  Few people go to Russia for the cuisine, but contrary to what you might have heard, Russian restaurant car food is quite edible and not expensive.  Allow about US$15-$20 for a 2-course meal with a bottle of beer.  Don't expect an extensive menu, typical meals include ham and fried eggs for breakfast, schnitzel and potatoes for lunch or dinner, with soups and salads for starters.  The restaurant car also sells beer, Russian champagne and (of course) vodka, chocolate and snacks.  The Mongolian diner will probably offer you rice and mutton, and it accepts Euros, Dollars & Russian Rubles as well as Mongolian currency.  The Chinese dining car has a selection of excellent Chinese dishes.  You can also buy food from the many vendors on station platforms when the train stops.  Top tips:

• Unlimited boiling water is available free of charge from the samovar at the end of each coach, so remember to bring a mug, spoon, coffee and a selection of cuppa soups or even dried pasta.

• My personal favourite:  water-based drinking chocolate for a relaxing night-time drink each evening...

What about security?  Is it safe for families or women travelling alone?

The Trans-Siberian is a very safe way to travel, even for families and women travelling alone.  After all, the train is full of Russian families and women travelling alone, it's how the Russians themselves get around!  Just use common sense as you would anywhere else, lock the compartment door at night and don't leave your wallet or camera lying unattended in your compartment while you go to the toilet or the restaurant car.  In addition to the normal lock on the compartment door, Russian 'Spalny Wagon' and 'kupé' compartments have a security latch which stops the door opening more than an inch or two, and which cannot be released from outside even with a staff key.  There's also a safe place for your bags at night - if you have a bottom bunk, there is a metal box underneath the bunk which you can only get to by lifting up the bunk.  In other words, for anyone to get to your bags, they will have to shift you off your bunk first..!  Your carriage attendants may also lock the access doors at each end of the corridor at night to prevent intruders.  So don't worry, you'll be safe and snug.  Men and women share the same compartments, but on some routes you can now ask for a ladies-only compartment.  If you're a woman travelling alone and do happen to find yourself sharing with men who make you uncomfortable, ask the carriage attendants if they can move you to another compartment and they normally will, without too much problem.

Do the trains have electrical outlets?

Suddenly, no westerner can travel anywhere without a whole array of electrical gadgets, cameras, PDAs, iPods and mobile phones that need charging.  All Russian, Mongolian & Chinese trains have shaver sockets in the corridor and washrooms which can be used to recharge things with the right adaptor, and the best trains have one or two similar sockets in the corridor that can be used to recharge things if you keep an eye on them.  However, you're unlikely to find any specific powerpoints for charging laptops, mobile phones or digital cameras in your compartment.  Your carriage attendant may be willing to charge items using the socket in their own compartment, for a small tip.   Top tip:  Take a Power Monkey universal backup battery with you, this gives up to 96 hours phone stand-by when your phone's battery dies, and can also be used for PDAs, iPods & some cameras.  Highly recommended!

Toilets & showers...

	Just to reassure you!  This is a clean & modern toilet in a 1st class 2-berth car on the 'Baikal' to Irkutsk.  Courtesy of Sascha & Manuela Dubach
	A washroom on the 'Baikal'... Courtesy of Sascha & Manuela Dubach

Each sleeping-car has at least two western-style toilets and a washroom with sinks.  The carriage attendants (provodniks) will keep the toilet clean during the journey.  How clean depends on both the provodniks and the passengers in your car(!), but there's normally no problem, especially on high-quality 'firmeny' trains like the 'Rossiya' and 'Baikal', see the photo on the right.  There are no showers on Trans-Siberian trains, with two exceptions:  On the Trans-Mongolian Moscow-Beijing train (train 3/4), there's a shower hose in the small washroom shared between each adjacent pair of deluxe 1st class 2-berth compartments, but don't expect much in terms of water pressure.  On the St Petersburg-Irkutsk 'Baikal' (train 9/10), there's a shower that you have to pay for in car 7. There may now be a similar shower on the Moscow-Vladivostok 'Rossiya' (train 1/2).  Remember that the need to take a shower every single day is a relatively recent western social trend, not a human necessity.  Remember that not so many generations ago, Sunday night was bath night, whether you needed it or not..!  Just lock yourself into the washroom half way across and make good use of the sink and a cup of water.

