You might have heard people speaking about the different routes one can choose from while planning the Trans-Siberian adventure. But how many routes are there? What are their main differences? And most importantly, how much will it cost you to travel on each route?
Through this post, I will try to answer all your questions to the extent possible!
Trans-Siberian Railway - The Old Time Classic
The original Trans-Siberian route, which is also considered to be the longest train trip in the whole world, is the one connecting Moscow and Vladivostok. Stretching over 9.300 km, changing eight different time zones along the way, and taking 7 full days to complete, this route guarantees the most unforgettable cross-country experience on rails!
There are 1-2 different trains serving this route every day, yet not all of them offer 1st class coaches.
Cost-wise, a ticket for the entire route in one single (non-stop) journey will cost you:
- 75-180€ for traveling on a 3rd class coach. The price differs based on the selected train and bed type (upper or lower one). Obviously, the cheaper tickets sell out quite fast!
- 160-300€ for traveling on a 2nd class coach. Once again the price differs based on the selected train and bed type (upper or lower one).
- 520-800€ for traveling on a 1st class coach.
The main stops of the Trans-Siberian Railway (and therefore respective points of interest) are Moscow, Perm, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude, Chita, Khabarovsk, and Vladivostok.
Should you be interested in breaking this long 7-day journey into smaller parts, you can consider some of the above-mentioned cities for a short stopover. However, the more stops you will decide to make, the higher the cost of the individual tickets compared to the one indicated above for a single (non-stop) journey. In fact, you should anticipate significant deviations, especially if you aim at traveling on premium class (1st or 2nd).
Obviously, there is neither an “open ticket” nor a “hop-on / hop-off” option, therefore you are advised to pre-book all your train tickets in advance to secure availability on the preferred routes and dates, especially during the high season.
The Trans-Manchurian Railway - The Alternative Option
An alternative proposal to the classic Trans-Siberian route is served by the Trans-Manchurian Railway which is connecting Moscow and Beijing. The Trans-Manchurian Railway is following the Trans-Siberian route all the way up to Chita where it eventually reroutes, heading to China.
There are only two trains per week serving this route (every Tuesday and Saturday) offering only 1st and 2nd class coaches. The duration of this journey is slightly over 6 days.
Cost-wise, a ticket for the entire route in one single (non-stop) journey will cost you:
- 500-600€ for traveling on a 2nd class coach. The price differs based on the selected train and bed type (upper or lower one).
- 800-1.100€ for traveling on a 1st class coach. The price differs based on the selected train.
You can refer to the Russian Railways website for both the time schedule and the ticket prices on this route, yet you cannot book your Trans-Manchurian Railway tickets online. Tickets can only be sold at ticket offices onsite. This means that you will need to pay a service fee either to a travel agency or through an online booking platform for facilitating the reservations on your behalf.
The Trans-Mongolian Railway - The Touristic Route
The most popular route is by far the Trans-Mongolian route, which gives the traveler the opportunity to cross three different countries in one trip; Russia, Mongolia, and China.
I feel it is more meaningful to explain how you can move from one country to the other, therefore I will break down this trip into two parts.
Part I: Russia to Mongolia
There is only one train per week serving the route between Moscow and Ulan Bator (every Tuesday) offering only 1st and 2nd class coaches. The duration of this journey is slightly over 4 days.
Cost-wise, a ticket for this stretch in one single (non-stop) journey will cost you:
- Approximately 300€ for traveling on a 2nd class coach
- 450-600€ for traveling on a 1st class coach
Part II: Mongolia to China
There are two direct trains per week serving the route between Ulan Bator and Beijing all year round offering only 1st and 2nd class coaches. The Mongolian (brand new) train No. 024 is departing from Ulan Bator every Thursday, while the Chinese transit train No. 004 is departing from Ulan Bator every Sunday. Especially for the summer period (June-October), the Mongolian train No. 024 is running one additional service every Friday! The duration of the journey on both trains is approximately 1 day and 7 hours.
Cost-wise, a ticket for this stretch in one single (non-stop) journey will cost you:
- 150-170€ for traveling on a 2nd class coach. The price differs based on the selected train and bed type (upper or lower one).
- 220-250€ for traveling on a 1st class coach. The price differs based on the selected train.
Mix and Match
Time permitting, you can always combine trains and routes in order to personalize even more your itinerary. In fact, this is what most people do, myself included!
Assuming you start you journey from Russia, you can travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway all the way up to Ulan Ude before changing with the Trans-Mongolian Railway, or head to Chita and change there for the Trans-Manchurian Railway. Usually, Lake Baikal also serves as a good point for changing trains to either Mongolia or China.
Moreover, I also recommend a mix and match among train classes, depending on the duration of the different stretches of your journey. For shorter rides that do not require an overnight on the train, you can always consider the 3rd class option. In this way, you will not only achieve some savings but have the chance to enjoy a fully-fledged Trans-Siberian experience, as well!
Ticket Prices
I have looked up all price ranges through the official Russian Railways website which does not charge you with any commission when booking your tickets online, unlike all other tourist agencies or websites.
As a quick heads up, please do bear in mind that the given prices:
- Are dated October 2019
- Have been quoted in Euro based on the current currency conversion rate (October 2019)
- Are subject to annual and seasonal increases (usually the prices may go up during the summer season). However, having own experience in traveling during the summertime, I can assure you that the higher prices safely include any possible seasonal increases.
- Refer to Eastbound train tickets (from Moscow to Vladivostok or Beijing). However it is also possible to make the same journey travelling in the opposite direction. In this case, it is worth mentioning that Westbound train tickets (from Vladivostok or from Beijing to Moscow) can be significantly cheaper!
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