By train with transfers. Advantages and disadvantages. Traveling by train in Russia, what routes are there? The best destinations for traveling by train

In the last week of summer, “Theories and Practices” about new non-fiction books about travel. In 2015, Alexander Luchkin lost his job and realized that for the first time in his life he had an unlimited amount of time and a certain amount of money that he could finally spend on the trip of his dreams. Why travel along the Trans-Siberian Railway exclusively by electric trains, why it is better to start your journey from Vladivostok and how to prepare for two months of constant transfers - T&P publish an excerpt from the book “On Electric Trains. Journey from Vladivostok to Moscow,” which was published by Alpina Publisher.

“They say that travel is the best way to educate yourself in everything: it’s true, it’s definitely true! You will learn so much here.”

Nikolai Chernyshevsky

Crisis is a time of opportunity

For several years I worked on a telecommunications project and was considered a successful specialist in my field. Office work from nine to six, stable income. The economic crisis struck, the project was closed, the team was laid off. Suddenly I had a lot of free time. It was then that I remembered my old dream...

I have never been an expert in Russian geography. You meet a friend, and in a conversation he mentions that he was born in Omsk. And you think: “Omsk - where is it? In Siberia? It must be cold there and there are bears!” A friend returned from a business trip, from Novosibirsk, and tells what the climate is like there. Have you ever been to Novosibirsk? It's a shame! This happened all the time in my life. Over time, a whole list of Russian cities accumulated that I wanted to visit. What should I do? Plan every vacation to a different city? So there won't be enough vacations. Obviously, this must be one long journey.

The idea of ​​traveling across the country by train came to me a long time ago. I understood that such a trip required a long vacation, at least two months. When working in an office, you can count on the standard two weeks of rest. After the project was closed, the opportunity arose to make my dream come true: enough free time and some financial savings. It is not for nothing that they say that a crisis is a time of opportunity. If your life is stagnating, take your last bit of money and go on a trip. That's what I did.

Gradually, details emerged: travel from Moscow to Vladivostok along the Trans-Siberian Railway by electric train. Areas where suburban services have been cancelled, travel as necessary: ​​by train, by bus, or on foot. The situation was complicated by the fact that at the beginning of 2015, due to confusion between the railway and suburban companies, electric trains were canceled en masse in the regions of Russia. A meeting was held in the government about this, but the situation continued to remain vague.

The idea arose to move from east to west. Take a regular flight to Vladivostok and from there begin your train journey towards Moscow. Having a considerable amount of time, I planned a measured journey with stops to explore cities and turns along the route to explore interesting places. […]

Residents of the capital travel a lot around the world, discovering new countries and cities. But at the same time, they often forget that they themselves live in a huge, interesting country. Not many Muscovites risk traveling beyond the Urals. It’s one thing to visit popular tourist spots: take a ride through the cities of the Golden Ring or go to Lake Baikal. But it’s completely different to visit Vladivostok, Birobidzhan, Chita. See what's happening there. How do people live, where and who do they work, what are they interested in, what are their joys and worries? After all, in these cities life is different from the capital.

About railways, train travel and romance

For Russia, with its climate, distances and roads, railway communications have always played a strategic role. Today, commuter passenger traffic has decreased compared to what it was 30 years ago. Many rural residents moved to cities, the extensive network of roads increased, and cars became more accessible. Many railway lines were closed due to unprofitability and disrepair, not to mention the cancellation of electric trains and trains on existing routes. A convenient and original type of railway transport, the narrow-gauge railway, has disappeared.

Most recently, the Russian railway celebrated its 175th anniversary. It's amazing how railroad construction works. In order to get acquainted with the life of the country and the history of railways, a railway trip is the best choice.

What type of transport should I choose to see the city? Bus? Bike? I think it’s better to see the city by walking through it. And it’s worth crossing the country by train.

