Taking the Trans-Siberian train has always been my dream. Initially, I decided to travel to Russia mainly for this journey but later did some research and found many more interesting places that this largest country has to offer for a traveller like me.

Table of contents

This was going to be the last leg of my trip to Russia and I  wanted to have a comfortable and relaxing journey. I was not sure if I wanted to take the entire route till Vladivostok but I wanted a stop at Irkutsk to see Lake Baikal. I finally decided to take the 75-hour journey. Soon after getting my visa, I booked my tickets well in advance while I was still in India.

Booking train tickets online for travel within Russia

I was so excited to see how the train would be and how my overall experience is going to be. My only concern was how the other person in the cabin would be since we both will be sharing the cabin. To my surprise, there was nobody in the cabin for 1 day and a few hours. I had the entire cabin for myself. There was a welcome kit that had a chocolate bar, 2 tea sachets, a refreshing towel, and mint. A waitress from the restaurant car came to take an order for a meal that is included in the ticket price. As requested, I was served a vegan dinner. I had a good night’s sleep.

Train interiors

It was super clean and all the passengers were provided with 2 pillows, a bedsheet and a blanket. The temperature inside is usually maintained at 28 – 31 degrees Celcius. There was also a travel kit like what you receive in an aircraft. It comes with a dental kit, a comb, slippers, shoe shiner(In case you need one 🙂 ). The cabin itself was spacious with a common table for the 2 passengers. The table was of a good size. It was all carpeted and there were curtains and tassels. The luggage compartment is under the seat. You can easily store 2 suitcases and a bag. There are shelves above the seat. They also provide 2 towels for the journey.

Facilities in the train

Wifi

I loved the wifi provided by the Russian Railways throughout the journey. All you have to do is enter your ticket number or the last 4 digits of your passport number, your train coach and your seat number to get access to the internet. It was indeed very convenient.

Boiling water

There is a Samovar( large kettle for storing boiling water) at one end of the coach. Boiling water was available all the time. This was very convenient to make instant noodles or coffee/tea. In the same area, there is also a sink where you can wash your flasks, plates etc. I also saw a microwave in the area that I hardly used.

 The toilet

It was kept super clean. While booking the tickets, I particularly made sure there was a bio-toilet in the coach. There was handwash and enough tissue( you don’t have to carry these with you).

TV

There was a TV in the cabin. I just watched some cartoons for some time. This would be particularly good for two people travelling together or with kids. There were a total of 6 channels(all Russian).

Restaurant car

There is a restaurant car on the train which is a great place for a meal or drink or even for a hang-out. There are a few options for vegetarians marked with a green sign. The prices are not very expensive. I feel one need not carry food for every single meal. Instead, you can have a meal or 2 here and 1 meal is anyway included in the ticket price. You can also buy snacks, and fruit from the railway stations. I did carry some snacks and a few instant meals in small portions and didn’t go hungry at all.

The charging outlets

for mobiles, cameras inside the cabin were very convenient. There was only one charging point in the cabin but that was enough for 2 people unless you want to be charging your gadgets throughout.

I love the way the seats are allotted in Russian trains. While booking your tickets online, if you are the first one to select a seat in the cabin, the other seat can be occupied by a female. So, if you are a female, another person in the cabin will also be a female. The other person in my cabin was an elderly Russian lady.

Overall, I feel,  travel in 1st class is very good if you want to have a relaxing trip. Ample space to stretch your legs is something great in the 1st class. You can enjoy the ever-changing landscapes in serenity. It was an experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is double the price of 2nd class but experiencing it once is worth it.

How safe is it for a solo woman traveller?

I felt very safe in spite of being the only foreigner in the entire coach. Communicating with other passengers and the coach attendant was slightly difficult but I must thank Google Translator for helping me overcome it. Russians, in general, are very polite, helpful and friendly. Many times, we communicated using a lot of gesticulations :). My concern was about travelling for 75 hours at one go but the days went so fast that I didn’t realize that I have already reached Irkutsk Pas.

I got down at the station and the taxi driver was waiting near the coach. Reached the hotel in about 15 minutes. The dream of travelling by Trans-Siberian was fulfilled and now I am all ready to explore the beauty of Siberia.

Read my post Things to do in Irkutsk to know about my experience in Irkutsk