home Spinning Train travel in Russia, what routes are there. Train travel in Russia, what routes are there Ideas for train travel in Russia

Train travel in Russia, what routes are there. Train travel in Russia, what routes are there Ideas for train travel in Russia

Editor A. Chernikova

Project Manager L. Razzhivaikina

Correctors E. Aksenova, M. Smirnova

Computer layout K. Svishchev

Cover design Y. Buga

All rights reserved. The work is intended solely for private use. No part of the electronic copy of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including posting on the Internet and in corporate networks, for public or collective use without the written permission of the copyright owner. For copyright infringement, the legislation provides for the payment of compensation to the copyright holder in the amount of up to 5 million rubles (Article 49 of the LOAP), as well as criminal liability in the form of imprisonment for up to 6 years (Article 146 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

So, they say, travel is the best way to educate yourself in everything: the truth, exactly the truth! So much to learn here.

Nikolay Chernyshevsky

Trains are amazing; I love them still. Traveling by train means seeing nature, people, cities and churches, rivers - in essence, this is a journey through life.

Agatha Christie

Nowadays Russian tourists offers virtually unlimited travel opportunities. You can choose countries, routes, transport. I'm not talking about equipment that has become better, more comfortable and lighter. You can purchase ready-made tours or plan your trip yourself using numerous online services for booking tickets and booking hotels. Such a variety of offers tourism market generates a consumerist approach. “We went on vacation, rested,” I often hear from my friends who have returned from their next trip. Why did they go? For what purpose?

I strive for meaningful travel so that everyone has their own idea. For example, testing a hypothesis or testing a new service. Yuri Senkevich in his book "To "Ra" across the Atlantic" talks about the transatlantic crossing on a papyrus boat - not a simple voyage, but an experiment. His goal was to prove that the Egyptians could cross the Atlantic in boats using the Canary Current. An experiment is an idea. The route, transport, equipment follows from this idea. This is what I call meaningful travel.

A pleasant addition to such a trip can be some final product brought from the trip: travel essays, a book, even a film. There is an idea - the plot builds itself. After that, it remains only to fix the material.

That's how it happened to me. Initially, the idea came up: to travel by rail from Moscow to Vladivostok by electric trains. Then there was a journey in the format of a railway expedition. From the travel notes of the expedition, this book was born.

Traveling by Russian railways is possible. In my experience, it's easy and safe. My trip took place in conditions familiar to a city dweller, not alien to adventurism.

On the road, discoveries happen literally at every step. And besides, meaningful travel sometimes helps to understand what possibilities lurk in ourselves.

Foreword

Crisis - time of opportunity

This story began in 2015. I don't remember the exact day, and it doesn't matter. There should not be an exact date here. After all, the specific goals of the trip were determined only as the plan was prepared and implemented.

For several years I worked on a telecommunications project and was considered a successful specialist in my field. Office work from nine to six, stable income. The economic crisis broke out, the project was closed, the team was reduced. Suddenly I have a lot of free time. Then I remembered an old dream...

I have never been a connoisseur of Russian geography. You meet a friend, and in the conversation he mentions that he was born in Omsk. And you think: “Omsk – where is it? In Siberia? It must be cold there and bears!” A friend returned from a business trip, from Novosibirsk, and tells what the climate is like there. And you have not been to Novosibirsk. It's a shame! This happened all the time in my life. Over time, a whole list of cities in Russia has accumulated, where I wanted to visit. How to be? Planning every vacation to another city? So holidays are not enough. Obviously, it must be a single long journey.

The idea to travel across the country on electric trains came to me a long time ago. I understood that such a journey requires a long vacation, at least two months. Working in the office, you can count on the standard two weeks off. After the closure of the project, it became possible to fulfill the dream: enough free time and some financial savings. No wonder they say that a crisis is a time of opportunity. If there is stagnation in life, take the last money and go on a trip. So I did.

Details gradually emerged: to travel from Moscow to Vladivostok along the Trans-Siberian Railway by electric trains. Sections where suburban communication has been canceled can be overcome as necessary: by train, by bus, on foot. The situation was complicated by the fact that in early 2015, due to confusion between the railway and suburban companies, electric trains were massively canceled in the regions of Russia. On this occasion, a meeting was held in the government, but the situation continued to be vague.

The idea was to move from east to west. Fly to Vladivostok on a regular flight and from there start a railway journey towards Moscow. With plenty of time, I planned a measured journey with stops to explore the cities and turns along the route to explore interesting places.