The method of traveling long distances on commuter trains is not new. For a long time, students, tourists, beneficiaries and other people who saved on travel or for some reason hid their movement from the authorities moved like this from place to place. After all, you don’t need documents to purchase a train ticket. Popularly, this method of riding is called “travelling on crossroads” or “riding on dogs.” In the late Soviet period - the time of the dawn of passenger transportation, travel by electric trains was most in demand. There were a huge number of suburban routes throughout the country, including quite exotic ones. It was possible to take the Moscow-Vladimir train at the Kursky station in Moscow. Having reached Vladimir, transfer to the train to Gorokhovets and, changing from one train to another, get to Vladivostok.

What can you see from the window of a commuter train? Forest, field, stations, holiday villages... But not only that. Traveling by train, you can see the whole country. Get acquainted with its history, architecture, features and customs.

The train is a special world. It has everything you need for a good trip:

Enough freedom. There is no need to book tickets, find parking or arrive in advance for registration. You can be late and take the next train, get off at any station, re-plan your route on the fly and generally improvise.

Beauty and romance. Traveling by train, you enjoy the beauty of nature. Sometimes you are surprised how skillfully the railway is integrated into the natural landscape. You can admire the landscapes passing by outside the window and watch the life of the road.

Communication, discoveries and stories are traveling next to you. Passengers on the train are local residents with whom you can talk and learn a lot of interesting things about the person or place you are in. A principle called the “Random Companion Effect” begins to work. You meet unintentionally and you probably know that after a while you will separate forever. Under this condition, the interlocutor will willingly share his story, and maybe even reveal a terrible secret to you.

Reliability. Sometimes you feel sorry for wasted time when you made an appointment and the person is late. This doesn't happen on the railroad. A schedule is like a reinforced concrete foundation, based on which you can plan time, meetings, transfers.

Availability. Anyone can travel independently by train. This does not require special skills, knowledge or equipment. By transferring from one train to another, you can cover significant distances. On average, a kilometer of travel costs about two rubles, which is quite inexpensive. […]

How was the trip

In the summer of 2015, I took a plane ticket from Moscow to Vladivostok, upon arrival I boarded the Vladivostok - Cape Astafiev train and went on a train journey from Vladivostok to Moscow across the country to see with my own eyes how Russia lives today.

The journey took place in the format of a railway expedition. I took the train to the final station and changed to the next train. Sometimes we had to wait for the train for several hours, or even days. On the way, I tried to cover as many attractions as possible, communicate with local residents, and find out how life is in a particular place. For overnight stays I had a camping tent. In large cities I stayed in hotels and hostels. An approximate route was outlined: a list of cities and attractions that would be interesting to visit. The rest is pure improvisation. Along the way, I kept a blog, where I posted daily travel notes and reflections on what I saw. This was a solo trip. […]

On the road, I was often asked: “Isn’t it scary to travel alone?”, “Where will you spend the night today?”, “What to take with you?” In this section, I paid attention to practical aspects so that the format of the trip becomes clear to the reader.

On an independent trip, a person is faced with everyday issues: equipment, transportation, overnight stays, food, communications. Almost everything can be taken care of during the preparation phase. But I had to solve some of them already on the road. From the equipment I took: a backpack, a tent, a sleeping bag, a travel kitchen set, a set of clothes and some useful little things. In cities I spent the night in hostels and hotels. Far from large populated areas, I pitched a tent in the forest or on the shore of a reservoir. For food, I looked for affordable public catering or cooked my own food on a gas burner, buying food in stores. Along the way, I collected audio, video and photographic materials and made travel notes. Since the expedition took place in the summer months, I did not take warm clothes, and the weight of the equipment was about 20 kilograms. Now let's talk about everything in order.

Information extraction methods

Gathering information is a vital issue when traveling. There is nothing worse than walking in the wrong direction for a long time. Therefore, I paid special attention to this. I will outline three stages of information collection.

Preparation

To begin with, preliminary reconnaissance is carried out. On the Internet you can find a lot of information about transport and the main points of the route. Then - searching and purchasing the necessary atlases, maps and schedules, booking hotels and tickets. Preparation begins long before the planned trip and often takes longer than the trip itself. I started preparing for the trip Vladivostok - Moscow four months before departure.

