Trans Mongolian/Siberian

Seeing as I did this 30 years ago I might not have useful info about where to purchase tickets and costs etc..... BUT, I can tell you that it was a great experience!!! I travelled from Moscow to Beijing in Nov of '83, we were 3 foreigners on the train, I was the only one in my carriage. Lots of friendly Russians, met a guy who had studied in DDR so he spoke German and could translate a few things for me. I took the train going through Manchuria, 6,5 days in total.
People were friendly and helpful, could buy tea from the attendants, brought some basic food along and also went to the dining car once a day. Were given lots of Vodka...... they were quite impressed when I could empty the glass......
Scenery might be a bit dull at times, Siberia is very flat, beautiful around Lake Baykal - but maybe not today...????
Hygiene was basic - to say the least, but it might be improved today - in my days there was a tiny wash basin with running, cold water in the toilet and that was it! Felt a bit grubby when I got of the train, on the other hand then you appreciate the first shower even more!

Go for it - you won't regret it!!!

Hmm, I suspect this question is a bit too vague to get much useful information. Some questions for you so we can help: What time of year will you be doing it? Presumably you're heading east from Moscow? Do you want to go to Japan or would you prefer Mongolia?

The trains themselves are not that different, just the scenery and the destinations.

If you're on a tight budget (guessing this from your choice of the Shoestring forum), skip Japan. And catch local trains/buses throughout Russia, Mongolia, China rather than international services. Look up everbrite's posts on TT on how to do this.

You're only going to get visa info if you let us know what nationality you hold.

If you travel outside of Summer, you'll still often be the only foreigner on the trains. I went in Jan/Feb and didn't meet any westerners.

You can get to Beijing either way, via Mongolia or Vladivostok. You can get to Japan via either Vladivostok or Beijing.

You need to consider time of year, how long you have to spend, budget and what interests you to work out if Mongolia or Japan is a better choice. The more details you can provide the better help people can give you.

Also I don't know what your current plans are but I wouldn't suggest taking the train all the way from Moscow to Beijing/Vladivostok. Half the fun is stopping off at all the interesting places along the way in Russia.

FFS. I spend ten minutes penning a reponse to this and the clueless LP software mincer eats it completely.

Thanks LP IT wizards. You guys are the best.

(I am lying. You really aren't.)

Mongolia was the highlight of my trip (London to Hong Kong without flying). It's pretty cheap to get around (much cheaper than Russia, which is scarily expensive, especially in the cities). Lake Baikal is definitely worth a stop-off. The bus from Ulan Ude to Ulan Bataar is MUCH cheaper than the train, and also quicker. You can book it in Ulan Ude (best a day or so in advance, but there are sometimes seats available on the day).