Russia from within

Traveling around Russia acquired particular relevance in 2015 in the light of the current economic situation in the country. Many Russians have postponed foreign trips, preferring to travel in their native country. Someone in spite of the sanctions imposed by Europe. The "siloviks" and civil servants were strongly recommended by the "personnel officers" to plan holidays in the Crimea and Black Sea coast Caucasus. Someone turned out to be a hostage of the economic crisis that unexpectedly covered Russia. And now travelers are surfing the Internet in search of information, routes, hotels. Russia, Russia, Russia... Lots of open questions. How safe is it to travel around the country now? Large cities, obviously. And what about depth? What is the level of tourism service? What is actually happening in the country right now?

These questions were the first ones I searched for answers on the travel forums on the web. The search led to the conclusion: in the domestic tourism of Russia, a lot of reserves are hidden, which are hidden, inaccessible. You need to find them yourself, get them, dig them out, and, frankly, not everyone can do it.

Residents of the capital travel a lot around the world, discovering new countries and cities. But at the same time, they often forget that they themselves live in a huge interesting country. Not many Muscovites take the risk of traveling beyond the Urals. It's one thing to visit popular tourist places: drive around the cities of the Golden Ring or wave to Baikal. And quite another thing is to visit Vladivostok, Birobidzhan, Chita. See what's going on there. How do people live, where and by whom do they work, what are they interested in, what joys and worries do they have? After all, in these cities life is different from the capital.

In early September, Dozhd's photo editor Alexei Abanin decided to travel from Moscow to Lake Baikal along the Trans-Siberian Railway exclusively by electric trains. As a result, the journey took 13 days, 34 electric trains and 2 trains. Rain publishes a small part of the photos from this trip and excerpts from a notebook in which all impressions were recorded.

Second day. The train from Kirov to Yar is some kind of cabal. There are ten of us in the carriage, all sitting one at a time, but everyone is familiar, apparently, with half of this company. If a new passenger enters the station, he will definitely greet someone.

Update: Which is what I was talking about. A man got off the train and forgot his phone under a newspaper on a bench. As a result, the conductor comes and shouts into her phone:

- Yes, there he is. Yeah. I took it. I'll give it to you tomorrow.

Day three, after Kirov. The point of no return has been passed. The electric train to the Vereshchagino station left at 4:30 local time, that is, it was still 2 am in Moscow. From a total lack of sleep, a thought flew into my head. Why not sleep on the bench? As everybody. And I've never even tried that. It turned out to be very convenient. And the back doesn't wobble. Only for some reason everyone sleeps with their feet towards the aisle. I, on the other hand, leaned my feet against the wall. I immediately felt at home and felt warm. The stove was turned on again at full power.

Day three, after Perm. How painfully you begin to miss home when the voice announces “Stop one thousand four hundred and seventy kilometers. The next stop is one thousand four hundred and seventy-eight kilometers. And so farther and farther from Moscow. If I had my way, I would forbid the station to be called that. There are also a lot of unused words. Here are some cool names on the Perm-2 - Shalya section: Nyanino, Kukushtan, Pancakes, Gypsum, Capercaillie. Kukushtan is my favorite. It sounds great. It is necessary to come up with a name for each station with the numbering of kilometers.

Day four, Yekaterinburg. I am sitting in the cafe "Pelmennaya" near the station, waiting for the train to Tyumen. In front of me are microwaved pasta with ketchup and a cutlet. In general, I wanted dumplings, but they ended in Pelmennaya. On TV, Petrosyan's wife (I forgot her name) tells something about the retirement age. Most of the time she claps her eyes wide as she stares out into the hall. Hall laughs. I hardly heard the monologue, because a soldier was standing on the street and singing bard songs to the guitar. I remember this motif the most:

“... And the schedule of fate cannot be changed already,

I stay alive only because there is love.

She has long been permanently residing in my soul.”

When I get off the train, everyone runs to the station, and I usually stand for several minutes to get used to the fact that the background has stopped flickering.

