After quitting my job as a lawyer in the Netherlands, I decided to take off on one of the most iconic train rides I could think of: the Trans-Siberian Express. Although generally known under this name, the Trans-Siberian Express can be divided in roughly three journeys: (i) the Trans-Siberian running from Moscow to Vladivostok at the Pacific, (ii) the Trans-Mongolian from Moscow to Beijing (via Mongolia) and (iii) the Trans-Manchurian from Moscow to Beijing (via the most northern province of China). I initially chose to follow the (most popular) Trans-Mongolian track and make several stopovers in Russia, Mongolia and China after which I planned to travel onwards through China and south-east Asia. Due to the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 and the travelling restrictions imposed by various countries I had to modify my itinerary to an amended Trans-Siberian Express of 9289 kilometres long.
Epic proportions
For a period of almost three weeks I got to experience the sheer size of the Russian Federation, all the way from Saint Petersburg in the west to Vladivostok in the east. With more than 17.1 million square kilometres, it is not only the biggest country in the world, it also covers approximately 11% of the world’s landmass. To give perspective: this is almost twice the size of the world’s second biggest country Canada.
By undertaking this itinerary solo and by train it allowed me to not only get to know locals better, but it also gave me a travel experience which was slow enough to truly understand the sheer size and geographical remoteness of this country. I am very grateful to have been able to get to know Russians along the route and learn more about their culture. I got a better understanding of what it means to live in this mysterious country.
Winter in Russia
I particularly chose to make this trip this part of the year because I was of the opinion that the truest way to experience Russia is when it’s cold. Not in any way tempted by the -30* Celsius in cities as Irkutsk in January, I considered March to be the best month to still experience a frozen lake Baikal but still be able to keep all ten fingers. After completing this trip I am still happy with my choice, but am also of the opinion that I could have left earlier as the snow in some cities was already starting to melt. Also, I am keen to visit cities as Saint Petersburg and Moscow again in the summer, when the weather conditions are less wet and the skies are less grey.
