The Trans-Siberian is more than just a train — it’s a 9 000 km journey, stretching from the Red Square to the Pacific, with routes branching into Mongolia (Trans-Mongolian) and China (Trans-Manchurian).
From visas and itineraries to must-see stops and budgeting, planning such trip requires thorough preparation. On this page, I’ll share everything you need to know to travel on the Trans-Siberian railway in 2025, for an unforgettable journey through Russia, Siberia, and Asia!
Last updated on 01/04/2025 – All information about visas, prices, borders, and trains is up-to-date.
TL;DR: Available trains in 2025
🟢 Moscow → Vladivostok : ✅ OK — Direct train, regular service
🟢 Moscow → Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) : ✅ OK — with a change in Irkutsk
🟠 Moscow → Beijing (via Mongolia) : ⚠️ Chinese train service expected to resume by late April
🔴 Moscow → Beijing (via Manchuria) : ❌ Suspended — service expected to resume “this year”
🟢 Vladivostok → South Korea (ferry) : ✅ OK
Visas and formalities: Everything you need to know in 2025
Which visa for the Trans-Siberian ?
✔️ e-Visa: Valid for 16 days, it’s quick to obtain online but doesn’t allow crossing all borders, which may limit certain routes. More details here.
✔️ Regular tourist visa: Stamped in your passport, it offers more flexibility with a validity of 30 days to 3 months, allowing you to cross any border without exception. More details here.
⚠️ A valid travel insurance policy covering the Russian Federation is mandatory for all Russian visas, including the e-Visa. I recommend Attollo Assistance.
Mongolia & China visas
✔️ Mongolia: Citizens of 34 countries, including EU, Switzerland, UK, Australia and New Zealand are exempt from a visa for stays of up to 30 days until the end of 2025. Other nationalities can apply for an e-visa. Note: Most border posts in Mongolia are closed during Naadam, from July 11, 2025, to Tuesday, July 15, 2025.
✔️ China: Citizens of 38 countries, including EU, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand are exempt from a visa for stays of up to 30 days until the end of 2025. Other nationalities must apply for a visa in passport.
South Korea visa
If you plan to take the ferry from Vladivostok to South Korea, be aware that nationals from 67 countries, including EU, UK, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand are temporarily exempt from the K-ETA electronic travel authorization until December 31, 2025. However, it is required to board the ferry.
Route & options: Which train should you choose?
Trans-Siberian vs. Trans-Mongolian vs. Trans-Manchurian
1. The Trans-Siberian (Moscow → Vladivostok, 9288 km, 7 days, 10 time zones)
✔️ The classic option, all in Russia
✔️ Forests, steppes, Siberian izbas, and Lake Baikal
✔️ One Russian visa only
Status :
🟢 Operates year-round
2. The Trans-Mongolian (Moscow → Beijing via Ulaanbaator, 7622 km, 6 days)
✔️ 3 Countries, across the Mongolian steppes and Beijing in the end
✔️ Immersive experience with nomadic herders and nights in yurts
✔️ Requires two additional visas (Mongolia + China) depending on your citizenship
Status :
🟠 Doesn’t “really” operate at the moment; the direct Chinese train from Moscow to Beijing via Ulaanbaatar is expected to resume service by late April 2025 (source: Tass, Russian media).
The best alternative is to change trains in Irkutsk (twice a week). The train crosses the Naushki border, valid with the e-visa.
3. The Trans-Manchurian (Moscow → Beijing via Manchuria, 8961 km, 7 days)
✔️ Direct to China without passing through Mongolia
✔️ Less touristy, more local experience
✔️ Russian and Chinese visas required depending on your citizenship
Status :
🔴 Not operating at the moment; service is expected to resume “this year” (source: Tass, Russian media).
The train will cross the Zabaikalsk border, valid with the e-visa
The different train classes (platskart, kupe, SV)
There are 3 classes on Russian trains:
✔️ First Class (“SV“): Ultimate tranquility. Private compartment for 2 people, offering more space and privacy, but at a significantly higher price.
