The following articles, taken from both Russians and Westerners, are full of useful tips for Tran-Siberian travellers, and relate some first-hand accounts of the journey. Through these, we hope to give a realistic and individual picture of the Trans-Siberian experience. Special thanks to our contributors, Masha, Nuutti, and Brian.

Masha, a Russian girl originally from Ulan-Ude, has been on the Trans-Siberian about six or seven times. After Masha moved to St. Petersburg to study she used the Trans-Siberian – a cheaper option for students than flying – to get home for both the winter and summer vacations. However it is not the quickest option: the trip from Moscow to Ulan-Ude takes five days, and you have to add one night trip between St. Petersburg and Moscow. To make the journey easier, she would travel one way by plane.

Masha has the following advice for Trans-Siberian travellers, based on her own experiences:

Travel Platzcart, the cheaper-class car, and take the upper berth. This way, you will have more privacy to do what you want (for Masha, this was reading and sleeping). On the lower berths people like to sit and talk or stare out the window, so it is most likely you won't get much rest there. Why not coupe? Well, apart from the extra cost, there are a few other minuses. For a start your company is limited, and you might find yourself stuck with a boring, rude or drunk person for five days.

If you are unlucky enough to get bad neighbours, you can ask the Provodnik (the guy or girl, usually no older than 30, who collects your tickets, hands out bedding, etc) for help. If they have spare places they can move you, but if there are no spare places, it could turn out that you will have to suffer. You can offer the Provodnik some money if you are really desperate, then he might figure something out for you; perhaps even moving you to a different car. However, no one really guarantees you being safe. If something bad is going on and the Provodnik doesn't help, you can find the Head of the Train.

Generally speaking, though, you should have no problems. Masha saw some drunk people and met some people that weren't fun to talk to, but the situation never got out of control. Once she shared a car with a man who slept all the time and was snoring very loudly. Masha just asked the Provodnik to give her another place and he obliged – with

Usually on the Trans-Siberian you will see two Provodniks - the day and the night one. They have their own compartment, where they sleep, and which also contains a small kitchen. You can buy food from them during the journey. They wash the floors twice a day and offer you tea or coffee. They earn a decent wage – around $300 for the two-week round trip – and consequently (or perhaps just because) they are generally quite friendly.

Masha loves train journeys. Just imagine: during five days you live like one big family, especially in Platzkart. You can become friends with many new people but don’t worry: people usually won't bother you if you are reading or thinking.

Interesting international encounters are (almost) a given on the Trans-Siberian: once Masha was traveling from Moscow to Ulan-Ude and in the next compartment there were two old ladies – one from Moldova and one from Ukraine – who also happened to be accomplished folk singers. Like good musicians they entertained the carriage for the entire journey – and were a good deal more pleasant to listen to than the depressive, psychedelic teenage singers who entertained the car on another occasion. Needless to say these encounters are much more likely in Platzkart.

Smells are something you have to think about when you decide to travel by train. It is absolutely no secret that people have lots of smells and hygeine is not a top priority for all. You should always ask the provodniks to turn on the air conditioning, and let them know if they have overdone the heating. The more expensive trains on the Trans-Siberian, like the "Baikal" train, which runs from Moscow to Irkutsk, have showers.

Masha usually takes yoghurts and fast kashas, to which you just add hot water. For the first two days you basically can take whatever you want, the products won't spoil. You will also need a spoon, a plate, and a cup. Napkins, the moistened and the normal ones, and toilet paper are other essentials. Passing by different cities you can buy a lot of food made in those regions and places. However, Masha claims that you never know who made it and in what way the food was prepared and so on, and doesn’t take part in this tradition. Continue reading…

Of course you can eat ice-cream and potatoes without any doubt, but be careful about pastries, especially those with meat. Juices, lemonade and beer are readily available at every stop, but clean water is rarer, so make sure you take some supplies.

Despite Masha’s circumspection, she admits that the food sold at stops can be pleasantly surprising, from cookies and cream cakes near Omsk to high-quality fish around Lake Baikal.

Where to keep all this food? In the winter trains you can use refrigerators. These are special pods or tanks located behind the walls in the platforms between the cars. To access your food you need to ask the provodniks, who have the keys, and pay them a small service fee – around 100 roubles ($3).

It is pretty clear that taking a week journey on the train you will need some comfortable clothes: T-shirts and trainers are best. Take a warm sweater no matter if it is summer or winter. Be careful, especially at night when your blanket can fall off. Your car may have a draft, so if you have a choice, try to sleep away from the window. If it is too cold you can plug the window up with extra blankets or some clothes. One interesting thing is that in summer as well as in winter the temperature in the car is about the same, however in winter it is fresher and altogether more pleasant.

At longer stops (from 10 to 30 minutes in general), you should always take a short walk to avoid the giddiness that can sometimes result from confinement in the train. When you go out or just leave your place don’t forget to take your valuables (including good quality shoes, something of a rarity in Russia).

Masha notes that while traveling through Russia on the train is a lot of fun, the landscapes are not always inspiring. The train stops at big cities twice a day, other than that you will see lots of minor villages, which are pretty much the same. The central part of Russia is more beautiful and you will see some churches in Old Russian style and some interesting cities. Unfortunately, the central part will end very fast, and while the journey continues through the Urals with its magnificent mountains, this is at night. Then you will enter to the Great Central Plain of Russia, which is not much fun consisting, as the name suggests, of a long plain. Be ready for the river crossings – these are true highlights, and prepare to be overwhelmed when you enter the Irkutsk region! Charming mountains, beautiful hills and the rich landscapes will lead you to atmospheric Lake Baikal and the famous Russian steppes. The transformation from Western to Eastern culture will also impress you, especially in Chinese-influenced Ulan-Ude, Masha’s hometown.