Day six, beyond Omsk. Imagine a city where grandmothers seized power. Or they created their own settlement from scratch. But the main thing is that grandmas rule here. Well-fed grandchildren barely run through the streets. Moreover, they come not only for the summer, they stay here forever and do not get up from the table until everyone has eaten. Names for children became unnecessary over time. They all respond to "granddaughter". Skinned cats scurry around in the hope that they will take pity on them and feed them. But they are here only for beauty, and for grandchildren to play with them. The adults here are the attendants. They do not have the right to vote, and in life they are silent. They work in shops, help carry heavy bags, bring potatoes to the city by car or whatever the grandmothers need. Grandmothers' husbands sit in garages made from old train cars, fixing cars forever. The main thing is not to interfere with the wives. In general, welcome to Tatarsk. This is where I need to sleep.

Day eight, after Novosibirsk. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to travel the whole way by electric trains to Baikal even with a strong desire. This was clear a year ago when I was making the schedule. There are two small sections that will have to be killed by the train. The first one is now. This time I got the Moscow-Vladivostok train. The desire to drive straight to Irkutsk was great, of course, but I tried to be honest with myself.

Day nine, before Krasnoyarsk. Meanwhile, the most beautiful scene in all nine or how many days has been played out outside the window. While we are standing at the station, on the street a man in a tracksuit gets out of his blue "six". Without closing the door, a slightly boiled egg quietly starts beating against its corner, which he elegantly pulled out of his pocket. He scrapes the top a little and drinks it whole, throwing his head back strongly. And then he takes out a cigarette and lights it with pleasure. And all this with incredible grace! We're moving on.

Day ten, beyond Krasnoyarsk. At the Zlobino station, persons of exclusively gangster appearance entered the car. One of them sat down opposite. Half an hour later, this bandit mug suddenly begins to slowly blur into a smile for her at the sight of harvesters harvesting wheat outside the window. The skin tone seems to change from drunk blue to soft ruddy, golden teeth are shown behind the smile, which shine in the sun, and the shaved head begins to shake along with the ears with joy and emerging thoughts.

Day ten, the city of Ilansky. I could stay here. Not every city with a population of 15 thousand people has so much identity and life. I could have stayed here. Probably, he is just the most reminiscent of his native Kovrov. The same crooked streets, the same old part of the city with a floodplain. Only instead of Klyazma Lake Pulsometer. But most of all life here is hidden on the walls of crumbling five-story buildings. Here is the inscription in gold paint “Memes from Fochan”, and here is the announcement “Have you bought tickets to the circus?” featuring Uncle Sam. The culmination - at the station "Russia - for the sad." And a separate "Thank you" postscript.

Day thirteen, after Irkutsk. Instead of Angara today - milk. Thickest fog. On the train, I feel like I really made it to the end. Until the very end - this is the edge, I can see it. It seems that I will be torn apart even before Baikal. Therefore, it is laconic. But at the entrance to Baikal the fog dissipated by itself. At that moment, when the lake had just appeared in sight, I just jumped up instantly and ran out into the vestibule, where (probably not very much - I don’t remember) yelled. And for another ten minutes I walked along the vestibule from side to side and mumbled obscene words under my breath. I just didn't have any others. And I didn't want to look for them.

Day thirteen, Baikal. When I woke up, outside the window, the landscape that had already become familiar disappeared. The morning mist and the edge of the earth returned again. Some Chinese music was playing loudly in the carriage. Having left at the final one, it was necessary to reach the port in order to cross the Angara on the ferry, get to Listvyanka and spend the night there.

The persistent feeling that the journey itself never happened did not leave. The fog created the illusion of everything that was happening. We set sail in total darkness. The ferry insistently turned on the siren so that we could be seen in the fog, all the passengers abruptly fell silent, the schoolgirls began to sing. When I got off the ferry, I hid my notepad and tickets from all the trains, which I kept in my back pocket, under a large stone. Now I will definitely not know for sure whether I have traveled more than five thousand kilometers on electric trains or not.

Alexey Abanin

"On the trains" - a diary of a railway expedition, notes about the journey from Vladivostok to Moscow, but not in the usual way - by train in seven days, but by trains, with dozens of transfers. This book contains fifty-four days of travel, thousands of kilometers of railways, sketches of the characters and life of people: railway workers and fellow travelers, local residents and other travelers. It contains all of our huge, complex, beautiful country. The book "By Trains: Journey from Vladivostok to Moscow" is not only a fascinating travelogue, but also a useful guide: the advice of the author of the book, Alexander Luchkin, is simple, understandable and comprehensive. How to plan a route and what to take with you, where is it better to stay overnight and what interesting things can you see besides banal sights, how not to run into trouble and how to communicate with the locals. It's impressive, a little crazy and, most importantly, budget travel anyone can repeat.

