The Trans-Siberian Railway – from Russia via Mongolia to China
We got our tickets to travel from Saint Petersburg to Beijing. In between made stop overs at Moscow, Nishny Nowgorod, Perm, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and Ulan-Bator.
In 2011 we flew to Beijing/China for the first time. The flight time approx. 9 hrs.
This time we had 30 days to travel through Russia alone + 8 in Mongolia + 2 to reach Bejing.
Привет Россия!
Hello Russia!
April/May 2015
Munich to St.Petersburg
We flew with Baltic Air via Riga. It were two smooth flights with a turbo prop. (Airport Riga isn’t very big or interesting, so bring sth. to read… We had 6 hrs transit time!)
From the Airport in St. Petersburg we took minibus K39 to the first available station of the metro (36 Rubel for two) – Moskovskaya. Around 10 pm there were many people on there way, so we felt safe. The token for the subway cost 31 RUB. If you count the stations you even understand the announcement for the station you want to get off.
St. Petersburg
Simple Hostel Nevsky
Very clean, modern hostel with good beds, English speaking staff and a central location. It doesn’t look fancy from outside (and don’t be scared from the staircase) but inside it reminds of a trendy brick wall loft.
Many people speak English and most restaurants have English menus. However not everything is bilingual.
Tip:
Learn the cyrillic alphabet to be able to read important signs. You can practice walking the streets in Russia and read signs like макдоналдс (McDonalds).
We walked the city on our first day. It was sunny, but the wind blew cold so that we had to wear even our new down jackets.
Hermitage
Skip the queue and go direct to the ticket machine – it’s easy and you can pay card or cash.
The Winterpalace is beautiful and definitely worth a visit! The new Hermitage – included in the ticket – shows art of different times and countries. Interesting but not helpful in understanding the Tsars.
Tip:
Only 600 m from the Hermitage is Sicaffé. A very nice place to relax, eat sweets and drink a good coffee in the afternoon.
We stood up early to avoid the queues at the Hermitage and had a breakfast at nearby “Stolle” café. They have tasty Pirog – pies with sweat or savory fillings. We enjoyed the meat, cabbage, onion and salmon ones. Loved it!
Boat trip
The perspective is very nice and we saw things that we did not see while walking. Due to the wind it was really cold although they provided blankets – but it’s still worth it. Until May 11th, there is no commentary in English. Maybe because it is hand made – no tape!
St. Petersburg to Moscow
САПСАН, 2nd class, seat
We rode with the САПСАН (Sapsan). It’s a train similar to ICE, but is has far better service! Before we boarded we had to pass security checks, but they were not taken seriously. On board – the train was full on a Sunday morning – we could have bought coffee and snacks.
Outside the window we saw birch woods, villages with wooden houses and dirt roads. To be honest, we had expected such scenery far more east.
Moscow
Hotel: Marriott Moscow Royal Aurora
Really nice hotel, very near to the Kremlin. It was a surprise for Claudia because of her birthday (and because I booked it at an affordable price in advance). Seeing the astonishment on the faces as we walked through the lobby with our backpacks … priceless 
Apart from the obvious major touristic sites that we visited, we liked most about the city that you can walk the center easily.
During our stay the city prepared itself for Victory Day. Everywhere cleaning, painting and decoration in progress – interesting but the disadvantage was that some parts of the Red Square were closed or covert.
Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod
САПСАН, 2nd class, seat
Nizhny Novgorod
Couchsurfing
In Nizhny Novgorod we experienced couchsurfing for the first time. And we liked it a lot! Victoria was a very nice host and spent some time with us. We even went to a intercultural language exchange event together. We hope that we can return the favor one day! Your are always welcome in our home, Victoria!
We liked best …
The many wooden houses, although some of them are in really bad shape.
Strolling along the waterfront or above it from the Kremlin to the mosque on Верхневолжская набережная to take the cable car over the Wolga.
Cable Car
In Cologne a cable car crosses the river Rhine, but it just for fun after visiting the zoo. This one crosses the Wolga and is a daily transport for pedestrians. The view is great and it costs only 90 ruble one way.
On our last evening our host Victoria invited us to an event called “Language Exchange Soljanka” at a bar called “бу”. There were many people from different countries and many Russians interested in these languages. Cool! If you have the time, take part!
