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Trans-Siberian

Way to Russia Talk Lounge Forum Index -> Trans-Siberian

Author	Message
zoelive Just Starting Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 1	Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:43 pm    Post subject: Trans-Siberian Hi! Also, can I go to Almaty from Novosibirsk? Will it be included in the Tans-Siberian train ticket? Can I drop off at stops and stay over a couple of days at the city that I drop off at? For example, can I drop off at Moscow and stay 10 days? Cheers, Zoe
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wavetossed WayToRussified Joined: 27 Jun 2004 Posts: 339	Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2005 10:06 pm    Post subject: There is no such thing as a Trans-Siberian train ticket. There are lots and lots of rail lines all over Russia and the former Soviet Union. You can buy tickets to go anywhere that you please. There is a train that runs from Almaty to Moscow via Chelyabinsk. I've been on this line and I was the only foreigner on the train but everyone was very nice. From Chelyabinsk you can take a train to Ekaterinburg and from Ekaterinburg onward to Novosibirsk. However, there aren't too many trains connecting Ekaterinburg to Chelyabinsk so, if I were you, I would take the 4 hour bus ride. It is faster than the train and there are about a dozen buses per day. The bus station is right beside the train station in Chelyabinsk. Ask for a bus to the Northern bus station in Ekaterinburg "Severnoy Avtovokzal" because it is just around behind the train station. You pass the train station just before you get to the Ekaterinburg bus station so pay attention and you will know which direction to walk. If you end up at the southern bus station, best to take a taxi unless you know which tram routes will get you around the town reservoir to the station. By the way, Ekaterinburg is still called Sverdlovsk by the railways. And if you like maps, http://www.rzd.ru has maps showing the whole web of Russian railways. They are organized according to the 17 regional railway operations and are too big to print but just fine to save on your hard drive and and view onscreen. You will be surprised at how many rail lines there are in this HUGE country. By the way, you can't drop off anywhere. That's not how it works. You buy tickets from point a to point b, so if you want a journey with 7 stops, that makes 8 journey segments and you buy each journey segment as a separate ticket for the dates and times that suit you best. For shorter hauls, buy a ticket in Platzkart. For a longer segment, buy Kupe or splurge on SpalVagon (SV). If you change your mind, tickets are as good as cash. Just take them to any train station and get a refund in full from the refund window, then go to another window and buy the replacement. Also, before you queue, make sure you understand the Russian hockey stick queue. The handle part veers off to the left of the window. If you aren't sure where the end is, just go to the person who you think is last, and ask. Have fun!
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vadim Frequent Guest Joined: 16 Nov 2004 Posts: 28 Location: Novosibirsk, Russia	Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:00 pm    Post subject: There is a daily train connection between Almaty and Novosibirsk (trains #301 & 325) The journey takes 44 hours. As people say, the train operated by Russian railways is better than one operated by Kazakh railways. But you should check which one is operated by whom.
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