* * *

The following excerpt from the book By train: Journey from Vladivostok to Moscow (Alexander Luchkin, 2017) provided by our book partner - the company LitRes.

Foreword

Crisis - time of opportunity

Russia from within

Traveling around Russia acquired particular relevance in 2015 in the light of the current economic situation in the country. Many Russians have postponed foreign trips, preferring to travel in their native country. Someone in spite of the sanctions imposed by Europe. The “siloviks” and civil servants were strongly recommended by the “personnel officers” to plan vacations in the Crimea and on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. Someone turned out to be a hostage of the economic crisis that unexpectedly covered Russia. And now travelers are surfing the Internet in search of information, routes, hotels. Russia, Russia, Russia... Lots of open questions. How safe is it to travel around the country now? Large cities, obviously. And what about depth? What is the level of tourism service? What is actually happening in the country right now?

Residents of the capital travel a lot around the world, discovering new countries and cities. But at the same time, they often forget that they themselves live in a huge interesting country. Not many Muscovites take the risk of traveling beyond the Urals. It's one thing to visit popular tourist places: drive around the cities of the Golden Ring or wave to Lake Baikal. And quite another thing is to visit Vladivostok, Birobidzhan, Chita. See what's going on there. How do people live, where and by whom do they work, what are they interested in, what joys and worries do they have? After all, in these cities life is different from the capital.

About railways, train travel and romance

For Russia, with its climate, distances and roads, railway communication has always played a strategic role. Today, suburban passenger traffic has decreased compared to what it was 30 years ago. Many rural residents moved to cities, an extensive network of roads increased, cars became more accessible. Many railway lines closed due to unprofitability and dilapidation, not to mention the cancellation of commuter trains and trains on existing routes. Disappeared convenient and original form of railway transport - narrow gauge.

Most recently, the Russian railway celebrated its 175th anniversary. It is amazing how the construction of railways influenced the development of certain regions of Russia, the fate of their inhabitants. In order to get acquainted with the life of the country and the history of railways, a railway trip is the best suited.

What type of transport to choose to see the city? Bus? Bike? I think the best way to see the city is by walking. And the country should be crossed by trains.

Way to travel long distances suburban electric trains not new. From time immemorial, students, tourists, beneficiaries and other people moved from place to place in this way, who saved on travel or, for some reason, hid their movement from the authorities. After all, to purchase a ticket for an electric train, documents are not needed. In the people, this way of riding is called "getting on the crossbars" or "riding the dogs." In the late Soviet period - the time of dawn passenger traffic train travel was the most in demand. There were a huge number of suburban routes throughout the country, including quite exotic ones. It was possible in Moscow at the Kursk railway station to take the Moscow-Vladimir train. Having reached Vladimir, transfer to an electric train to Gorokhovets and, changing from one electric train to another, get to Vladivostok.

What can be seen from the window commuter train? Forest, field, stations, holiday villages… But not only that. Traveling by train, you can see the whole country. Get acquainted with its history, architecture, features and customs.

The train is a special world. It has everything you need for have a good travel:

Enough freedom. There is no need to book tickets, look for parking or arrive early for check-in. You can be late and take the next train, get off at any station, re-plan the route on the go, and generally improvise.

Beauty and romance. Traveling by train, enjoy the beauty of nature. Sometimes you wonder how skillfully the railway is inscribed in the natural landscape. You can admire the landscapes passing by the window and watch the life of the road.

Communication, discoveries and stories ride alongside you. The passengers of the train are local residents with whom you can talk and learn a lot of interesting things about the person or place where you have been brought. The principle begins to work, which is called the "Effect of a random fellow traveler." You meet unintentionally and you probably know that after a while you will part forever. Under this condition, the interlocutor will willingly share his story, and maybe even reveal a terrible secret to you.

Reliability. Sometimes it is a pity for the lost time when you made an appointment, and the person is late. This does not happen on the railroad. The schedule is like a reinforced concrete foundation, based on which you can plan time, meetings, transfers.

Availability. Anyone on the shoulder independent travel by train. This does not require special skills, knowledge or equipment. By changing from one train to another, you can cover considerable distances. On average, a kilometer of the way costs about two rubles, which is quite inexpensive.