Smoking...

If you're a rabid anti-smoker, don't worry.  There isn't a problem in the compartments, corridor or restaurants.  But if you're a smoker, don't worry either.  You can grab a smoke in the vestibules between the cars.

Do Trans-Siberian trains run on time?

Within Russia, the trains are remarkably punctual.  My train from Moscow arrived in Vladivostok two minutes ahead of schedule.  However, on international trains you should expect an hour or two delay when crossing frontiers.  For example, on the Trans-Mongolian route it is not unusual to arrive in Ulan Bator perhaps 1 or 2 hours late and in Beijing 2 to 5 hours late.  Allow for this when planning any connections.

Can you stop off on the way?

All Trans-Siberian trains stop at stations every few hours for between 5 and 20 minutes, enough time to get off the train, stretch your legs, take photos and buy something from the vendors on the platform.  But not enough time for a tour of the town!

Many people travel all the way from Moscow to Beijing or Vladivostok all in one go on one of the direct trains.  Other people prefer to stop off along the way, breaking up the long journey and seeing something of Siberia or Mongolia.  Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk (for Lake Baikal) and Ulan Bator (Mongolia) are the most usual stop-overs.

On the direct Moscow-Beijing trains, the varied scenery and friendly atmosphere on board make travelling straight through without stopovers perfectly bearable and indeed, fun.  There are usually lots of westerners on board as well as Russians, Chinese and Mongolians, almost all of them making the whole trip, like yourself.  However, on a Moscow-Vladivostok train, you might be the only westerner on board for much of the journey, the whole trip is made within Russia, and relatively few of your fellow-travellers will be making the whole journey to Vladivostok.  It may be better to break up this trip with one or two stopovers, perhaps at Yekaterinburg or Irkutsk.

Remember that Trans-Siberian trains are 'reservation obligatory'.  Every time you step on board a train you must have a confirmed sleeping-berth reservation for that specific journey on that specific train on that specific date - you cannot hop on and off trains spontaneously without a reservation.  So if you want to travel from, say, Moscow to Beijing stopping off at Irkutsk you need a ticket/reservation from Moscow to Irkutsk and a second separate ticket/reservation for the train you want to take from Irkutsk to Beijing.  Think of these as two separate journeys, not one.  You can arrange all the tickets and reservations before you go.

If you are stopping off, remember that the weekly direct international trains 4 & 20 from Moscow to Beijing can only be used by passengers making the complete international journey from Moscow through to Mongolia or China, you cannot use them for domestic trips within Russia, although train 4 does carry passengers between Ulan Bator and Beijing, and allows passengers for Beijing to join at places like Irkutsk.  In practice, a typical trip from Moscow to Beijing with stop-overs at Irkutsk and Ulan Bator can be made using the 'Rossiya' or other Russian domestic train from Moscow to Irkutsk, the daily train 362 from Irkutsk to Ulan Bator and the weekly Ulan Bator-Beijing train, see the Trans-Siberian timetable section for train times.

In theory, the Russian railways have a system whereby if you hold a ticket/reservation from A to C, and get off the train at B, you can get the ticket endorsed by the station manager, then make a second reservation and pay a small reservation charge when you want to resume your journey.  However, this does not work with international tickets.  The Russians themselves don't often use this facility, so Russian railway staff may not be familiar with it.  I recommend buying separate tickets/reservations for each leg of your journey before you go, but if you want to try this, you had better practice your Russian language skills!

Taking your bike, car or motorcycle...

