Trans-Siberian Railway

A French cousin of mine and his son rode the Trans-Siberian railway from Moscow to Vladivostok (9,288 km) last October. Took them 16 days with some stops in between. These are photos he sent of old steam engines set out at stations along the route.

I have never been on the Trans Siberian. Per the NBC segment on it they noted it cost $1000 US Dollars for the ride. I have no idea if that was one way, it was a 1st class fare.

Tickets Here are ticket prices.

AFAIK the whole route is electric, and their usual 5' gauge. I've never been on the train, or to Siberia, but I have been to Russia. The area I was at (Tver, on the Volga river NW of Moscow) was a lot like northern Minnesota - rolling hills with lots of pine trees. I brought a little picture book with me with pictures of Minnesota (where I'm from) to show the Russians where I was from. They all commented how much Minnesota looked like Russia.

BTW many of them were surprised at the pictures of snow. They apparently assumed our whole country was like California, probably because even the northern states like Maine and Minnesota are about 1000 miles south of Moscow.

Thanks to all for the good education.  At least two of the decopods (all decopods are shown!) seen above look like they could be American ones that got there before the Revolution embargo.

I looked at that posting of ticket prices, and, found, as is the case with many

organized trips (travel companies and agencies) they want to run you through the

cities, and the category "Scenic sites" was blank.  I would bet the farm you can't

just pick up a rental car and go hunt castles as you can in Europe, not that you'd

want to, with the Sochi threat.  While some cities are interesting,(Oslo, Bergen, Amsterdam), I have seen my fill of art museums and cathedrals...surprised at how some of the old buildings in cities in Russia look like old buildings in cities here and elsewhere, and ain't my idea of "scenery", such as taking the Glacier Express to the Matterhorn, or the view out the TS train window on NBC that didn't show any cabanas on the shores of Lake Baikul.

My wife and I like to take adventurous vacations (Scotland, Iceland, Baffin Island, Hawaii, Hudson Bay, etc.)  A few years ago we looked at riding the Rossia No. 1 (aka Trans Siberian Express.)  We really dug into it.  What we found were a lot of horror stories about bad food, very few English speakers outside of major cities in the east, rude service, petty theft was rampant.  The heat in the cars was "sporadic."  One reviewer wrote, "If spending two weeks in tight quarters with a bunch of loud lecherous Russian drunks is your idea of a vacation, this might be for you."

After reading that, my wife bought tickets to Norway.

Kent in SD

Interesting review of a small clip I also saw as part of the Olympics.  I think I'll stick with state side National Parks.  Pretty good chance you can load up the back pack, acquire an overnight stay permit, go where you want, and the only concerns are curious, possibly hungry, (4) legged critters. 

IMO, We sure take a lot for granted here in the US of A. 

Our last trip to Glacier National Park a few years ago, we decided to do the Canadian part of the Park, Waterton, via the Red Bus tours.  Passports required with both boarder crossings, but worth the trip.    About as much international adventure as I want to deal with.    

 Mike CT   

There is a private luxury train that does the trip, which would give you good food and accomodations, and tours where there is something interesting.  However, be prepared to spend a LOT of money for this.

The 2008 movie Transsiberian w/ Woody Harrelson there's a part where the passenger cars are raised and the trucks are replaced when the train changes gauges. That may be when the train crosses from China into Russia perhaps?

I plan to add it to my bucket list! Looks interesting!

Mike Maurice

Two23: Your wife made a worthy second choice....there are trains, too, which I hope you rode, the very scenic Flamsbahn up from the fjord and the line across Norway from Bergen to Oslo.  Anybody who likes the mountain west will like Norway....and

the Alps, and probably the Urals, if they were accessible.  I liked the Andes.  Would

probably like the Himalayas.

Mike CT:  The U.S. has fantastic parks, and you can certainly get good and lost in some of them, but it is a big world, and there are things to see elsewhere...so little time.  I envy those that backpacked Europe back when I was that age...never even

thought of it then...was immersed in automobiles.

From personal experience, I can recommend:

Nairobi to Mombasa - http://www.seat61.com/Kenya.htm#.Uvt12PldVn8

and 

The Maharaja Express/Palace on Wheels - 

http://www.luxurytrainsindia.o...vYxrwCFQlhfgoduW8Atw

ChipR

BTW I like the pics of the Russian 2-10-0 Decapod. Some of those were in the process of being built during WW1 when the Bolshevik Revolution happened, and Pres. Wilson didn't allow the builder (Baldwin?) to ship them to the new USSR. I grew up next to the "high line" of the Minneapolis Northfield & Southern, and some of the re-gauged decapods ended up there. Unfortunately, the MN&S was 100% diesel by 1950 or '51 - before I was born.

here tell all losing athletes at the Olympics are getting a free one way ticket.