Trans Siberian - Longest train Journey

World’s Longest Train Journey


A journey on the Trans Siberian is one of the most forbidable trips a tourist can make. Travellers can go through 7 different time zones and all 4 seasons during their historical journey that binds Moscow to Vladicostok. One fourth of the world is traversed during this journey.

The Trans Siberian Railway is the longest and most famous railroad of the world. Its length is exactly 9289km. Before ending at the Sea of Japan, it connects Russian settlements in Europe and the Far East with railroads coming from China and Mongolia.

Two options are available for travellers. One of them is the Trans Siberian route from which the name of the journey is taken. Beginning in Moscow, the train visits many villages and towns, 9 major Russian cities, as well as Lake Baikal. After 7 days, gliding across Siberia and continuing into Asia, the train arrives at Vladivostok, a seaside city on the Sea of Japan.

The route for the 2nd option, which is mistakenly known as Trans Siberian, actually ends in China and operates on the Trans Manchurian route. This journey also departs from Moscow and stretches into the lower part of the continents into China, arriving in Beijing after a journey of almost 8 days.

Normally, journey durations can be estimated with some precision – within minutes in many cases. However the durations of trips on the Trans Siberian or Trans Manchuria routes are expressed with the words “average” or “about”. The reason for this is very clear: as stated at the beginning, these are journeys of immense distances, embracing all 4 seasons. For this reason, some delays are bound to happen due to blizzards or other problems in the region. Nevertheless legendary journeys on these routes are never left unfinished.

What would you see on your route? The short answer is: three countries, three capitals and 8 important cities. Knowing the names of the cities and other famous destinations only increases the excitement of the journey. A longer answer would be: Moscow, Red Square and the Kremlin … The Volga, the longest river in Europe, the Ural Mountains separating Europe and Asia, Lake Baikal, With the deepest and richest water basin, the Irkutsk where the Russian revolitionists were exiled in the 19th century, a city that has been called the Paris of Russia, Russian taigas and Mongolian steppes, the Gobi Desert, the Cengiz Han Monument, the Tonyukuk Monument, inscribed with Turkey’s first known alphabet, Ulan Batur, the Great Wall of China, Beijing and the Forbidden City.

You can take a break at the most important stops by getting of the train. Passengers can even experience for a while in a tent without electricity or running water, drink horse milk and participate in some ceremonies and local customs.

The Trans Siberian Railway symbolizes “a historical journey”. The construction of the railway started in 1891, during the reign of the Czars, and ended in 1916, at the beginning of the rule of the Soviets.