style of travel

What we offer
Year round we offer two styles of Trans-Siberian adventures, (costsaver adventure or classic adventure). Our journeys start in either Moscow or Beijing and end in either Moscow, Beijing or at a point of interest en route. Our Eastbound Adventures and Westbound Adventures. AdBoth styles, feature some included sightseeing and a range of exciting optional activities, from dog sledding at Yekaterinburg to diving at Lake Baikal and staying in gers in Mongolia. Why not bolt-on an exciting trip in Mongolia, fly/train part of the route or consider the trips that start in Beijing, choose one of the optional activities.

The pocket-saver option, our Costsaver adventures include:

2 nights economy hotel Moscow including breakfast En route economy citystays including rail station transfers only (no transfers at Moscow)

Classic adventure

A classical approach to your Trans-siberian adventure, offering a higher level of accomodation and more inclusions along the way Moscow airport arrival transfer (Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo) 2 nights standard hotel Moscow including breakfast Moscow sightseeing including walking tour of Moscow & transfer to Moscow station for Trans-Mongolian/Manchurian/Siberian journey. (Transfer is to the station - not to the platform). En route stopovers including city and unique country village stays inclusive of all transfers, accommodation and meals (where indicated) 1st class 2 berth cabin and upgrades from homestay to hotel possible, subject to availability.

Are you a Trans-Sib traveller?
The Trans-Siberian adventure is emphatically not a tour. It runs as an independent package combining the train journey(s), stopovers and accommodation (if any) and accompanying ground touring arrangements (if you're stopping have taken one of the optional activities) booked specifically and exclusively for you. You will not be travelling in a group and will not have a group tour leader with you.  (Some trips have group departure dates - these are highlighted on the departure date pages. You will not have a tour leader with you for the duration of the trip but will be travelling with other on the go clients and will have guides in Moscow and at each stopover point as detailed in the itinerary). 

If stopping at intermediate points en route, you will be met on arrival and transferred to your respective accommodation (regardless of the type of Trans-Siberian adventure selected). If you have reserved a Trans-Siberian classic adventure, there will be further arrangements (as indicated in under 'what you get') at relevant points en route (if stopping). Outside of these arrangements on our classic packages, you are free to do your own thing independently until your departure transfer to the rail way station for your onward journey. If you have selected one of our 'costsaver' adventures, there will be no included sightseeing. It is suggested if you chosen to undertake a 'costsaver' adventure, that you arm yourself with a suitable guide book for use at intermediate points en route.

Aboard the train, all our programs are based on 2nd class 4 berth mixed-sex compartments. If travelling as a trio, duo or solo, you will be sharing your cabin with one, two or three fellow travellers. Your fellow male or female travellers could be Western foreigners, Russian, Mongolian or Chinese. An optional upgrade to a 1st class 2 berth compartment is possible, perhaps if you're a couple and want your own space. The only difference is that 1st class has 2 people to a 2 berth compartment whilst 2nd class has 4 people to a 4 berth (2 x bunk-style banquettes). Upgrades to 1st class 2 berth cabins are subject to availability and at additional cost as published on our website.

There will be no on the go representative on the train. This truly is a semi independent adventure! If you like everything to happen like clockwork, for everyone you encounter to speak English on command, are a 'hilton and hairdryer' traveller where nothing but a 5 star establishment will do, are a room service king or queen hell-bent on a cheeseburger to room 224 within 15 minutes, cannot get by with a little extra assistance from a trusty guidebook and absolutely cannot work out which way to go without 24 hour continual assistance on the ground from travel representatives, then a Trans-Siberian adventure is probably not the type of holiday for you. Our Trans-Siberian adventures are suitable for semi-independent travellers. We provide the necessities and on our 'classic' adventures, some additional inclusions such as sightseeing and planned excursions. However, a Trans-Siberian adventure is emphatically not a tour.

Are you ready for the time of your life? Your train is departing!

What's it like aboard?
Leave the tux and party dress at home! Attire on the Trans-Sib is definitely informal. The Russian, Mongolian and Chinese garment of choice is a jogging ensemble with slippers. You'll want to be similarly comfortable for the journey ahead. Temperatures are regulated regardless of season.

Generally, each train is around 15 wagons long. At the end of each wagon, there is a WC/wash basin. Each wagon is manned by a provodnitsa (wagon attendant and almost exclusively a woman). The train will have a restaurant car operated by the country you are in at that time. So, in Russia, the restaurant car will be operated by the Russians and so on.

Trans-Siberian etiquette
Smoking is not permitted at any time in the cabins. In fact, smoking is only permitted in designated areas between cars. Doors from the main section of the cabins separate these areas.

If tucking in to a snack in the cabin - offer some around. Eating is a primary diversion and it's fun to make a social event of it! If sharing a mixed-sex cabin, it is polite to exit, if your cabin-mate needs to get changed. This particularly applies if sharing a cabin with a woman or women. It also affords the person trying to get changed more space in which to execute the task.

Confine your belongings to your bunk/luggage space and try to keep things as tidy as you can in the cabin. Remember, you're sharing this small space with others! Lastly, don't get left behind. Never stray far from the train at designated stops. Check the length of stop.