✔️ Second Class (Kupe): A great balance between comfort and cost. Enclosed compartments with 4 berths (2 lower, 2 upper), quieter atmosphere. You can share with strangers or have it for yourself depending on bookings.
✔️ Third Class (Platskart): The most budget-friendly and authentic option. An open wagon with 54 berths and no enclosed compartments. The most social experience, but no privacy.
Tip for women :
You can book a women-only compartment in 1st and 2nd class (see screenshot).
Tested & approved in 2nd class: Much more comfortable than sharing a small space with three unknown men. I highly recommended if you’re traveling solo!
* Pink : Female compartment
* Blue : Male compartment
* Green : Mixed compartment
Interactive map of the main stops
(Ajouter carte Google interractives, avec couleurs, arrêts et frontières)
How much does the Trans-Siberian cost in 2025 ? Detailed budget
💡 Must-know : The Trans-Siberian is not a single train, but a railway network connecting Moscow to Vladivostok, Beijing, or Ulaanbaatar via multiple routes (Trans-Mongolian & Trans-Manchurian). If you want to make stops, you need to buy a separate ticket for each segment, as there is no global pass allowing you to get off and on as you please.
📌 The table below displays the official prices from RZD (Russian Railways) for May and June 2025. (It is not possible to view or book tickets more than three months in advance.) You will find prices for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class, as well as the rates for trains heading to Mongolia.
Prices and stop choices are for informational purposes only — Exchange rate at the time of the update: 1€ = 90₽
| Route | Length | 1st class | 2nd class | 3rd class | Final destination | Date |
| 🇷🇺 Moscow – Vladivostok (direct) | ~ 7 days | 19 677₽ = 217€ | 18 442₽ = 203€ | Vladivostok | June 2025 | |
| Moscow – Kazan | 13h | 8 656₽ = 95€ | 3 088₽ = 34€ | 3 060₽ = 33€ | Vladivostok | June 2025 |
| Kazan – Yekaterinburg | 14h | 9 965₽ = 110€ | 3 165₽ = 34€ | 3 319₽ = 36€ | Vladivostok | June 2025 |
| Yekaterinburg – Irkutsk | 3d | 11 476₽ = 125€ | 9 883₽ = 109€ | Vladivostok | June 2025 | |
| Irkutsk – Ulan-Ude | 8h | 6 832€ = 75€ | 2 327₽ = 25€ | 2 354₽ = 25€ | Vladivostok | June 2025 |
| Ulan-Ude – Vladivostok | 2d 22h | 30 000₽ = 331€ | 10 226₽ = 112€ | 10 398₽ = 114€ | Vladivostok | June 2025 |
| 🇷🇺 Total Trans-Siberian | 30 282₽ = 337€ | 32 333₽ = 360€ | Vladivostok | June 2025 | ||
| 🇲🇳 Trans-Mongolian route | → Ulaanbaator, Mongolia | |||||
| Moscow- Irkutsk | 3d 15h or 4d | 12 000₽ = 132€ | 16 669₽ = 184€ | Ulaanbaator | May 2025 | |
| Irkutsk – Ulaanbaator | 22h | 18 774₽ = 207€ | 12 305₽ = 135€ | Ulaanbaator | May 2025 | |
| 🇲🇳 Total Trans-Mongolian | ~ 4 or 5 days | 24 305₽ = 270€ | Ulaanbaator | May 2025 |
| Route | 1st class | 2nd class | 3rd class |
| 🇷🇺 Moscow – Vladivostok (direct) | 19 677₽ = 217€ | 18 442₽ = 203€ | |
| Moscow- Irkutsk | 12 000₽ = 132€ | 16 669₽ = 184€ | |
| Irkutsk – Ulaanbaator | 18 774₽ = 207€ | 12 305₽ = 135€ | |
| 🇲🇳 Total Trans-Mongolian → Ulaanbaator via Irkutsk | 24 305₽ = 270€ |
*The table is more detailed in the desktop version of the post
💡 Good to know :
Train ticket prices in Russia varie based on the season, demand, and how far in advance you book. During the peak summer season (June–August), prices tend to be higher, while in winter (November–March), prices are often lower. Booking several weeks in advance helps secure the best prices.
