Traveling by train in Russia is not just a necessity, but an experience all to itself. Our train left at 9:30 pm bound for Krasnoyarsk. With our arrival about 10 the next morning. We found it easy and fast to obtain our preordered tickets, and after a review of our passports by the platform agent, we hauled our bags up through the door and made our way down the hall to our second class cabin.
The cabin itself reminds me of a university dorm room -- 2 bunk beds about 4 feet apart with a table in between. There is plenty of storage for bags and food items. There is even a shade to pull down to keep out the football stadium-like lights shining through in the middle of the night during one of the train's many pit stops.
You barely notice the train departing. In fact, I looked out the window and thought the train next to us was moving. When rolling fast, it is hard not to notice, but it is still possible to sleep relatively well with a few occasional disturbances during the night. It is still better than some of the economy motels in the US with noisy guests.
The downside to train travel is the lack of good food. Tea in the restaurant car was reasonable priced (under $5) but on the way back we purchased a fish sandwich -- consisting of two pieces of toast with slivers of raw fish -- for about $10. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. It is not a bad idea to purchase food before leaving).
On the way back we upgraded to first class and did notice a difference in quality. The room seemed cleaner and there was a TV with 2 stations playing old Soviet films and a comedy show. The bathrooms are also a sizable improvement over second class. The toilets in 2nd class were little more than a hole over the tracks with a seat. The toilets in 1st class seemed like real toilettes. Also the sink worked in 1st, which is always a plus.
Although not the comfort of a hotel, train travel affords a decent night's sleep and I highly recommend it for a journey of several hundred miles.
The hallway in our train car:
The cabin itself reminds me of a university dorm room -- 2 bunk beds about 4 feet apart with a table in between. There is plenty of storage for bags and food items. There is even a shade to pull down to keep out the football stadium-like lights shining through in the middle of the night during one of the train's many pit stops.
You barely notice the train departing. In fact, I looked out the window and thought the train next to us was moving. When rolling fast, it is hard not to notice, but it is still possible to sleep relatively well with a few occasional disturbances during the night. It is still better than some of the economy motels in the US with noisy guests.
The downside to train travel is the lack of good food. Tea in the restaurant car was reasonable priced (under $5) but on the way back we purchased a fish sandwich -- consisting of two pieces of toast with slivers of raw fish -- for about $10. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. It is not a bad idea to purchase food before leaving).
On the way back we upgraded to first class and did notice a difference in quality. The room seemed cleaner and there was a TV with 2 stations playing old Soviet films and a comedy show. The bathrooms are also a sizable improvement over second class. The toilets in 2nd class were little more than a hole over the tracks with a seat. The toilets in 1st class seemed like real toilettes. Also the sink worked in 1st, which is always a plus.
Although not the comfort of a hotel, train travel affords a decent night's sleep and I highly recommend it for a journey of several hundred miles.
The hallway in our train car:
Our cabin (on the return trip in 1st class):
The restaurant car:
