There is some special magic in traveling by train. The constantly changing landscape outside the window, the rhythmic clatter of wheels, random fellow travelers… For those who want to prolong this magic, and at the same time look at familiar and not so familiar countries from the window, we have chosen six routes, the trip in which lasts more than three days.
Moscow — Vladivostok (Russia)
Travel time: 144 hours 10 minutes (>6 days).
Length: 9,288 km.
Ticket cost: from 17,400 rubles (reserved seat). Price may be lower in low season.
Where to buy: onetwotrip.com.
Train: branded train “Russia”.
This is the longest railway passenger route in the world, which also passes through the territory of one country. For the first time, the branded train “Russia” set off on the route on September 30, 1966. Then the trip took 16 days. Today you will spend two and a half times less on travel: only six days. Along the way, the train will stop at 63 stations, the longest – 35 minutes – in Irkutsk.
The train cars are painted in the Russian tricolor with the country’s coat of arms. Tickets can be purchased for reserved seats, compartments and SV. The carriages have refrigerators, microwaves, showers, electric stoves, hair dryers and irons – in general, the journey is quite comfortable. The staff car is equipped for passengers with disabilities. For passengers with children there is a playroom: a compartment with toys and children’s books.
The train runs every other day, leaving Moscow on odd days, and from Vladivostok on even days. Ticket sales begin 45 days before departure.
Dibrugarh – Kanniyakumari (India)
Travel time: 82 hours (3.5 days).
Length: 4,233 km.
Ticket prices: from 1105 rupees (1030 rubles) for SL class carriages.
Where to buy: irctc.co.in.
Train : Vivek Express.
A great chance to travel across India: the train goes from the southern tip (the city of Kanniyakumari) to the extreme northeast of the country (Dibrugarh). You will pass through Assam, West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The train makes 57 stops along the way.
The train has seats in classes 2A, 3A and SL. The best seats are in 2A: similar to our compartments with compartments, but instead of a door to the corridor there is a curtain. These carriages have air conditioning and each compartment has 2 soft shelves on each side.
In carriages 3A, seats are of a lower class. There is also air conditioning here, and the layout of the seats is similar to a Russian reserved seat. There are three soft shelves in the reserved seat compartment, and two along the aisle. Both 2A and 3A ticket prices include bedding.
SL is the most popular passenger class in India. Such carriages can be compared to our reserved seat, only the ceilings here are higher, so the third shelf is also allocated for a passenger seat. There are no air conditioners in such cars; instead there are ceiling fans.
Toronto – Vancouver (Canada)
Travel time: 83 hours (3 days 4 hours).
Length: 4,466 km.
Ticket prices: from $530 (31,500 rubles) per seat in Economy.
Where to buy: viarail.ca.
Train: The Canadian.
If you want to get to know Canada, the best way to do it is by The Canadian train: it crosses almost the entire country. The train got its name from the famous Canadian Pacific, which ran on the route from 1955 to 1978. Today passengers have access to a more modern and comfortable “Canadian”.
Seats are available in three classes: Economy, Sleeper Plus and Prestige. In the economy seating: the seats are comfortable, reclining, but traveling in them for three days is still not very comfortable. The seats in Sleeper Plus are a bit like a Russian reserved seat; the upper bunks are separated by curtains. Prestige is a separate comfortable compartment with a toilet and TV. All passengers also have access to general carriages with panoramic windows.
The train goes through almost the entire country, which, by the way, is not very densely populated, so get ready to see a lot of forests. Passengers say that sometimes moose, deer and even bears come out to the tracks. The train makes stops in Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Jasper.
Photo: belmond.com
Bangkok – Singapore
Travelling time: from Singapore to Bangkok 3 days and 2 nights, from Bangkok to Singapore 4 days and 3 nights.
Length: 2,180 km.
Ticket prices: from $2,960 (175,500 rubles) per seat in a Pullman compartment.
Where to buy: belmond.com.
Train: Orient Express and Oriental Express.
No, this is not the same train as described in the famous detective story by Agatha Christie (that “Orient Express” ran between Paris and Istanbul until 1977). But on this train you will make an equally exciting journey, and without incident: you will travel half of Southeast Asia. The train will depart from Bangkok, pass through the whole of Thailand, cross the River Kwai along the way, capture Malaysia, cross the Strait of Johor and finally arrive in Singapore.
The Orient Express is a luxury train. It includes 17 air-conditioned carriages with rich finishes. You can choose from three coupe variants: Pullman, State and Presidential. They differ in their level of comfort and price, but each will have its own shower and toilet, as well as huge windows. There is also a shared colonial-style observation car where you can enjoy cocktails and admire the scenery with other passengers.
Sydney – Perth (Australia)
Travelling time: 65 hours (about 3 days).
Duration : 4,500 km.
Ticket prices: from $2,600 (154,000 rubles) for a seat in a “Gold Class” carriage.
Where to buy: greatsouthernrail.com.au.
Train: Indian Pacific.
A train that crosses the Australian continent from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. Twice weekly trains depart from Perth to Sydney. There are also two trains a week from Sydney to Perth. The train covers the entire route, approximately 4,500 kilometers long, in 3 days. The train stops in the gold mining capital of Kalgoorlie, Rawlinn, the ghost town of Cook, Adelaide and Broken Hill. In Kalgoorlie, passengers can take a one-and-a-half-hour bus tour for a fee. Please note that the train traveling from Sydney to Perth and the train traveling in the opposite direction stop in different cities along the way.
There are two classes of seats on the Indian Pacific train – “Gold” and “Platinum”. Previously, there were seats in the “Red” carriage, but they decided to abandon them. Now traveling from Sydney to Perth is a luxury excursion that costs quite a significant amount.
Shanghai – Lhasa (China)
Travelling time: 47 hours 40 minutes (in fact, almost 3 days).
Length: 4,373 km.
Ticket prices: from 794 Chinese yuan (6930 rubles) for Hard Sleeper.
Where to buy: chinatibettrain.com.
The railway connects 8 provinces from east to west, so this is a great chance to travel across the whole country. The conductors on the train speak Chinese, Tibetan and English. In general, remember that the train goes to Tibet (Lhasa is the historical capital of Tibet),
so there will be a lot to remind you of this amazing place.
Before boarding the train, tourists must present a special permit to travel to Tibet (permit). He will be checked several more times along the way. Tourists are also asked to fill out a health card: if you have had a heart attack, stroke, or have any chronic respiratory or heart disease, you will not be allowed on the train. The journey still lies ahead in the highlands of the country.
Only one train leaves per day: from Shanghai it leaves at 20:10, from Lhasa at 11:15. According to official information, the train takes a little over 47 hours, but in fact you depart from Shanghai at eight in the evening, and arrive in Lhasa at seven in the evening on the third day of the journey.
Tickets can be bought in two types: Hard Sleeper (something like our reserved seat, there are 6 shelves in the compartment) and Soft Sleeper (compartment for 4 people, soft shelves).
