A journey covering one-eighth of the Earth's circumference on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

I still remember the story my mother told me when I was little. When she was a student, she was sent by the government to study in Albania. The long journey to Albania involved traveling by land through the territories of China, Mongolia, and Russia (then the Soviet Union). It was the first time in her life she had ever traveled by train. Perhaps the young student didn't know that the train ran along one of the world's longest railway lines.Trans-Siberian RailwayShe only remembered the image of the vast taiga forests, of the immense Lake Baikal. She remembered the image of a Russian girl in red boots surrounded by white snow and steppes stretching to the horizon in Mongolia… That was the first thing I learned about it.Trans-Siberian.

A unique railway line

To understand whyTrans-SiberianIt is a unique railway line famous across five continents; here are some related statistics:

Russia is the world's largest country, with an area nearly twice that of the United States.

--Total length of the entire routeTrans-SiberianThe 9,289km railway connecting Moscow and Vladivostok makes it one of the longest in the world. Traveling non-stop, the Trans-Siberian journey in Russia would take 146 hours, or more than six days and six nights.

Over 30% of the world's total green space belongs to Siberia.

--Lake Baikal alongTrans-SiberianIt is considered the oldest, deepest, and largest freshwater lake on the planet, accounting for 20% of the Earth's unfrozen freshwater reserves.

Those who want to experience itTrans-SiberianThere are usually three main options: the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Trans-Mongolian Railway, and the Trans-Manchurian Railway (China). Tourists typically take these journeys between May and November, as the Siberian region becomes too cold during winter.

With the routeTrans-SiberianThe longest leg of the journey, with most travelers starting their trip from Moscow, is considered the "classic" route, traveling from west to east across Russia to Vladivostok. It's worth noting that when traveling...Trans-SiberianIt would be too boring if you chose to stay on the train for the entire journey. Instead, you can choose to stop at a few points to explore, as you can get off at any station you want.

Chug, chug, 5,000 km, from East to West

I decided to start the journey.Trans-SiberianMy journey is in the opposite direction, that is, from East to West. There are several reasons why I want to do that. Firstly, I don't want to travel all the way to Moscow so I can prioritize my time for places I haven't been to before, since I lived in Moscow for quite a long time previously. Secondly, I really want to experience aTrans-SiberianIt's something the Russian people experience in their daily lives, stemming from their origins in the East. And Vladivostok is the ideal place to begin that experience.Trans-SiberianMy place is instead of the crowded and touristy capital, Moscow.

And so my journey begins...

Vladivostok is quite different from what you might imagine Siberia to be like. Located near the easternmost point on the Pacific coast, this small, hilly city is teeming with imported left-hand drive vehicles and electronics from Japan. It boasts a port and a fleet. Walking down the streets, you'll encounter tourists and businesspeople from Korea, Japan, and China, interspersed with a majority of locals of Asian descent, offering a glimpse into a multi-ethnic Russia as you begin your journey from the East.

I boarded the train late at night after two long days of exploring the inner and outer areas of Vladivostok. The train departed right on time, and the passengers, like me, quickly fell asleep.

Trans-SiberianThis railway line was by no means a tourist route, neither in the past nor in the present. Tsar Alexander III understood the crucial importance of connecting vast regions of Russia when he signed the decree for the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway in 1891. This line linked Russia from Europe to the eastern territories, opening up opportunities to exploit the mineral-rich lands beyond the Ural Mountains. It was also an efficient means of transporting political and criminal prisoners exiled to Siberia, as well as quickly transporting soldiers to the newly annexed Amur region, which was constantly threatened by China. At the 1900 Paris Exhibition, a model of this railway line made a strong impression on attendees from around the world.

These days, train seats are almost always fully booked, and it's a vital land transportation option for Russians, Chinese, and Mongolians who can't afford plane tickets or have too much luggage. Everyone has different needs when booking train tickets, but I always choose the most economical class. The main reason isn't just that it's cheaper, but because for me, it's the most interesting way to experience and observe the lives of the locals and interact with them.

On Russian trains, this class is called a platskart – an open-plan, hard-bed carriage with no partitions. Each platskart carriage has 40 berths. Stories, games, food, and drinks are often shared among platskart passengers. This is the least private sleeping class, but it guarantees you the most authentic and enriching local cultural experience.

Over 100 years ago, when the first train began running across Russia to Vladivostok,brochureThe advertisement depicted aTrans-SiberianGlamorous and state-of-the-art, equipped with marble bathtubs, gyms, and even darkrooms for photographers! The situation now is vastly different from then: not every train ofTrans-SiberianThere are also dining cars, power outlets are only at the ends of the cars, and overall the interior furnishings of the train cars are quite outdated. Although there are no bathrooms, what I liked about them was...Trans-SiberianThe toilets are generally kept quite clean despite the high volume of use. Each carriage has a large samovar providing hot water, convenient for making tea or instant noodles. You can buy instant noodles, some snacks, order tea or coffee in each carriage, and order food if your train has a dining car. Most Russians use them.Trans-SiberianI met people along the way who seemed quite familiar with this mode of transportation. They usually carried plenty of food or essential items for a train journey.