Independent travel

Modern people are spoiled for all-inclusive tours. Most organizational problems are the concern of the operator: transport, accommodation, food, security. The traveler is spared from solving everyday issues.

But if a person has his own unique idea, he takes the path of planning independent travel. You have to invent everything yourself. A person goes on such a trip to know the world, to discover something new. Independent travel allows you to notice the unusual in the simplest and most ordinary things. Get acquainted with interesting people, teach to be creative, independent, enthusiastic. Don't just go with the flow, but navigate the flow of life.

How was the trip

In the summer of 2015, I took a plane ticket from Moscow to Vladivostok, upon arrival I boarded an electric train from Vladivostok to Cape Astafiev and set off on a train journey from Vladivostok to Moscow across the country in order to see with my own eyes how Russia lives today.

The journey took place in the format of a railway expedition. On the train reached the final station and changed to the next train. Sometimes the train had to wait for several hours, or even days. On the way, I tried to cover the maximum number of attractions, chat with local residents to find out how life is in a particular place. For overnight stays I had tourist tent. In large cities, he stayed in hotels and hostels. An approximate branch of the route was planned: a list of cities and sights that it would be interesting to visit. The rest is pure improvisation. Along the way, I kept a blog where I posted daily travel notes and reflections on what they saw. It was solo travel. When you travel alone, there are some advantages:

Easier to organize and plan your trip. There is no need to coordinate the route and its changes with other participants.

Higher ground speed along the route, do not expect colleagues.

You do not lock yourself into group conversations, and communication with local residents goes better.

A loner has a high responsibility, you have to rely only on yourself. Hence the security.

At the same time, during the trip, impressions are accumulated that you want to share. It's good to have someone close to you. If the trip is solo, you can talk with people around you, blog, post photos online and chat with friends. Support and feedback from other people on the journey is very important.

About this book

Before you is a collection of travel notes of the expedition. I had to rack my brains over how to place the most interesting notes and at the same time observe the chronology and sequence of the route. As a result, I decided to tell the story as we move along the railway - from the starting point to the final point, and to name the chapters of the book by the names of the railways.

Moving along the route, I published travel notes on the blog. It can be said that this book was written on the way. I wrote on trains, in waiting rooms, in city parks, in hostel kitchens, in a tent in a parking lot. To make it easier for readers of the blog to follow my movements, I named each daily publication by name. settlements the described section of the route. And in the book I decided to leave original titles, keeping the link to the blog posts, not the route. So it is better to see that the book is assembled from days and thousands of kilometers, and not from chapters.

In our time, I see an increase in interest in traveling around Russia. Many choose the railway as a reliable and inexpensive mode of transport. I hope the information will be useful to a wide range of readers interested in travel and railways. You might want to follow my path and travel through Russia by train. In this case, the book will become a practical guide for you.

This is not a guide. It was not my goal to write only about sights. In general, I try not to get carried away reading descriptions and comments of other travelers about places where I just have to visit. It is interesting to find out for yourself, to feel like a pioneer.

The book highlights the practical issues of traveling by train. This information can be used in different ways. Someone will say: “Yeah, it turns out that you can travel like that!” Someone will take a ready-made recipe, substitute their initial data into it and get the trip of their dreams. And someone will borrow interesting chips and life hacks and use them for their trips.

In any case, there is a set of standard rakes. The information obtained from the book will allow you not to step on a rake when planning a trip and make the trip as comfortable, safe and productive as possible. “Forewarned is forearmed,” goes the saying. The next chapter will arm you with valuable practical advice for the preparation and organization of independent travel.

Russia is a huge country, where several time zones are intertwined. You can overcome them by any type of transport, except perhaps water. In this article we will talk about such a type of recreation as traveling by train in Russia.

Since our country is huge, there are also a great many options for where to go by train, including:

travel on the Trans-Siberian railway;
voyage along the Circum-Baikal Railway;
tour to the southern part of Russia;
a trip along the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM);
Excursion on a retro train along the Golden Ring of Russia.

And there can still be a great many such options (from Novosibirsk to Chita or from Birobidzhan to Nakhodka).

Romance railway consists in the measured tapping of the wheelset on the rails, the endless landscapes flickering outside the window and the opportunity to know the depth of the Russian hinterland (even if only superficially).