Note: Sometimes, 3rd class prices can be the same as — or even higher than — 2nd class prices.
Moscow – Vladivostok
Moscow – Kazan
Yekaterinburg – Irkutsk
Irkutsk – Ulaanbaator
Irkutsk – Ulan Ude
Buying your Trans-Siberian tickets : Online vs. at the station
1️⃣ Buying on Russian platforms : RZD & Tutu.ru
• RZD (prononced R.Zheh.Deh) is the official website of the Russian Railways:
✅ Official prices with no commission
✅ All routes and schedules in real time
✅ Good app available in Russian and English
❌ Restricted access – requires a VPN from Western countries
❌ Cannot pay with a foreign Visa or Mastercard
• Tutu.ru is a Russian booking platform (flights, buses, trains, etc.):
✅ Access without a VPN – Convenient for checking prices
❌ Commissions (fairly low)
❌ Cannot pay with a foreign bank card – Even though Visa and Mastercard logos appear on Russian websites, foreign cards are not accepted. As of 2025, many Russians still have Visa/Mastercard, but these cards only work within Russia and not internationally.
• Buying Your Ticket on a Belarusian Website: A Hassle?
Some travelers try to book through Belarusian platforms because prices are slightly lower than on foreign websites.
❌ Poor website translations
❌ Problems entering multiple names
I don’t recommend this option. It’s better to pay a few extra euros and be sure you have a valid ticket!
2️⃣ Buying your ticket on a foreign platform : RussianTrain.com
To avoid payment issues, choose a foreign booking platform. I highly recommend RussianTrain.
✅ English (+ Spanish, German, Italian etc) interface and international bank card payments
❌ Slightly higher prices than booking on RZD (due to commission fees)
3️⃣ Buying your ticket at the station
Yes, you can buy your ticket directly at the station.
✅ Official prices, no commission
✅ Pay in cash (roubles only)
❌ Ticket office ladies (almost always women) speak only Russian
❌ Limited availability – Some trains sell out several days in advance, especially in summer and during holidays
👉 A few years ago, I traveled on the Trans-Siberian Railway in winter for three months. I booked half of my tickets online and the other half directly at the station, the day before departure. I would hand over a small piece of paper with the train number, date, and preferred berth, then say with my best smile: “Ya khachu kupyt bilyet” — which was pretty much the extent of my Russian at the time! Worked just fine.
⚠️ Important :
All your names and surnames must appear on your train ticket exactly as they are on your passport and visa. Needless to say, our foreign names can be a real headache for Russian people.
If your middle name is missing on the ticket, for the provodnitsa, it doesn’t match !
What to expect on board? Experience, comfort & tips
The provodnik / provodnitsa: The carriage attendant
In each wagon, a provodnitsa (usually a woman) or provodnik (a man) is responsible for organizing and ensuring passengers comfort.
✔️ Checks tickets and passports upon boarding.
✔️ Hands out clean bedding at departure.
✔️ Keeps the train carriage clean and orderly.
✔️ Ensures the samovar (hot water dispenser) is working.
✔️ Sells tea, coffee, and snacks.
✔️ Enforces the rules and can remind noisy passengers to stay quiet.
⚠️ Don’t expect the provodnitsa to speak English! Her strict demeanor might seem intimidating, but she’ll help you if needed.
Top or bottom berth ?
⬇️ Bottom berth: More accessible and convenient. However, the person on the top berth will sit on your bed during the day to use the table.
⬆️ Top berth: You won’t be disturbed, but the ladder can be annoying — and even tricky if you’re not very flexible or tall.