Gathering information on site

Schedules, information on stands, signs, signs, maps. I’ve made it a rule: when I see a stand with important information, a diagram or a schedule, I take a photo so that I don’t have to return to it later. These photos help out a lot later. When navigating the terrain, it is convenient to use GPS and a compass with a map. Paper maps and guidebooks can be purchased in every city - at a newsstand or bookstore. Information is all around us, we just need to learn to notice it. Even trivial truck tracks on a dirt road can tell a lot.

Communication

Meeting and talking with local residents, railway workers, security guards, travelers and just people on the street is very useful. You receive the necessary information and at the same time hear stories and legends about the place where you have been taken. You will learn something that is not on the maps, or on the stands, or on the Internet. But such information may be unreliable or irrelevant. Facts need to be checked. Therefore, it is better to ask people from different social groups and use this information in addition to the first two points.

Useful services

While traveling, I had electronic assistants: services and mobile applications that simplified life, saved time and gave me hope for a prosperous future. Services I used:

mobile application, requires internet connection. Shows the train schedule throughout Russia, as well as the cost of travel between two selected stations. Takes into account days of the week and train cancellations.

mobile application, requires internet connection. Here you will find satellite images of the area. Shows your location, name and purpose of objects on the map: factory, military unit, dam, beach, sawmill. Relevant when looking for a place to camp overnight and orienteering.

mobile app. When you connect to the Internet, maps of the selected regions are loaded into the smartphone’s memory. In the future, the program works without connecting to the network. The map is so detailed that it shows paths that sometimes even local residents do not know. Has everything a good electronic map should have, including address search.

booking service for hotels, hotels and hostels. You can sort offers by parameters and select them on the map. There are guest reviews and ratings. Shows accommodation options, availability, prices and discounts. Reservations can be canceled or transferred to other dates.

service for booking and purchasing train tickets for passenger and fast trains. In mobile mode, you can purchase a train ticket by paying with a bank card. There is no need to specifically go to the railway ticket office to buy a ticket and stand in line. Boarding the carriage is carried out according to the image of the electronic ticket on the smartphone screen. When purchasing a ticket, bonuses are awarded that can be used on future trips. […]

How to ride trains correctly

It is better to first ask local residents about whether it is possible to swim in a pond. - Approx. auto

On electric trains, just like on other types of transport, you need to know how to ride. Basic rule: “Don’t tense up!” Once you strain yourself, that's it - you won't go any further. It is better to travel quietly, resting at night. To do this, it is worth selecting electric trains so that by the evening, when you find yourself at the final station, you have enough time to get to the outskirts of the village before dark. Spend the night in the forest, preferably near a lake or river. To wash*, do laundry if necessary, cook a hot dinner and sleep. And in the morning you can calmly explore the local attractions and go further on the next train.

Although they are called trains rather arbitrarily. The further you get from large cities, the more electric trains are replaced by broken-down reserved seat cars, which are attached to a locomotive and are called commuter trains. In this mode you can go very far. By the way, if you miss one train on the schedule along the way, the freed up time can be spent walking around the city where you ended up. It turns out to be informative and interesting.

Once you start transferring from the arriving train to the nearest one, leaving in ten minutes (and what’s even worse, try to spend the night at the station while waiting for the first train), then that’s it - you can forget about the journey. Moral fatigue, coupled with torn sleep in a sitting position, will exhaust you on the second day, and the road will turn into a nightmare.

Another important point is “avoiding the competition,” that is, saving on travel. When the train stops at a station, you can see passengers running along the train. No, these are not sprinters. These are hares running around the carriage that the controllers are checking. When the train stops, hares run into a carriage that has already been checked and mix with the rest of the passengers. Typically, the "contra" does not pursue defectors. Hares accumulate in the vestibules of the head and tail cars. “Contra” threatens to disembark stowaways, sometimes they even call the police. But when the train arrives at the station, there is no outfit, and the hares calmly continue their journey in the vestibule.