Transsib

The main transport hub of our country is the Trans-Siberian Railway, the construction of which began a long time ago, in 1891. The Trans-Siberian Railway can be reached from the western part of our homeland to Far East, to the eastern sea gates of the country - Vladivostok. The distance that separates Moscow and Vladivostok is 9 thousand km. This is about six days of travel and seven time zones. Some sites, when asked how many time zones the Trans-Siberian trains cross, give the wrong answer that 9 or eight. The correct answer is still five, because the Trans-Siberian Railway did not stretch from Moscow, but from the Chelyabinsk region, the city of Miass to Vladivostok, but it was fixed among the masses that the Trans-Siberian Railway begins in Moscow. This is not important, it is important what emotions await tourists on the specified route.

Which cities does the Trans-Siberian Railway pass through?

It all starts in the western part of the country and this section includes such big cities, how:

Yaroslavl.
Volga.
Kirov.
Permian.

Yekaterinburg.
Tyumen.
Irtysh.

Of course, without Siberian cities, nowhere, and this:

Novosibirsk.
Krasnoyarsk.
Yenisei.
Taishet.

By the way, a branch to the Baikal-Amur Mainline begins beyond Taishet, which will be discussed below.

In Transbaikalia, the train will proceed through:

Irkutsk.
Ulan-Ude.
Chita.

And finally, the Far East, where the train passes through such important cities, how:

Birobidzhan.
Khabarovsk.
Ussuriysk.
Vladivostok.

And the Khabarovsk Territory is also famous for its huge bridge across the Amur River. Naturally, it is not comparable with the bridge to the Crimean peninsula, but there is something to see there.

Compared to flying by plane, the cost of a compartment car will be about the same, but do not forget about food, because you get food on the plane, and you will have to provide for yourself on the train.

Many are interested in the price of traveling by train along the Trans-Siberian Railway, and the prices are approximately as follows:

reserved seat - 10300–11500;
coupe - 14000 - 24000;
SV (Lux) - 64000 - 67000;

Five trains run along the route, one of which is branded and is called "Russia".

If you plan to travel from St. Petersburg, you will first need to get to Moscow. The route will start from the Yaroslavsky railway station, and its end will be at the identical appearance Vladivostok railway station.

Vladivostok Station was built on purpose exactly like Yaroslavsky Station (outside). There is a secret meaning in this, when the starting and ending points coincide.

From the tips that can be given to travelers, we highlight the most important:

make friends with the conductor;
take wet wipes with you;
do not neglect brushing your teeth;
no need to fill your suitcase with perishable food;
be prepared that not every station will sell food (and in general, its quality is not very good).

BAM

A trip on the railway that connects the Taishet station and Sovetskaya Gavan is a kind of adventure, as the route is not as common as the Trans-Siberian, but has its own zest. So, BAM passes from the opposite side of Baikal, and you can enjoy the northern views of this lake. Naturally, there is more than one stop near the lake, which means there will be an opportunity to take a photo or video against the backdrop of Lake Baikal.

BAM crosses the Trans-Siberian in the Taishet region, but despite this, it is shorter by 500 km.

The railroad passes through:

Bratsk.
Ust-Ilimsk.
Severobaikalsk.
Tynda (considered the capital of BAM).
February.
Komsomolsk.
Vanino.
Soviet harbor.

And yes, BAM does not enter Khabarovsk, despite the fact that it is the capital of the Far East.

The prices for the train on the route Taishet - Sovetskaya Gavan are as follows:

reserved seat - 6500–7500;
coupe - 10000–11000;
SV (Lux) - 20000–24000.

Circum-bayalka

There is an impromptu cruise on the territory of Transbaikalia. Which runs along the Circum-Baikal Railway (CBR). This tourist railway tour lasts for one day, from morning to evening and includes not just a trip, but also walks in places where the train makes stops. The fact is that this route was conceived to attract foreigners, to show them the beauty of Baikal.

A fun route runs just along the shore of the lake, and comfortable carriages allow you to fully enjoy the magnificent landscapes.

There are two options:

high-speed electric train;
steam locomotive.

Both of them have their pros and cons. In the first case, this is speed and a softer move, but then you will not be able to fully enjoy the scenery. As for the second option, it's like plunging into the Soviet past, when most of the railways were not yet electrified.

Residents of Irkutsk, as one give positive feedback this tour. The Baikal railway route departs every day, however, on honorable days the train goes through Slyudyanka, and on odd days in the opposite direction and before the final destination, the train stops in the same Slyudyanka.