Believe it or not, this gets asked from time to time.  Trans-Siberian passenger trains do not carry cars or motorbikes, full stop.  However, you can take bicycles with you, zipped up in a bike bag with pedals removed and the handlebars turned, free of charge as hand luggage.  Bear in mind that it will take up space in your sleeping compartment, so it may be less anti-social to book a berth in a more spacious 2-berth compartment than to inflict your bike on three fellow travellers in a 4-berth compartment.

Is this the longest train ride in the world?  No.  Well...  Sort of...

You'll sometimes hear Moscow-Vladivostok in 7 days on the 'Rossiya' referred to as the longest train ride of them all.  It isn't.  Nor is Moscow-Vladivostok in 9 days on the daily lower-quality slow train 904 (not a train normally used by foreigners, or one you want to get on by mistake).  Once a week or so the Rossiya conveys two through sleepers from Moscow to the North Korean border.  This is detached at Ussuryisk just an hour or so before Vladivostok, then it heads south all the way to Korea, making this a longer continuous train ride than Moscow-Vladivostok.  But this isn't the longest train ride either.  There is a through train from Donetsk and Kharkov in Ukraine to Vladivostok, and this appears to be the longest scheduled continuous train ride of them all.  Unless you know differently, of course!

	The Europe-Asia obelisk:  Approaching Yekaterinburg (known as Sverdlovsk during the Soviet era) at the kilometre post exactly 1,777 km from Moscow, the Rossiya passes the obelisk marking the boundary between Europe & Asia.

In the late 19th century, Japan, Britain and America all managed to gain footholds on the Chinese coast as bases for their trade with China and the Orient.  Russia too needed to secure her foothold on the east as well as securing the vast expanses of Siberia, so in 1891 Tsar Alexander III approved a plan for a trans-continental line linking Moscow and St Petersburg with Vladivostok on the Pacific coast, as this was the only year-round ice-free port on Russian territory.  

A railway had been built as far as Ekaterinberg as early as 1878, and this was steadily extended Eastwards.  Omsk was reached in 1894, Irkutsk and Lake Baikal in 1898.  The Trans-Siberian Railway finally reached Vladivostok in 1901, but for several years passengers had to cross Lake Baikal by ice-breaking ferry to connect with a second train on the other side - only in 1904 was the line around Lake Baikal completed and the whole journey from Moscow to Vladivostok possible on a single train.  Until 1916, the eastern end of the journey involved cutting across China, over part of what is now the Trans-Manchurian route - you can see how the Trans-Manchurian line initially heads towards Vladivostok on the route map above.  The Russians secured the right to build and maintain this route across China thanks to a treaty signed after they made a generous loan to China to help them pay off their debts to Japan.  From 1916, the complete journey could be made from Moscow to Vladivostok within Russia, taking the route followed by today's 'Rossiya' and skirting the Chinese border to the north via Khabarovsk.  The Trans-Mongolian line is a relatively recent addition to the Trans-Siberian network - construction started in 1940, it reached Ulan Bator in 1949, and it was completed into China by 1956.

The Trans-Siberian Railway today...

Today, the Trans-Siberian Railway is a key part of the massive Russian railway system.  It is not a tourist line - it is a real, working railway, carrying a huge amount of freight and passenger traffic.  It is double-track and electrified all the way from Moscow to Vladivostok, and on some parts of the line freight trains rumble past every few minutes.  It is not the only line in Russia - on the contrary, if you saw a map of Russian railways you would be hard-pressed to decide which of the many routes Trans-Siberian trains actually take for the first few thousand miles East of Moscow.  There is in fact now a second route across Siberia to the north of the Trans-Siberian to Sovetskaya Gavan on the Pacific coast, called the BAM (Baikal-Amur-Maestral railway).  Started in the 1930s, it was only completed in 1991.  However, this route is of little interest to most Western travellers.

The best resource for further information about the Trans-Siberian Railway is www.transsib.ru/Eng/.

