The trains

Through our journeys on this trip we have travelled by train between our destinations stopping off and staying at various different locations along the way.
Each train we have travelled on has had varying differing features. Hence each time we get on a train it takes us a while to get ourselves sorted - where to stow our bags etc.
On each train we are supplied with fresh linen which is collected before reaching our destination. We are left to make up our own beds. Heidi has mastered the art of putting the starched, stuck together doona cover on to the doona by sitting on the top bunk and shaking it in.
Each train has central heating that we cannot control from within the cabin unfortunately, as it is far too hot for us. Every time we reach a station with a lengthy stop we have been getting off and walking around but it has meant having to put layers of clothes back on. It has also meant we step out into a cloud of smoke fumes, as many more people here smoke.

Our first train from Xian to Beijing was a Chinese train with three of us in a four birth cabin. There was no restaurant car.

By the time we boarded our next train which was a Mongolian train from Beijing to Ulanbaataar, Dianne had joined us so we had two two birth cabins to ourselves. Both of which were pretty flash with a seat on one side instead of a bunk. But the best feature was the adjoining shared toilet/bathroom complete with shower. This train had a Chinese restaurant car until we reached the border but it was then replaced by a Mongolian restaurant car.
At one point our carriage sat alone on the rails. This journey was the most complex of our rail journeys as we had to be processed for leaving Mongolia at one stop and processed for entering Russia at another, hence appeared to be in no mans land for a while. It was also on this leg of the journey that the bogey changing occurred during the night but we made sure we were awake and up to watch it. It did mean we couldn't use the toilet for several hours as this train did not have an ecological toilet so we got locked out half an hour either side of each train stop.

The train from Ulanbaataar to Ulan Ude was an all night all day Russian train with no restaurant. Fortunately we had purchased supplies before boarding.

The train from Ulan Ude to Irkutsk was just an all night train for us with no restaurant but we just slept

We boarded our longest train trip between Irkutsk and Yekaterinburg in the evening and remained on the train for 2 nights and 2 days.
The cabins weren't anything special but were comfortable. The restaurant car was pretty flash though.
Surprises for us were that on this train meals were included. Not only one meal but two each as we had paid for a 4 birth cabin it meant we had paid for 4 people. We opted to have two meals for lunch each day.
Another difference with this train was that there was piped music throughout that you could adjust the volume for within the cabin. However even if you turned it off you could hear it from the other carriages.

We left for our next train trip from Yekaterinburg to Nizhny Novogorod in the middle of the day so had half a day and a night to enjoy the last leg of our Trans Siberian experience, passing through the Urals which are the border between Asia and Europe. The cabin on this train was nicer than the last with newer features but most important of all it wasn't hot. Unfortunately no Vodka drinking allowed and the Restaurant although very nice to drink in didn't have meals we felt like eating so we took advantage of the long stop in Perm and ate at the local cafe on the station.

Our next 2 trains were sitting commuter trains. Comfortable, with an opportunity to sit and watch the countryside whizz by with the train reaching 120 kms per hour at times. The first train took us from Nizhny Novgorod to Vladimir and the second from Vladimir to Moscow.

Our final train from Moscow to St Petersburg on our thousands of kms journey across Asia and Europe was a new Russian train. Unfortunately we were only travelling for a short distance and overnight so weren't able to take full advantage of its luxury. The table in our cabin was filled with goodies, including caviar. The seats and beds were luxurious and the Restaurant car was very flash. We decided we should make the most of it being there by having a drink there, even though it was 1 o'clock in the morning.

All the trains have had a Samavar with boiling water available which has been very handy for tea, coffee and porridge making.
All the trains have had a toilet/wash room at each end of the carriage.
On the Russian trains the attendants come around selling souvenirs, some of which we were obliged to buy as bribes for storing essential supplies in their fridge and for drinking the supplies in our own cabin.

One interesting feature of the rail system They use here which makes a lot of sense is as well as boom gates at road crossings there are metal plates that come up in the road in front of the cars.


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