A train ticket costs from 3,500 rubles to 5,000 rubles. The most expensive is the price for foreign citizens, and the cheapest for a child. On average, for an adult Russian resident, a one-way ticket will cost 4,000 rubles.

Journey to the South

If a long journey to Siberia or the East is not included in your plans, you can ride to the southern borders of Russia (Anapa, Sochi). But the southern trains are sometimes the only opportunity for some Russians to relax at sea, since a plane ticket in the summer will be quite expensive.

What can be said about the trains following in southbound. In fact, you don’t have to do it once at a time (and this applies to any direction). Recently, Russian Railways has already turned its face to passengers and is beginning to introduce ultra-modern cars, where it is pleasant to be even in a reserved seat. Everything works in them (air conditioner and toilet), windows open, in general, a fairy tale.

But, the old carriages, which are well known to the Russian passenger, have not gone away either. Here the worst of the scenarios can happen: the window is closed, the air conditioner does not work, and the toilet is also locked.

A significant item for the southern train is air conditioning. When buying, we recommend overpaying a few hundred rubles, but choosing better wagon with him.

life hacks

There are certain life hacks, using which your trip will sparkle with new colors. So, before leaving:

if there is one mistake in your full name or document number on your ticket, the conductor will let you into the car (the main thing is that there should be no more than one mistake, otherwise change it);
it happens that the disease takes you by surprise, but you have to go. No need! Get an official document in the hospital - a certificate and you will be transferred the date of departure at the box office;
if you overdid it and arrived at the station very early, you can leave on another train - contact the ticket office and ask to make a note on the ticket;
along the way. You have the right to get off at any station and after 10 days continue on the same ticket, however, you need to check in at the ticket office of the station where you got off.

In the wagon

The conductor is obliged to assist you in loading and unloading things, and also to make your bed (nothing personal, just rules). And by the way, the linen cannot be wet, if it is not, ask for a replacement.

The conductor should wake you up on demand, call the restaurant car employee if you need to make an order.
If you have an upper seat, then you will have to store your things above your head, alas, according to the rules, the passenger of the lower bunk has the right to the entire volume under his seat.

What you can get on the train for free:

glass and spoon;
board games;
sewing accessories;
medical supplies.

If you want to get a compartment of “increased comfort” for personal use, but for a simple compartment of conductors, sometimes places 37 and 38 are put up for sale, they are the compartment with two beds. Of the minuses, it is crowded there, but there are half as many people.

Do not confuse, the 37th and 38th places in the Platzkart are the sides of the toilet, with all the ensuing consequences.

So, traveling by train in Russia is an interesting and exciting adventure, provided there are normal carriages and adequate conductors.

Do not forget to share your impressions of the holiday in the comments, they are needed for those who have not yet decided on the choice of place and type of holiday.

It turns out that there are 11 stations of the Trans-Siberian Railway in Yekaterinburg! Not 1-2 stations, but 11 stations, from one end of the city to the other, and they all stand on the Trans-Siberian Railway! Stunned. I decided to go and see them all.
So the start was from the Yekaterinburg Passenger station.

I liked the Kurgan electric train, I even wanted to ride to Kurgan.

Belarusian train "Minsk-Novosibirsk". My favorite train. In Belarus, trains are not painted gray-red, unlike our trains. The only thing I don't like about Russian Railways is the gray color.

I sit down in the train "Ekaterinburg-Oshchepkovo".

Inside, she looks like this. For some reason, in our trains, carriages are both more comfortable and simple, with board seats, they cost the same. Exception - Swallows.

Station Pervomaiskaya. There is no train station, the city is visible from the other side. But the doors opened on this side.

I will return to this station way back, if now I would go out on it, I would stick around there for two or three hours until the next train. I built the route in such a way that I didn’t stay at the stations for a long time and it looked like this: Ekaterinburg passenger -Khutoryata-Shartash-Ekaterinburg passenger-Ekaterinburg Sorting-Ekaterinburg passenger. This is where I left, the rest I photographed from the train.

Station Permit. Here is a fence along the railway almost throughout Yekaterinburg. I used to think that this is a station where tickets are issued.

Chapaevskaya.

1826 kilometer.

Source. Photographed through the glass in the vestibule. It's all about Yekaterinburg, not a suburb!

That's all, let's go, we arrived at the other end of the city, the Khutoryata station. It is not far from Yekaterinburg airport.