Running around a carriage along the platform during a short stop is possible even with average physical fitness. But only where the railway is equipped with high platforms. The suburbs of Moscow, St. Petersburg and some other large cities in Russia can boast of such luxury. The rest of Russia lands from low platforms. This means that the platform itself consists of asphalt concrete slabs laid next to the embankment. They don’t board the train from such a platform, but climb the steep steps of the steps, clinging to the handrail. Passengers help each other when boarding and disembarking. The most resourceful ones use specially prepared hooks and ropes to pull luggage from a low platform onto the vestibule platform. In this situation, you won’t be able to run around the carriages. There is little chance of escaping the opposition.

However, you can almost always reach an agreement and, having made friends with the ticket inspectors, travel part of the way without a ticket. They know where auditors are not present, and at which stations they can be checked and passengers must travel with tickets. Negotiating, negotiating and negotiating again is the surest way to travel on commuter trains in economy mode.

Route planning

After combing the Internet, I found out that prices for flights to the Far East are seasonal. It is more profitable to fly in the fall, from September to November, and in April. The most expensive period is from May to August, and a return ticket will cost more than a ticket from Moscow.

There is a peculiarity when purchasing air tickets: the earlier the ticket is purchased, the lower its cost. This is not a rule, but this is often the case. By purchasing a ticket long before departure, the passenger credits the airline. On the part of the carrier, this is compensated by the lower cost of the flight.

In the process of preparing for the trip, it turned out that it was easier to move not from Moscow to the east, but, on the contrary, from Vladivostok to the center. In this case, I was not tied to the return flight and had the opportunity to maneuver (which I used several times to make the trip even more interesting).

I decided: to move along the Trans-Siberian Railway from Vladivostok to Moscow; travel by rail on commuter trains; where suburban traffic will be interrupted, travel by other transport: passenger, mail, work trains, in locomotive cabins, hitchhiking, buses and even on foot; allow departure from the main route to explore particularly interesting places; outline the following route: Vladivostok - Khabarovsk - Birobidzhan - Chita - Ulan-Ude - Baikal - Irkutsk - Krasnoyarsk - Novosibirsk - Omsk - Tyumen - Yekaterinburg - Kazan - Arzamas - Moscow.

These are just the main cities through which my route ran. Of course, the number of stops and connections was ultimately greater. After the route was determined, I purchased a ticket for a non-stop flight Moscow - Vladivostok. […]

How to travel safely

On the road, I was often asked: “Isn’t it scary to travel alone in Russia?” I answer: “It’s not scary!” And that's why. I believe that when it comes to personal safety, two things are decisive: attitudes and rules. Attitudes are what we believe in, what we are convinced of. They allow you to tune in to the scenario of avoiding troubles: “A battle won is a battle not started,” “Darkness can be dangerous,” “Drinking alcohol provokes problems.” Specific rules follow from the guidelines: “Do not take the last train leaving a major city on weekdays,” “Do not camp in clearings where empty alcohol bottles are scattered,” “Avoid visiting villages on Friday and Saturday evenings.” "

By observing and studying the features of the area, the customs of the inhabitants, and the climate, you can develop your own safety rules in relation to a specific route. They will invariably follow from the attitudes. They can be adapted to any external conditions. Even to such a large, mysterious and multifaceted country as Russia. This approach has helped me a lot to avoid troubles while traveling.

Nowadays, traveling around Russia is not scary: the streets are patrolled by police, video cameras are installed in public places, and security at train stations and stations is ensured by railway security. On some routes, the train is accompanied by departmental security or a police squad. They are often located in the head car or in the rear cabin of an electric train, and employees can be called via the “Passenger - driver” connection. Still, it is worth remembering that the traveler ensures his personal safety himself.

Here are the basic travel safety rules:

Don't be shy about getting attention and asking for help when you need it.

“Don’t show off” money, values ​​and attributes of success.

Do not get involved in stories as a defender or judge: “weakly”, “ours are beaten.”

Don't play "games" you don't know the rules of.