These sites are very useful in planning a Trans-Siberian train journey:

www.transsib.ru/Eng/  - the Trans-Siberian web encyclopaedia.

www.trans-siberia.com - an independent site, based on a traveller's experiences.

www.myazcomputerguy.com/everbrite/Page9.html  - excellent advice from Ruth Imershein, an experienced and regular traveller to Russia.

www.google.ru/intl/ru/landing/transsib/en.html - A Google Maps video of the view from the window on entire Moscow-Vladivostok journey, in real time.

If cost isn't an issue, you can ride the Trans-Siberian Railway in luxury with deluxe accommodation and 3-course meals with stopovers & tours included, using one of these two of privately-run deluxe cruise trains.  Expect fares of quite a few thousand pounds per person!

Lernidee private cruise train:  Moscow - Mongolia - Beijing in 15/16 days

Roughly once a month May to September, this luxury train links Moscow with China in either direction, with stopover & tours included on a 15 or 16 day itinerary.  It can also be used for shorter sections.  You can book this train direct with the operator at www.transsiberian-travel.com.

The Lernidee private train across Siberia...  Photo courtesy of Lernidee.		Category 2 superior sleeper...  Photo courtesy of Lernidee.

The restaurant car.  All meals are included...  Photo courtesy of Lernidee.		Bolshoi Platinum class sleeper with en suite shower & toilet...  Photo courtesy of Lernidee.

Golden Eagle private cruise train:  Moscow - Mongolia - Vladivostok in 15 days...

The equally-luxurious Golden Eagle links Moscow with Vladivostok roughly once a month May to August, with a side trip to Mongolia.  This train is sold by a number of travel agencies who can put together accommodation and travel to and from Moscow by train or air.  Here are two reliable agencies well worth contacting:

Railbookers.com - for tailor-made arrangements

UK-based company www.railbookers.com can arrange train travel from the UK to Moscow, a trip on the luxury Golden Eagle train from Moscow to Vladivostok or Moscow to Beijing, and flights back to the UK.  A 15-night trips costs from around £3,300 from Moscow to Beijing or £5,600 from Moscow to Vladivostok, excluding flights, visas and travel to Moscow.  Call them on 020 3327 0761.

Great Rail Journeys - for escorted tours...

UK-based company Great Rail Journeys (www.greatrail.com) offers 5-star escorted tours, leaving London overland by Eurostar via Brussels, Cologne & Warsaw to Moscow using scheduled trains, then across Siberia on a deluxe charter train to Vladivostok with private en suite sleepers, lounge and restaurant with stops and tours along the way at places like Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Ulan Ude and even Ulan Bator in Mongolia.  Expect it to cost over £6,500, though this does include all transport, accommodation, meals and even wine in the restaurant car.  Great Rail Journeys also offer rail-based holidays to other countries in Europe and worldwide.  Check the holiday details online, then call 01904 527120 to book or use their online booking form.  Seat61 gets some commission to help support the site if you book your holiday through this link and phone number, please mention seat 61 when booking.

Eastern Dream ferry service:  Vladivostok - Donghae (South Korea) - Sakaiminato (Japan)

The time-honoured weekly ferry run by Russia's Far East Shipping Company (FESCO) fell victim to the recession in late 2009.  FESCO no longer operate, but a new year-round weekly ferry from Vladivostok to South Korea & Japan started in 2009.  The Eastern Dream is a good modern ship built in 1993.  Their official website is www.dbsferry.com/02_ticket/ticket03.asp.

Vladivostok ► Donghae (Korea) ► Sakaiminato (Japan)

The Eastern Dream sails from Vladivostok every Wednesday at 15:00, arriving Donghae at 12:00 on Thursdays and Sakaiminato at 09:00 on Fridays.  You can confirm sailing times and days at www.dbsferry.com/02_ticket/ticket03.asp.

Sakaiminato (Japan) ► Donghae  (Korea) ► Vladivostok

The Eastern Dream sails from Sakaiminato at 19:00 on Saturday, arriving Donghae 09:00 Sunday. In summer from March to November she sails onwards from Donghae at 15:00 on Sundays, arriving Vladivostok at 13:00 on Mondays.  In winter from December until February she sails from Donghae at 15:00 on Mondays, arriving Vladivostok at 13:00 on Tuesdays.  You can confirm sailing times and days at www.dbsferry.com/02_ticket/ticket03.asp.