Khutoryata is 1832 kilometers of the Trans-Siberian Railway. I saw the Trans-Siberian pole.

40 minutes before the return train, I decided to go to some store, not to stand at the bus stop, and at the same time explore the area.

After 10 minutes, I stumbled upon the Kirovsky chain store. I was surprised to note that it is five times larger than the Kirovsky store in my area, although I live near the center, and this is the outskirts.

I buy children's yogurt and a banana, I notice several children at the checkout, buying chips and kirieshki crackers, and I go to the station. What will happen to children's stomachs in 20 years if they have been eating such muck every day since childhood?

Now we're going in the opposite direction.

I get off at Shartash station. Here from such an electric train.

Shartash railway station is gray, inside is very ancient...and cold.

Inside the train station.

Columns, ovens..

It’s boring to sit inside, I go outside, despite the fact that it’s -8 degrees outside and it’s snowing ...

I'm going up the bridge.

And I see tanks!! I rub my eyes and still see tanks! Moreover, they do not go somewhere, but stand, attached to old wagons. But at the Sortirovka station, I saw tanks driving!

I didn't have to admire the tanks for a long time, an electric train approached the passenger station Yekaterinburg. Here is such.
I stayed on Shartash for about 50 minutes.

We arrive in Yekaterinburg. 30 minutes to the next train. Breakfast was a long time ago, and it’s already getting close to evening, I go to the Fork-Spoon dining room in the station building and buy a set lunch. That's what, and in the dining room in this always fresh food. You can safely eat. Checked multiple times.

Salad with carrots, borscht, buckwheat with meatballs, bread, compote, 119 rubles in total.

We get on the third train. We go to the station, which is located at the other end of the city of Yekaterinburg, standing on the Trans-Siberian highway-Yekaterinburg-Sortirovochny.

We pass the VIZ site.

Electrodepot.

The last station of my mini-journey is Yekaterinburg-sorting station.

I wanted to go across the bridge and take pictures of the old steam locomotives.

Incredible long bridge.

The blizzard rose strong, the snow fell with the wind and fell. I could go back in 15 minutes and in an hour and 10 minutes. I wanted to see old steam locomotives under open sky and I decided to go in an hour.
I go down from the bridge, I see there are no locomotives! Some freight trains.

We were in the spring with my daughter, and looked at these locomotives, I then forgot my camera. You go down from the bridge, and immediately the old cars stopped. But here it is not. True, there were some pair of wagons at the depot, I decided to at least look at them. And where are the rest?

And the weather is like this. Everything is covered with snow.

Falling into the snow, I photograph a couple of old cars, and I understand that I am not there! In the spring, everything was different, and there was no depot nearby. Maybe I went down the wrong bridge.

Here are the wagons.

At the station, my train blew a whistle, the next one was only an hour later. And then a man in the clothes of a guard came out of the gate and walked towards me. I thought, well, that's it, now they will detain me for taking a photo of the cars in the wrong place! And ran to the bridge. Let him delay on the bridge, not here. There are cameras on the bridge, people are walking.

The man is behind me. A small five-minute race through the snowdrifts, and I'm on the bridge. I'm waiting for him. It was especially creepy to look at him when he resolutely approached with a quick step. I decided not to wait, and seized the initiative: "Can you tell me where the open-air museum with old cars is? Can't I find it?" Well, I got lost, everything happens. "

"A museum? With wagons? Yes, it's not at this station! It's at the Electrodepo station!" It turned out that this was just a station worker in black clothes, going to the train, and I mistook him for a security guard. Here again, I mixed everything up, and now I have to freeze for an hour at this station, and wait for the next train. There are no old wagons here!

At the station, only one frostbitten man was waiting for the train; to keep warm, he continuously jumped and jumped off the bench.

In order not to get snow and wind in my face, I hid under the bus stop and got ready to wait for the train for about an hour. Passed by the train "Russia" Vladivostok-Moscow, with painted cars.

Well, my train finally arrived. By the end of the hour, I had almost turned into an icicle.

What a warm ride!

After 9 minutes they arrived, and I realized that I couldn’t go home until I warmed up somewhere thoroughly, and I didn’t drink very hot tea. I had to go back to the dining room and drink tea with the Sweet Tooth cake.
Hot tea, a cake with boiled condensed milk, nuts and dried apricots did their job, I warmed up and was even ready to repeat this frostbitten journey at least once more.