Get enough sleep. Do not sleep on public transport or waiting rooms.

Avoid places with a bad reputation. Local residents can tell you about them.

The key to safety is confidence. In situations of danger, demonstrate signs of confidence: looking forward, chest in a wheel, confident gait, sweeping arm movements, loud voice. Don't act like a victim. The main sign: the victim is afraid. Keep your eyes open - this is a signal for the enemy to attack. Don't do anything you don't want to do, even if asked. A good, firm “No!” and switching attention are often able to stop unwanted communication. […]

Pre-trip training

Before the trip, I made three test trips to practice my camping skills and test my strength and equipment.

Weekend hike. Day trip, 30 km hike. I checked my stamina and navigation aids and decided how much water and food I needed for the day.

Two-day trip with overnight stay. Long march with full gear. Adjusted and checked the backpack, tested the tent and sleeping bag. At this stage, it may turn out that the sleeping bag is too cold or the tent is poorly ventilated. As long as it’s close to home, this can be fixed and you can buy the necessary equipment.

Five-day trip Moscow - Vyborg. I tried to get as close as possible to the conditions of the planned trip Vladivostok - Moscow. I traveled by train, improvised, and slept in tents and hostels. I checked communications, reservation systems, equipment, clothing, and cooking in field conditions. And of course, from the trip I brought travel notes, which I immediately showed to my friends.

After the training trips, I felt confident that I could handle it. This was the main thing at the stage of preparation for the trip. All that remained was to wait for the day of departure to Vladivostok. […]

The economic crisis and stagnation in Russia will not recede soon: money is becoming less and less, traveling abroad is becoming more and more expensive. Therefore, a great alternative for weekend trips is the cities of the Moscow region. Fortunately, there are many of them, and there is something to see in them. Why is it often more convenient to travel by train? What routes are currently relevant? Where can I get to under special conditions? About all this - in the joint material of Time Out and CPPC.

What is this project?

In January 2017, the Central Suburban Passenger Company (CSPC) launched the first high-speed tourist trains to several large cities near Moscow. The company simultaneously pursues two goals: the popularization of domestic tourism and the “image” story of changing attitudes towards traveling by train. If earlier commuter electric trains were associated mainly with stuffiness, inconvenience, and dirt, now it’s really comfortable to travel on new express trains. They are bright, spacious, clean, climate controlled and have decent seats. If the excursion is paid, then separate carriages are allocated for tourists on express trains; if it is free, then you need to buy a regular ticket.

What tourist routes are there?

CPPC develops tours together with city administrations and tour operators: the carrier comes up with routes, and local authorities are responsible for the guides. The most popular tours now are excursions to Dmitrov and Ryazan: the program is free, with a guide, which is available to everyone. In the near future they promise to launch tours to Kolomna, New Jerusalem, Zvenigorod and Sergiev Posad. The first trip will take place on May 26 along the Peski-Kolomna route with visits to several museums and the Kolomna Kremlin. On the company's website you can also purchase commercial group tours - for example, along the route Tula-Kimovsk-Kulikovo Pole-Mokhovoye. And another direction is “holiday tourism,” when guests are taken not just to see the city, but to some great local festival.

Tula region

How it works?

If you are going on a free excursion, you will need to go to the CPPC website, sign up and buy a train ticket. If you want to travel independently, then CPPC offers SMART trips. You buy a travel card on the website, after which you receive a QR code, code word, date and description of the program by email. A travel card is a travel subscription that includes train tickets, excursions, tickets to museums and exhibitions, participation in master classes, discounts, etc. The cost of the card depends on the number of available options.
When you pass through the turnstiles of the station or enter museums, pay at souvenir shops and cafes - show the QR code or say the code word. Get all the options available on the selected card and discounts.

What are the advantages of traveling by train?