I woke up very early, feeling the sky gradually brightening. The moment of lying on the train, gazing out the window just before sunrise, was wonderful. Outside, the world was bathed in a purplish-pink hue, gradually turning into an orange tone. Sunlight pierced through the thick layers of mist, like the drifting clouds on the horizon, creating magical scenes. Along the way, the train stopped at many stations; some for just a couple of minutes, enough time for people to board or disembark, while others lasted 10, 15, or 20 minutes, giving you plenty of time to stroll around the station and buy food from the kiosks or street vendors.

Each stop along the wayTrans-SiberianIt feels like a brief rendezvous with "life" in the midst of nothingness. And then, in an instant, you leave everything behind to vanish into an unreachable region of vast Siberia.

The painting outside the train window.

My morning on the train began when the sun was high in the sky. I woke up to the bright sunlight streaming through the window and the playful sounds of children. It was then that I looked around the carriage: almost every family in my carriage had an average of two children. The children always crowded around me, chatting or occasionally quietly glancing at me from afar, as it was rare to see a foreign tourist who spoke Russian. Surprisingly, they seemed quite accustomed to train travel and behaved independently, causing no inconvenience to those around them.

The scenery outside the window became increasingly captivating. We crossed vast steppes, chilly taiga forests, and vibrant birch groves. Along the winding rivers reflecting the sky were villages, large and small, with charming wooden houses and occasional plumes of white smoke rising from chimneys, appearing along the sun-drenched hillsides—a scene straight out of a fairy tale. Interspersed were countless wildflowers and plants blooming in the warm, sometimes hot, Siberian summer… It felt like watching a slow-motion film sequence.

I completely lost track of time.Trans-SiberianEvery day you wake up thinking, "Where am I? What time is it here?" You frantically change the time on your phone.smartphoneWatches and recording equipment are on full display almost daily! Yes, I'm traveling along the longest railway line on the planet, crossing 7 time zones and running the entire width of the world's largest country, whose territory spans 10 time zones. Sounds crazy, but it's also amazing!

The scenic beauty of Lake Baikal - the emerald jewel of Siberia.

To avoid confusion, the trainsTrans-SiberianAll trains run according to Moscow time. After nearly three days, 62 hours, I arrived at my first stop: Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Buryatia Republic of Russia. By this point, my hair seemed to have turned straw after days without washing.

Ulan-Ude is famous for its Lenin monument featuring the world's largest Lenin head. The Republic of Buryatia today is like a miniature Mongolia, with indigenous people sharing a common culture and Mongolian ancestry, vast green steppes stretching across rolling hills, and proud herds of wild horses. It is also a center of Shamanism and a center of Buddhism in Russia, with its Tibetan Buddhist temples.

Bidding farewell to Ulan-Ude and its surrounding villages, I boarded the train again for my next destination – Irkutsk, the most important stop along this railway line. Irkutsk is 448 km from Ulan-Ude. The most enjoyable aspect for passengers on this leg of the journey is the opportunity to admire Lake Baikal through the windows. The train travels for a long time along the southern edge of the lake. Baikal is so vast that it takes several hours to traverse this section, and for much of the journey, I felt like I was traveling along the coast.

I couldn't miss Lake Baikal and got off at Irkutsk station to go to Olkhon Island – the fourth largest lake island in the world. To get a sense of its size, imagine a place larger than Singapore nestled in the middle of Lake Baikal. I pitched my tent overnight at the foot of a sheer cliff overlooking the lake so I could watch the sunrise. The waves lapped softly, birds sang, and I washed my face with the ice-cold, crystal-clear water. The water was so pure you could drink it directly without boiling or filtering.

I have the feeling that Olkhon is a miniature painting of Siberia. It boasts pristine taiga forests teeming with wildlife, vast green steppes reminiscent of Mongolia, desert-like sand dunes, and sheer cliffs overlooking the boundless blue expanse of Lake Baikal.

Epilogue

TripTrans-SiberianMy journey ended in Novosibirsk, 1,855 km from Irkutsk, or almost a day and a half by train. It's the third largest city in Russia, renowned as the largest scientific and industrial hub in Siberia. From there, I had to transfer to a smaller train heading south in Siberia to continue my still very long journey.

Siberia, for me, is truly vast and immense, and I don't know when I'll ever be able to explore it all; perhaps even a lifetime wouldn't be enough. (Traveling along)Trans-SiberianYou will see a Siberia that is not just taiga and freezing cold as you may have imagined. I am certain that anyone who one day decides to embark on this endless train journey will find their own Siberia.

Along that vital railway line, running east-west in both directions, trains traversing the Siberian desert have continued to run tirelessly day and night for over 100 years, serving the essential transportation needs of the Russian people.

Additional information:

+ Visa

Getting a Russian visa isn't difficult, but it does take time. You must submit your application at least one month before your departure date because the processing time for a tourist visa is 20 working days. Documents submitted to the consulate include an invitation letter (provided by a Russian travel agency, costing from 50 USD per person), and a travel itinerary.bookingFlight and hotel tickets, and adequate health insurance are required. The financial documentation requirements are not as strict as for visas to Western European countries. Tourist visas are valid for one month with fixed entry and exit dates.

If you're traveling in a group, you should call the consulate to schedule an appointment in advance. If you don't have an appointment, you should arrive as early as possible to get in early. The approval rate is very high, so to save time, you can go to the bank and transfer the visa fee in advance. This way, after your application is accepted, it will be processed immediately without interruption.

+ Travel

- Flight tickets: It's advisable to plan early to secure your tickets. Vietnam Airlines and Aeroflot sometimes offer special promotions, with round-trip tickets from Hanoi to Moscow costing around 500-600 USD. Round-trip tickets from Hanoi to Vladivostok with S7 Airlines average around 500 USD.

- Train tickets: During peak season, prices may vary.bookBook your train tickets as early as possible. The website for the Russian railway system is:www.rzd.ruUnfortunately, the train schedule is only available in Russian, so you need to know Russian or ask someone who does to read it.bookTickets are available from this page. If this option is not suitable, you canbookYou can buy tickets through travel agencies or intermediary websites for an additional service fee. However, if you don't want to be restricted by your schedule, you can still buy tickets directly at the train station in Russia. Of course, the closer to the departure date you buy, the lower your chances of getting a good seat.

-The Moscow - Vladivostok train route will cost from 1,130 USD per ticket for a sleeper seat.kupeFirst class (twin room) and $480/ticket for second class (four-room), and from $265 for platskart class.

+ Accommodation

Aside from overnight stays on trains, most Russian cities offer a wide variety of other attractions.hostel, homestayThe hotel is well-equipped, and the prices are all listed on the website.bookingInternational unless you go to more remote places. The Russians themselves when...bookThe hotel also frequently uses systems such asBooking.comFollowing the economic crisis, accommodation prices in Russia have dropped significantly, giving tourists more options. A double room typically costs around $20 per night.

Average cost:In addition to train and plane ticket costs as mentioned above, the average daily spending per person is approximately 30-50 USD or more.

+ Best time to travel

The best time to visit, or peak tourist season, is from May to September. In winter, temperatures in many places can drop below -4°C. However, some tourists still prefer to admire the beauty of frozen Lake Baikal in winter and therefore visit during the cold season.

Where should we stop?

The city of Irkutsk, the next stop on the way to Lake Baikal, is a must-see. The remaining stops depend on your time and needs, mostly major cities along the way, from which you can then travel to more remote areas if necessary.

What should I bring?

-It's a good idea to bring or buy along the way lightweight and easy-to-carry snacks and drinks like fruit, cheese, biscuits, plenty of tea bags or instant coffee packets, instant noodles, etc. Vodka isn't sold at train stations, but Russians will always know where to buy it!

-For personal hygiene convenience, it's advisable to bring wet wipes, as well as a cup and small towels, as the train compartments are not equipped with bathrooms, only sinks and toilets. Only the most luxurious carriages on the Trans-Mongolian route have bathrooms.

-It's a good idea to bring a book, iPad, or any other device to help you kill time during the train journey.

- Carry enough cash because you won't always have the opportunity to buy things at places that accept cards, for example, buying food from street vendors at the rest stop.

+ Special Note

Every time you get off at a station along the way, you should ask about the train's arrival time. Trains run on time and won't wait for you. There have been many cases of tourists who were "too busy sightseeing" and ended up being left behind.

Nguyen Quynh Anh:Freelance Photographer

This Hanoi girl once lived in Moscow (Russia) for a long time. Returning to Vietnam at the end of 2007 after graduating in architecture, Quynh Anh is currently a freelance photographer and also works as a photo contributor for a foreign news agency. Her photos have appeared in many magazines and websites of foreign organizations such as Lonely Planet Publications, National Geographic Traveller, Cosmopolitan, BBC Travel… Notably, her photograph "Tu Le Rice Fields" won awards at international photo contests and reached the final round of prestigious photo competitions such as the National Geographic Travel Photo Contest and SIPA Photo Contest.

Growing up amidst changing environments and exposure to diverse cultures, both Eastern and Western, Quynh Anh has always possessed a curiosity and a desire to explore new lands. The result of such a memorable trip is the article about her journey across Siberia, which she submitted exclusively to Travellive.

Text and photos: Nguyen Quynh Anh

The Thanh