➡️ Side berth (3rd class): My top choice—never disturbed, and no one sits on my bed. Unlike regular lower berths, you’re not required to fold your bed during the day to make space for the table and seats. Side berth passengers use the table on the opposite side of the corridor, near the four-bed compartments.
In 2nd class women-only. For reference, I’m 1.63m tall.
I share the behind the scenes of my travels (real-time stories, messy bits etc) on Telegram
The berths: Comfort & cleanliness
Bedding is included (make sure to select the option when booking your ticket). The provodnitsa hands them out shortly after departure, or if you board in the middle of the night, they should already be on your berth:
✔️ A sealed kit with two sheets, a pillowcase, and a small towel
✔️ A pillow and mattress (rolled together) already placed on your berth
✔️ A blanket
💡 Cleanliness guaranteed —no unpleasant hygiene surprises !
Bathroom & toilets
Toilets are located at both ends of the carriage and are very basic:
✔️ Sink with cold water (not drinkable)
✔️ Soap available
✔️ Toilets flush directly onto the tracks (locked before and during station stops)
🚿 Showers are not available in all trains/carriages — check when booking. Personally, I’ve never seen one: the cheaper the ticket, the less likely there is a shower.
💡 Practical Tips:
• Bring wet wipes (dispose of them in the bin, not the toilet!)
• Brush your teeth with slightly cooled samovar water for warm water.
• Pack a small fabric bag (a tote bag makes no noise at night) with clean clothes for an easy outfit change.
⚠️ Be careful of sudden train jolts when changing in the bathroom!
The samovar
Each carriage has a samovar, a large boiler that provides free, unlimited hot water.
✅ Perfect for making tea, coffee, instant noodles, etc.
💡 If your carriage is new, the samovar is likely located inside the provodnitsa’s cabin.
Electronic devices: How to charge them?
✔️ Electric sockets are available in the corridors or under the tables (not all in platskart — varies by carriage).
⚠️ Limited network: No phone signal between two cities or villages.
⚠️ No Wi-Fi, but sometimes screens connected to the network for quick internet searches — if there is any signal.
❌ Social media like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are blocked in Russia without a VPN. Leave a comment if you’d like reading suggestions.
💡 Bring a multi-port USB charger to share the socket with your fellow passengers.
Where to store your luggage?
✔️ You can store your bags under the lower berth: two 60L backpacks fit easily. If you’re in a top berth, there’s a storage space above.
💕 Cultural bonus: Don’t worry ladies, chivalry still exists in Russia, any teenager or man will gladly help you lift your bag or suitcase to the top storage.
What to wear on board?
As soon as the train leaves the station, Russian passengers switch to more comfortable clothing, especially when it comes to their shoes.
✔️ Cosy mode activated: Go for joggers, leggings, a loose t-shirt, or a hoodie. You’ll be in the train for hours, so it’s best to be as comfortable as if at home!
✔️ In Russia, it’s unthinkable to keep your outdoor shoes on indoors… and the train is no exception! Most passengers wear tapotchki (slippers made of plastic or fabric). They’re perfect for walking around the carriage and going to the bathroom.
💡 Traveling in winter? No worries! Russian trains are (sometimes too) well heated. A simple t-shirt and pants are enough, even if it’s freezing outside.
Food: What to eat on the Trans-Siberian?
🚫 There isn’t always a dining car: the food is expensive and notoriously average.
Note: It’s the only place on the train where you’re allowed to drink alcohol, but only the one sold there, of course.
✔️ Russians often bring their own food on board:
• Instant noodles, mashed potatoes, soup, and porridge (using hot water from the samovar).
• Bread: Dark bread like Borodinsky, which stays good for days.
• Snacks: Biscuits, fruits, chocolate, chips, sukhariky (crunchy bread bites), etc.
• Tea and instant coffee.
• Pirozhki: Pies filled with meat or vegetables, often sold by the train’s dining car staff or women at the stations who board the train to sell homemade meals, fruits, ice cream, and more.
Some babushkas prepare real feasts on the train!