Firstly, it is convenient: modern express trains have air conditioning, Wi-Fi and soft seats, and in interregional express trains you can buy food and drinks along the route, in addition, there are sockets next to the seats. Secondly, the electric train runs strictly on schedule and does not get stuck in traffic jams: it is easier to calculate the travel time. Thirdly, it’s budget-friendly: a ticket to Ryazan and back, for example, will cost 1,160 rubles. The ticket price includes a sightseeing tour of the city. On the way, you can listen to the company’s audio guides for free, written by professional historians and travel journalists. This way you will learn about all the places the train passes by. Guides are available on the company’s website or through the izi.TRAVEL mobile application.

For foreigners

Initially, audio guides were created only in Russian, but due to the increase in the number of foreign tourists, they began to be produced in English. In June, 11 such audio guides will appear, including a “Fan Guide” with a list of excursions that guests of the 2018 FIFA World Cup can join, useful tips, and a metro map. All excursion groups will be accompanied by guides-translators. Audio guides in Chinese will become available next year. The Center for Travel and Transport is now developing special booklets, maps and guides for long-distance routes that will help travelers create a program for an independent trip.

At the beginning of September, Dozhd photo editor Alexey Abanin decided to travel from Moscow to Lake Baikal along the Trans-Siberian Railway exclusively by train. As a result, the journey took 13 days, 34 trains and 2 trains. Rain publishes a small part of the photographs from this trip and excerpts from the notebook in which all the impressions were recorded.

Second day. The train from Kirov to Yar is some kind of get-together. There are about ten of us in the carriage, everyone is sitting alone, but everyone, apparently, knows half of this company. If a new passenger enters the station, he always greets someone.

Update: What I was talking about. A man got off the train and forgot his phone under a newspaper on a bench. As a result, the conductor comes and shouts into her phone:

- Yes, there he is, lying there. Yeah. I took it. I'll give it to you tomorrow.

Day three, after Kirov. The point of no return has been passed. The electric train to the Vereshchagino station departed at 4:30 local time, that is, it was still 2 am in Moscow. From the total lack of sleep, a thought flew into my head. Why not sleep lying on a bench? As everybody. And I’ve never even tried that. It turned out to be very convenient. And my back doesn't go numb. But for some reason everyone sleeps with their feet facing the aisle. On the contrary, I rested my feet against the wall. I immediately felt at home and warm. The stove was turned on at full power again.

Day three, after Perm. How painfully acute you begin to miss home when a voice announces “Stop one thousand four hundred seventy kilometer. The next stop is kilometer one thousand four hundred and seventy-eight.” And so further and further from Moscow. If it were up to me, I would prohibit calling stations that way. There are a lot of unused words. Here are some cool names on the Perm-2 - Shalya section: Nyanino, Kukushtan, Bliny, Gypsy, Capercaillie. Kukushtan is my favorite. Sounds great. You need to come up with a name for each station with kilometer numbering.

Day four, Yekaterinburg. I’m sitting in the Pelmennaya cafe near the station, waiting for the train to Tyumen. In front of me is pasta with ketchup and a cutlet heated in the microwave. I actually wanted dumplings, but they were out of stock at Pelmennaya. On TV, Petrosyan’s wife (I forgot her name) says something about retirement age. Most of the time she flaps her eyes wide open, staring out into the audience. The audience laughs. I almost didn’t hear the monologue, because a soldier was standing on the street and singing bard songs with a guitar. I remember this tune the most:

“...And the schedule of fate cannot be changed,

I stay alive only because there is love.

She has been a permanent resident of my soul for a long time.”

When I get off the train, everyone runs to the station, and I usually stand for a few minutes to get used to the fact that the background has stopped flashing.

Day six, outside Omsk. Imagine a city where grandmothers seized power. Or they created their own settlement from scratch. But the main thing is that grandmas rule here. Well-fed grandchildren are barely running along the streets. Moreover, they come not only for the summer, they stay here forever and do not leave the table until they have eaten everything. Over time, children no longer needed names. They all respond to “grandson.” Skinned cats scurry around in the hope that they will take pity on them and feed them. But they are here only for beauty, and for the grandchildren to play with them. The adults here are the service staff. They do not have the right to vote, and they are silent in life. They work in stores, help carry heavy bags, bring potatoes into the city by car or whatever the grandmothers need. Grandmothers' husbands sit in garages made from old train cars and are always fixing cars. The main thing is not to disturb the wives. In general, welcome to Tatarsk. I should sleep here.