How much does it cost?...

The cheapest fare from Vladivostok to Japan is US$235 one-way or $435 return, that's in economy class with a berth in a shared open-plan sleeping area.   Sharing a 2-berth cabin the fare rises to $485 one-way or $825.  Deluxe suites also available. 

How to buy ferry tickets...

You can book the ferry through their website www.dbsferry.com/02_ticket/ticket03.asp or at reliable UK ferry booking website www.aferry.co.uk/dbs-cruise-ferry-uk.htm.  Alternatively, you can give DBS Ferries a call on 00 82 2 5485502.  Ask for an English speaker, reserve your place by phone, and collect and pay for the tickets at the ferry terminal in Vladivostok.

Train connections in Japan & Korea

You can check train times from Sakaiminato to any station in Japan at www.hyperdia.com (English button upper left).  You are unlikely to have any problems buying a train ticket to Tokyo when you arrive in Japan, though unfortunately Sakaiminato is not a Japan Rail Pass exchange office, which means that you can't start using a Japan Rail Pass there even if you've pre-purchased one.  For more information about train travel in Japan, see the Japan page.  In Korea, trains link Donghae with Seoul (Seoul Cheongnyangi station, not Seoul main Station) 6 times a day, journey time around 5 hours 55 minutes, see www.korail.go.kr (Tip for finding train times: Use 'Cheongnyangi' as your origin/destination, not 'Seoul').

The Thomas Cook European Timetable

The Thomas Cook European Timetable has train, bus and ferry times for every country in Europe, including Russia.  Fortunately, since the demise of the Overseas Timetable the European Timetable now includes train timetables for the whole of Russia including the Trans-Siberian Railway.  It's essential for any serious traveller, and an inspiration for armchair travellers...  It costs £14.99 from selected branches of Thomas Cook, or you can buy online at www.thomascooktimetables.com.  Alternatively, you can buy the twice-yearly  Independent Traveller's edition of either of these timetables at Amazon.co.uk also with shipping worldwide.

Bryn Thomas' excellent Trans-Siberian Handbook has journey planning information, town guides, train information, the history of the line, and most importantly, a mile-by-mile guide to the sights you can see from the train, to help you get the most from your trip.  The Lonely Planet guide to the Trans-Siberian Railway is also highly recommended.  Buying one or both of these Trans-Siberian guidebooks is well worth it, both for planning your trip and on the go.

You should also take a good general guidebook for the countries you are visiting, and perhaps a Russian phrasebook, too.  I think the Lonely Planets and Rough Guides are about the best ones out there for the serious independent traveller, with plenty of historical and cultural background as well as stacks of practical information on accommodation, places to eat, things to see, visas, transport, dangers and annoyances.  You won't regret buying any of these..!  If you buy anything at Amazon through these links, Seat61 gets a small commission which helps support the site.

Also consider these guidebooks (click the images to buy online)

Hotels in Russia & China

Book a hotel in Moscow, Siberian cities or Beijing...

Tripadvisor hotel reviews...

www.tripadvisor.com is a good place to find independent travellers' reviews of the main hotels.  It also has the low-down on all the sights & attractions too.

Backpacker hostels...

www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a budget, don't forget the backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers has online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most Indian cities at rock-bottom prices.

Travel insurance, health card, SIM card

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without insurance from a reliable travel insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash (up to a limit) & belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, though, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

   If you live in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS.  This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available from www.ehic.org.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen.  In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card to save on mobile data and phone calls...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find a huge bill.  Consider buying a global pre-paid SIM card for your mobile phone from www.Go-Sim.com, which can slash costs by up to 85%.  Go-Sim cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also allows cheap data access for laptops & PDAs.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.