Nizhny Novgorod to Perm
3rd class, sleeper
It was our first overnight train ride in Russia. It started with some confusion. Which platform the train leaves? We were at the station early but only one train was on the display. The Provodnitza (train attendant) did not except the photocopies of our passports, but as she understood that we don’t understand her, she let us in anyway. Than we had to find our beds and room to store our luggage. In 3rd class for us with the huge backpacks it was a little tight in the aisle but we made it ;o) With a little help from a Russian fellow traveller it worked out well. The beds were harder than expected, the upper bed a little shorter than the lower, but still ok. The restrooms were nothing fancy, but clean. We slept well and had a good time, so as we arrived in Perm we were a little sad to leave the train.
Perm
Hostel P
A clean budget space with stuff that speaks a little English. Location is good near the city centre and in walkable distance to the train station. Our room mate was a fan of Locomotive Moscow who came extra for the teams match in Perm. We had some interesting talking and it was funny to watch how many souvenirs he bought for his family.
Wifi
Dom.ru offers wifi for free in the city, although it is a not encrypted network.
Green Line
A green line goes through the city to all points of interest. Unfortunately the explanations at each landmark are only written in Russian and at this time nobody had the translated brochures. Nevertheless it was a nice walk and the girl at the tourist info was very nice and helpful.
Ballet
If you are interested you can for example see Swan Lake. Write an email to the Perm Tourist Office, they speak English and can help you.
Gulag 36
We got the info that it is again possible to visit it. Unfortunately no English speaking guide worked over the 1st of May holidays.
Perm to Tomsk
2nd class, sleeper
Alexander, a very nice older Russian gentleman, shared the compartment with us until we reached ишим. He showed us the facility secrets of such a 2nd class compartment. Although none of us could speak the other ones language we had some nice though short conversations. The Provodnitzas were as well friendly and patient with us.
Tomsk
Couchsurfing
Elena provided us with a very nice family experience. She, her husband, her sun, the dog and the cat made us feel welcome and at home. We took part in an English class of which our host Elena was the teacher. The women of that class were very friendly and interested in our travel stories and our way of living – and the other way around, we too Elena showed us a very popular Russian internet platform for omnibus orders and how they earn money with it. We cooked for them and they seemed to like our Chilean Pebre and Empanadas.
Luda, a woman from the English course, picked us up on our last day, gave us each a little present – a souvenir from Tomsk – and brought us to the train station. How very nice! Hopefully one day we’ll meet again!
State University.
The Lonely Planet compares it with Oxford. That is a little bit stretched, as we see it.
We were surprised – during our walk around the campus – seeing all the students cleaning the greens on the campus.
Sibirski Blini
Restaurant tip of our hosts. Unfortunately we by ourselves didn’t make it to visit this Russian pancake chain.
Café Boulange
As well a tip of our hosts. We had a good breakfast here and the surprise, that porridge is served salted here – interesting
WWII Memorial
The simplicity of it gave us a feeling what a trauma WWII must have been for the people of Russia. At it’s backside there is this magnificent view, where we had time to contemplate.
The wooden houses (e.g. in the street Tartarskaja)
We found a place that provides information in Russian and English about some of the wooden houses of Tomsk. Go in the direction of the Russian-German house. It is on its street corner on the left coming from Lenina Ul.
Tomsk to Krasnoyarsk
2nd class, sleeper
Tomsk isn’t situated on the main route of the transib. So our train went back to the main route and there our coach had to change the train. We waited for 4 hours in the middle of nowhere until the connecting train arrived and spent the time sleeping. The not so nice part is, that they really close all doors to the outside as well as the toilets.
Krasnoyarsk
Hostel
SibTourGuide Hostel
A small but practical and clean hostel in the center of the city. English speaking owners and good tour guides.
9th of May – Victory Day 70th
We went to the parade with Anatoliy, the owner of our hostel. He translated and explained a lot to us. What was the most striking for us was the Immortal Regiment – people carrying pictures of their (grand-)parents who participated in WWII. Especially as a German of our age group one can only feel humble and thankful, that we can live our lifes in peace!!!
After the parade we drove to the hydroelectric power station of Krasnoyarsk. We had lunch at the modern ski resort (Bobrovyy Log) and stopped on the way several times at places with nice views on Krasnoyarsk, the river Jennisey and the dam. The dam itself is impressive, but even better was talking to Anatoliy during the ride. He is a very knowledgeable guy, who knows a lot about Russian history up to the present day.
Stolby National Park
The day we wanted to spend some time hiking with Ksenia from Couchsurfing we both were sick. My cold had gotten worse and spring got his regular toll on Claudia (allergy).