✔️ If the stops are long enough, you can eat at the stolovaya (canteen) at the station, if there is one.
✔️ There are often (but not always) kiosks on the platforms or inside the stations selling snacks and instant food.
✔️ The provodnitsa has always some food for sale in her cabin or near the samovar: tea bags, coffee, chips/crisps, instant noodles, sweet snacks, etc.
✔️ If you don’t have a cup, ask her for a tea (for a fee), and she will bring it to you in a podstakannik, a glass on a metal holder, very Russian and very vintage.
✔️ Dishes on board: You can borrow a cup, spoon, etc., for free, but it’s better to bring your own. Imagine if every passenger did the same…
💡 My advice: Buy what you need at a cheaper price before departure in any supermarket or “produkty” store (a type of small grocery shop).
⚠️ Food “included”: Don’t confuse it with full board!
Some tickets include a meal (look for the small logo in the screenhot attached, 5th from the left), but don’t expect an all-inclusive meals like at the Club Med! It’s just one meal included, no matter the length of your train journey.
Only certain specific trains, like the 001Э and 002Э, offer this service, but not all. So, be sure to bring extra food !
Don’t romanticize the Trans-Siberian: I hear (and read online) many travelers who don’t seem to fully grasp the vastness of the journey. Imagine this: days spent on a overheated train with very little privacy, no snacks because you ate everything in the first 8 hours, almost no internet, a boring book that you can’t even finish, Siberia passing by at 50 km/h outside the window… and your stop is still 32 hours away!
A “good example” of this Russo-Canadian vlogger whose journey on the Trans-Siberian didn’t exactly go as she hoped.
I’m not judging — I’ve been that girl crying in the middle of the street while traveling because I was mentally exhausted.
The best stops to make on the Trans-Siberian Railway
📍 Moscow – Essential starting point: The Kremlin, Red Square, and a deep dive into imperial and Soviet history.
📍 Kazan – The pearl of the Volga: Its UNESCO-listed Kremlin, Tatar and Russian influences, and unique gastronomy.
📍 Yekaterinburg – At the gates of Asia: The site of the Romanov family execution, the symbolic border between Europe and Asia.
📍 Irkutsk & Lake Baikal – The jewel of the journey: Explore Irkutsk, then head to Olkhon Island to discover the legendary Lake Baikal.
📍 Ulan-Ude – Immersion in Buryat culture: A unique culture blending Russia and Mongolia, and home to the world’s largest Lenin head.
📍 Vladivostok – The terminus of the Trans-Siberian: A port city looking toward the Pacific, where Asia meets Russia.
Kazan
Novosibirsk
Baikal
Ulan – Ude
And why not the BAM (Baikal-Amur Mainline)?
Lesser known than the Trans-Siberian, the BAM is an off-the-beaten-path alternative. This railway line traverses even more remote landscapes of Siberia, runs along the northern shore of Lake Baikal (with the best views of the lake in winter!), passes through the Chara Desert, crosses cities with very Soviet-sounding names like Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and leads to the Pacific facing Sakhalin Island.
Vladivostok, and then what ?
Return to Moscow by train or plane
If you want to complete the loop, you have two main options:
• By train: You can take the Trans-Siberian back in the opposite direction or via the alternative BAM route. • By plane: The fastest option. Direct flights from Vladivostok to Moscow (8-9 hours) are available with Aeroflot and other Russian airlines. You can book on Kupi.com with a foreign bank card.
To other destinations: heading to Asia!
✔️ Vladivostok (air border valid with the e-visa), oriented towards Asia, offers direct flights to several countries:
• South Korea 🇰🇷 (Seoul, Busan)
• China 🇨🇳 (Beijing, Harbin, Shanghai)
• Japan 🇯🇵 (Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo)
• Vietnam & Thailand 🇻🇳 🇹🇭 (seasonal)
✔️ You can also take a bus across the Chinese border via Pogranitchny towards Suifenhe.
Double check if the e-visa is valid for this route.
