Hello,
I'm thinking of planning a train hopping trip starting from the UK (home) through Europe to Moscow, then from Moscow into Asia via trans-Siberian / trans-Mongolian.
Something I haven't been able to find much about stopping off in places like Kazan and Omsk etc along the way to Asia. Can anyone who has done stop offs share their advice on best places to see, safety etc? :)
Cheers!
Hi, welcome to Thorn Tree.
Seems other people think stop offs are a good idea...even those at Lonely Planet:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/campaigns/visa-anywhere/russia/article/the-trans-siberian-railway-where-to-get-off/
and here's suggestions from some other sites:
http://www.wanderlust.co.uk/planatrip/inspire-me/lists/10-stops-on-the-trans-siberian-railway?page=all
http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/how-to-travel-the-trans-siberian-railway-2/
This is a personal account...
http://www.thepolarroute.com/2013/05/how-to-travel-on-the-trans-siberian-railway/
So you can sort through the various recommendations and see which ones appeal to you.
For the basics and current logistics (and great train photos!) do check out
http://www.seat61.com/Trans-Siberian.htm
The Man in Seat 61 is the recognized authority on train travel...but also a very good writer which is so important when dealing with details.
Hope it's a great trip.
Wow thanks! I wasn't expecting such a quick reply :) I'll read through all those sources and post any other questions in a couple of days.
And thanks! lets hope it is a great trip :)
Hello,
Kazan is worth a stop, but cities in Siberia are ghastly and boring. If you're not prepared to head into the beautiful wilderness of Siberia(like the Altay, Sayan maountains, Tuva, etc.) the only place worth to stop is Irkutsk and again not so much for the city(still the nicest of Siberia) but to head at least a few days to nearby Lake Baikal.
Well, ive met a couple of travellers from this forum this year in Irkutsk, can answer some of your questions if you want. As a local, id second eristwiederda`s opinion, that you should go to Baikal for a number of days, but it all depends whether you like nature like this or not.
It will definetely be relatively cold here in november, might even reach -20c during daytime, so take warm clothes for sure.
Hey guys, thanks for the replies! sorry I haven't replied for the last couple of weeks :)
I'm definitely interested in trying to get the most of the Siberian wilderness and definitely want to spend a little while at the Lake Baikal.
Are places like the Sayan mountains accessible from the closest trans-Siberian station via additional transport links?
I'm planning to start the trip around mid to late February :) no doubt it will still be cold!
Hi from Krasnoyarsk ....I can not tell you much about Irkutsk or Baikal....be sure - it will be very cold....besides - February is the month of the winds in our area))
About stop off....I could arrange for you a little tour(1-2 days) of Krasnoyarsk and surroundings , sure it will be interesting
Soon I'm going to busines-travel, but in the second half of December, I'll come back and be able to answer your questions.
Hello,
See a recommendation of stopovers and how many days would be worth spending:
http://trip-seat.blogspot.co.at/2015/11/stopovers-from-moscow-to-beijing.html
I'll put in a recommendation for Kazan and Ulan Ude in addition to Irkutsk. We very much enjoyed both. Galina's Home Stay in Irkutsk was the high point of our trip.
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