| Trans-Siberian – The Last Great Journey |
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In each edition of Executive Venturer, we plan to venture into territory you might not have previously considered. Mention Great Train Journeys of the World, and one name springs to mind – the Orient Express. After a little more thought, your Trivial Pursuit player should be able to come up with the only other real contender. This month, we travel across the vast, awe-inspiring steppes of Russia, aboard the famous Trans-Siberian Railway. Once in YOUR Lifetime? If gliding along in chic 1920s luxury with discreet service, starched linen and enlightened conversation is your thing – book yourself aboard the former. If, however, you have a slightly more adventurous spirit, then a trip from Moscow to Vladivostok – or Beijing, or Khabarovsk (or somewhere close to Khabarovsk) – will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Trans-Siberian railway is not just one journey, but four. You can do it from East to West, starting in Moscow, or be idiosyncratic and go the other way. The original line, from Moscow to Vladivostok, was completed in 1909. At Tarskaya, the Trans-Manchurian parts company with it to continue South East into China towards Beijing. The Trans-Mongolian line turns South at Ulan Ude to Ulan-Bataar, then rattles South East through Mongolia, and on to the fabled city of Xanadu! (That’s Beijing again.) The fourth line (completed in 1984), the Baikal Amur Mainline, reaches the Pacific to the north east of Khabarovsk, taking in, amongst some pretty forbidding scenery, the stunning northern coast of Lake Baikal. The Real Thing And scenery is what the journey is about. Take the Dr Zhivago option: a winter journey, with romantic views of the snowy Russian countryside; across tundra, the vast Siberian plain, and seemingly never-ending forests of pine and birch. Ah! Or extend the week-long journey by stopovers, but book each leg as a separate journey or you lose the option of a sleeping compartment. The warmer months are the best time to do this, being more conducive to outdoor activities like hiking, especially around Lake Baikal; or perhaps horse riding in Mongolia – or how about camel-riding in the Gobi Desert? Remember, the Trans-Siberian is still an all-year-round, everyday service, so you will be jostled along your journey with Russian babushkas, Mongolian merchants and Chinese students among a host of others. Handy Hints or Basic Essentials? A few tips to finish off with. Take cash. Don't rely on travellers cheques and ATMs outside places like Moscow, St Petersburg or Beijing. US Dollars are always a good bet. And while we're on the subject of paper, toilet facilities along the way may not be up to the standard you have come to expect. Food varies according to region, and might not be to everyone's taste, so a thoughtful selection of snacks is a good idea. True, champagne and caviar are available at reasonable prices during the Russian leg, but in Mongolia it helps to be particularly fond of mutton. Note: toilets aboard the train are always closed and locked when the train is stopped, and at border crossings, delays of up to six hours are not unknown. |
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