In Russia we mostly travelled by train. From Saint-Petersburg to Moscow we took a 2nd class night train and got a brand new Firmeny train (it’s not the high-speed Sapsan that links the cities in 4 hours, but is still super modern). Electronic ticketing, wifi, shiny bathrooms – far from the expected old creaky soviet-times trains.
We thought we got lucky that one time, but the luck continued – looks like the fleet is quite renewed. We had made some advance plans for the Transsiberian, planning to stop in Ekateringburg on the way and take 3rd and 2nd class. But we had to change our plans last minute and the only remaining tickets were first class, directly to Irkutsk. It was a bit pricey, but for the 72h we spent in the train, soooo worth it!
We absolutely loved our 4 nights, 3 days in the train. It was like a holiday within the holiday – no need to worry where to go next or walk in the heat – just sit back and read, watch the landscapes, snack on some goodies bought from the baboushkas in the stops, chat with fellow passengers, snooze to the rhythm of the train… We were almost sorry when it was over!
And finally, here’s a little video of what we saw during our 3 days in the train. Enjoy!