Day eight, after Novosibirsk. Unfortunately, it is not possible to travel the entire route by train to Lake Baikal even if you really want to. This was clear a year ago when I made the schedule. There are two small areas that will have to be covered by a train. The first one is now. This time I got the Moscow-Vladivostok train. The desire to get straight to Irkutsk was great, of course, but I tried to be honest with myself.

Day nine, before Krasnoyarsk. Meanwhile, outside the window, the most beautiful scene in all nine or however many days has been played out. While we are standing at the station, a man in a tracksuit gets out of his blue “six” on the street. Without closing the door, a slightly boiled egg, which he elegantly took out of his pocket, quietly begins to beat against its corner. He scrapes a little off the top and drinks it all, throwing his head back strongly. And then he takes out a cigarette and lights it with pleasure. And all this with incredible grace! We're moving on.

Day ten, beyond Krasnoyarsk. At the Zlobino station, persons of exclusively gangster appearance entered the carriage. One of them sat down opposite. Half an hour later, this bandit’s face suddenly begins to slowly break into a smile for her at the sight of combine operators harvesting wheat outside the window. The skin tone seems to change from a nourished blue to a soft ruddy, behind the smile gold teeth appear that glisten in the sun, and the shaved head begins to shake along with the ears from joy and emerging thoughts.

Day ten, the city of Ilansky. I could stay here. Not every city with a population of 15 thousand people has so much identity and life. I could have stayed and lived here. Probably, he simply resembles his native Kovrov most of all. The same crooked streets, the same old part of the city with the floodplain. Only instead of Klyazma there is a lake called Pulsometer. But most of life here is hidden on the walls of crumbling five-story buildings. Here is the inscription in gold paint “Memes from Focana”, and here is the announcement “Did you buy tickets to the circus?” with a picture of Uncle Sam. The climax is at the “Russia is for the sad” station. And a separate note “Thank you.”

Day thirteen, after Irkutsk. Instead of Angara today there is milk. The thickest fog. On the train I felt like I had actually reached the end. Until the very end - that’s the edge, I see it. It seems that I will be torn apart before Baikal. Therefore, he is laconic. But as we approached Lake Baikal, the fog cleared up on its own. At that moment, when the lake had just appeared in sight, I just jumped up instantly and ran out into the vestibule, where (probably not very strongly - I don’t remember) I screamed. And for another ten minutes I walked along the vestibule from side to side and muttered obscene words under my breath. I simply didn’t have any others. And I didn’t want to look for them.

Day thirteen, Baikal. When I woke up, the already familiar landscape outside the window had disappeared. The morning fog and the edge of the earth returned again. Some Chinese music was playing loudly in the carriage. Having got off at the terminus, we had to go to the port in order to cross the Angara by ferry, get to Listvyanka and spend the night there.

The persistent feeling that the journey itself never happened did not leave me. The fog created an illusory quality to everything that was happening. We set sail in complete darkness. The ferry insistently turned on the siren so that we could be seen in the fog, all the passengers suddenly fell silent, and the schoolgirls began to sing. After getting off the ferry, I hid a notepad and tickets from all the trains, which I kept in my back pocket, under a large stone. Now I won’t know for sure whether I have traveled more than five thousand kilometers by train or not.

Alexey Abanin

Firsanovka station, 42 minutes from Leningradsky station

One of the best estates near Moscow in the style of classicism; cared for by a private owner. A kilometer from Serednikovo there is a film set - a European city of the mid-18th century with a church, a prison, a scaffold and a huge pirate frigate on the outskirts; They let you in for 150 rubles.

Solnechnogorsk

Podsolnechnaya station, 1 hour 5 minutes from Leningradsky station

On the edge of the city is Lake Senezh, the largest in the Moscow region. In addition to understandable water activities, there are surreal modern sculptures on the embankment - for example, a mermaid in a padded jacket with an accordion.