Krasnoyarsk to Irkutsk
3rd class, sleeper
The ride was somehow unspectacular. The only thing that we couldn’t figure out was how the mechanism of the sink works.
Irkutsk
Hostel Galina
As we arrived in Irkutsk it rained hard. So we took the tram in front of the train station. As there are many, we bravely asked “центр города” (Zentr Goroda/city center)? The answer was a nod from the old lady collecting the ticket money in the tram At the hostel there was – as nearly always – no clear sign. We knocked at the door of the house number we thought that could be the right and it was opened by a woman in a dressing gown … “Oh, sorry, we … Oh, we are at the right place?!”
Yes we were. The hostel is a little crammed with a lot of furniture, it was very hot inside and the kitchen looked sloppy. But the shower was hot, we slept well and Galinas breakfast – a lot of pancakes with homemade marmalade – is unbeatable ;o)
It rained the whole day and water flooded the streets. We went for a longer breakfast to “Book and Coffee”. Afterwards we strolled to Kvart 130.
Kvart 130 Project
We somehow read over the part that the wooden houses are all new in this area. So it feels a bit artificial. We thought we will see restored old wooden houses but they looked more like plastic fake and the area like a huge outdoor mall.
Rassolnik Restaurant
We had dinner in this CCCP- theme-park like restaurant. The food was really good and nicely presented. The waiter took good care of us! A little expensive but worth the experience
Volkonsky Museum
Nice small museum, but not all texts have an English translation. Nevertheless worth a visit, because the rooms a nice preserved and the history of the “Decembrist” in Siberia remarkable.
Irkutsk to Olkhon Island/Lake Baikal
Mini bus, 7 hrs., 850 Rubel
After crossing a small part of Lake Baikal the road turned very bumpy!
Olkhon Island / Khuzhir
Accommodation
We arrived at “PhiloXenia” – a Couchsurfing tip from our friends. Sergey, the host, was in the middle of insulating in his new house – he looked literally like a smurf with all these flakes covering his clothes Because the house was under construction and we couldn’t sleep in it due to the dust he offered us to put up a tent in the garden. For us it was really, really cold that day and our memory of freezing in a tent in Patagonia still fresh, so we declined the well-meant offer.
We ended up at Nikitas Guesthouse, which is a great place. Nice rooms, rate includes 2 basic but good meals per day, offers tours and you meet interesting people from all around the world.
Tour to the North Cape “Khoboi”
Bumpy, bumpier, this tour As our driver hit the 40k mark we nearly beat the gravitational laws of physics in this Russian 4WD van This ride deserves a spot in our list of the 10 bumpiest roads ever! But the landscape makes this tour a must do! It was so beautiful, especially after all the concrete overloaded cities that we visited the last weeks!! As an add on our driver made fish soup for lunch, yummy!
Olkhon to Listvyanka via Irkutsk
In May you still have to take the bus, there is no regular boat connection. Changing the bus in Irkutsk is easy, because the bus station is opposite to the stop of the mini bus.
Listvyanka
Sasha’s Guest House
We stayed in a room in the new building in the backyard which was very comfortable and clean – good value! Rates include breakfast in the nearby, new “Listvyanka Klub” at Lake Baikal’s shoreline.
Listvyanka is the stop for day tourists coming from Irkutsk to see lake Baikal. The mountain range on the other side of the lake remembered us of the Alpes, beautiful!!! There is no real promenade at the lakeside but you can walk the shore a long the street.
Tip: We bought fresh smoked Omul directly from the smoke. People sell it out of their gardens/ house doors. Just pass the tourist / fish market to your left and follow the road. Shortly after the left curve you see the people who sell it. We bought some bread and cheese in the nearby mini market and ate our dinner at the beach – best view during a meal so far!
We did one short hike to the top of the ski lift. From there you have a nice view.
Irkutsk
We returned to Irkutsk to get our next train. It has a good marked and interesting “Green Line” to follow. The descriptions are in English too.
Tip: Should you be short in time just walk Karl Marx Street were you have the most of the nice old buildings.
We boarded the train to Ulan Bator in the evening of May 20th. Mongolia here we come!
Thank you for reading so far!
Goodbye Russia and thank you so much!
До свидания! Россия и Большое спасибо!
By for now, stay safe!
Claudia & Tom
Are 10 days enough for Mongolia? Do you need a good back? What do nomads play in the evening? Read it all here.