Taking the ferry from Vladivostok to South Korea
The Eastern Dream ferry, operated by Duwon Shipping, connects Vladivostok to Donghae, South Korea, once a week, every Wednesday at 2:00 PM from the ferry terminal (морской вокзал – valid with the e-visa). The journey takes about 22 hours and costs approximately 413,600 KRW ≃ 260€ (economy class in a shared cabin). Private cabins and suites are also available.
🔹 Reservation: Foreigners must book by email at booking@dwship.co.kr and pay in Korean won via SWIFT transfer (no bank cards accepted except Korean ones).
🔹 Documents: A K-ETA is required for boarding (even if not needed to enter Korea for some nationalities in 2025).
🔹 Onboard: Sauna, bar with TV, karaoke, mosque, convenience store, buffets (8,000 KRW). No mobile network throughout the journey.
📢 Thanks to Henry for the information and photos.
Russian train stations : Must-know
Whether you’re traveling on the Trans-Siberian, the BAM, or any other railway line in Russia, train stations are an essential stop. Here’s what you need to know before boarding.
✔️ Before accessing the platforms, you will go through a mandatory security check:
• Luggage scanned
• Passing through a metal detector
It’s quick and systematic, even in smaller stations.
✔️ Reading the arrival/departure boards: Cyrillic.101
Departure times are mostly in Cyrillic, but don’t panic: Compare your train number with the one displayed. In major stations, some boards are translated into English.
The key word to remember: “путь” (“put”), which means “track” → essential for finding your train!
Luggage storage: Secure lockers available 24/7
In most major Russian train stations (e.g., Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, etc.), you’ll find luggage storage in the form of secure lockers of various sizes. An automatic machine allows payment by card, but if you don’t have a Russian bank card, it’s better to ask at the station’s information desk for an alternative cash payment option.
Luggage storage at Murmansk station as an example
Train stop durations at stations
📌 Where to check the schedule?
If you can read Cyrillic, check the stop schedule displayed near the provodnitsa‘s cabin. It shows the arrival and departure times for each city.
📍 Duration of stops:
• Small stations: Stops for a few minutes, no time to get off the train.
• Major cities: Longer stops, sometimes up to an hour or more.
⚠️ Be careful! Don’t wander too far from the station. The train won’t wait if you’re late.
✔️ Local time or Moscow time?
Until 2018, all trains followed Moscow time, which made things tricky in Siberia due to the time difference. The good news is that now, all schedules are shown in local time.
My practical tips for a successful journey.
• E-tickets are now the norm in Russia. Convenient and quick, you just need to show your phone to the provodnitsa when boarding. But personally, if I’m traveling in winter, I prefer to print my ticket in case my phone dies outside in -30°C (which has happened before).
• If you’re arriving late in the evening at your destination, book your accommodation in advance to avoid searching for a place to sleep at midnight. Zenhotels is a great alternative to booking.com for booking and paying for a hotel in Russia. Some train stations also have basic but affordable hotels (not all stations, though).
• Bring earplugs (and an eye mask if light bothers you), and you’ll sleep like a baby!
• How to deal with the language barrier in Russia?
I recommend downloading a translator on your phone for both Russian and your native language offline. Also, add the Cyrillic keyboard to make communication with your travel companions easier.
• You can plan your trip down to the very minute: Russian trains are impressively punctual. RZD is not like French SNCF or German Deutsche Bahn — there, departures and arrivals are at the exact time shown on your ticket. Expect no delays.
Comments (6)
good article!
Thanks !
Nice Trans-Siberian Railway article. Are the trains running now? as i’m looking to travel the journey in July/August.
Hello John, yes all trains are running as usual in Russia (they never stopped). Think about booking your train tickets in advance if you travel in the summer.
Amazing blog and articles. Superb. Thank you Noémie! Looking forward to your Youtube videos in 2024.
Thank you very much Scarlett ! I will actually publish new tutorials on Youtube very soon 👌