Wedge

Klin station, 1 hour 30 minutes from Leningradsky station

The main attraction is the museum-estate of the composer Tchaikovsky. The museum of Christmas tree decorations is also interesting, where a collection of vintage toys with Gagarin or Lenin hugging Stalin is kept.

Kiev direction

Photo: Grigory Rudko

Peredelkino

Peredelkino station, 20 minutes from Kievsky station

A dacha village of Soviet writers with museums of Pasternak, Chukovsky, Okudzhava and dachas of Zurab Tsereteli, Yulia Latynina and Boris Gryzlov. On Pogodina Street is the House of Writers' Creativity, where a good restaurant “Children of the Sun” with a terrace-balcony is open.

Great railway ring

Bekasovo station, 1 hour 20 minutes from Kievsky station

There are only a few trains a day running here: empty carriages, rare stops and marvelous views from the windows. You can get off at platform 252 km and walk around the garden community of the 1st bus depot, where garden houses are made from the shells of decommissioned buses.

Borovsk

Balabanovo station, 1 hour 30 minutes from Kievsky station, then 20 minutes by bus Balabanovo-Borovsk

The architecture of the small and quiet town has remained virtually unchanged since the beginning of the 20th century, except for two hundred graffiti on the walls painted by a local artist. The main thing is the Holy Paphnutiev Borovsky Monastery, where Archpriest Avvakum and the noblewoman Morozova sat; it contains the beautiful Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin from the 16th century.

Belarusian direction

Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/kofe

Tank Museum

Kubinka station, 1 hour from Belorussky station, then 1.5 km on foot

More than 300 tanks from 11 countries were presented. You can ride some of them, this service is called “demonstration of driving performance”.

Zvenigorod station, 1 hour 20 minutes from Belorussky railway station

Quiet small town: gardens, fences, old houses in the center and brick houses on the outskirts. A bonus is several interesting churches and a museum of the Soviet film star of the 30s–50s, Lyubov Orlova, who was born in the vicinity of the city.

Gagarin

Gagarin station, 2 hours 45 minutes from Belorussky railway station

The birthplace of the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin with several interesting museums. The first is the parents' hut with a museum of the astronaut's school years. The second is a new house, which was given to my parents in the summer of 1961; now it is a wonderful museum of everyday life of the 60s with exhibitions such as “World Civilization and the Russian Phenomenon.”

Kazan direction

Photo: Sergey Kostromin

Kratovo

Kratovo station, 55 minutes from Kazansky station

Dacha villages where historically the humanitarian intelligentsia live. The place of power is the lake to the right of the station with sandy beaches, volleyball courts and boats for rent. From Kratovo station to Otdykh station you can travel along the children's railway - small carriages and a steam locomotive run along a narrow-gauge railway through a pine forest.

Tsemgigant station, 1 hour 45 minutes from Kazansky station

One of the largest phosphorite deposits in Europe. The area around the quarries, where mining stopped a couple of decades ago, was planted with pine trees, and the quarries themselves were filled with water and turned into beautiful lakes. It makes sense to walk up to a huge snow-white phosphogypsum mountain and feel like you’re at the North Pole.

Kolomna

Golutvin station, 2 hours 10 minutes from Kazansky station

Firstly, the Kolomna Kremlin. Secondly, there is a museum marshmallow factory, where you can take part in the production of sweets yourself. Nearby there is an exhibition of communal life, “Art Communalka,” in which several rooms and a corridor are filled with Soviet junk, and in the kitchen you can try sausages and peas.

Kursk direction

Photo: RIA Novosti

Podolsk

Podolsk station, 55 minutes from Kursky station

The largest city in the Moscow region with preserved blocks of constructivist houses. The main pearl of the city is the Dubrovitsy estate with the fantastic Church of the Sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built in the European Baroque style.

Melikhovo

Chekhov station, 1 hour 25 minutes from Kursky station, then 10 minutes by bus

Well-kept Chekhov museum-estate: inside the house - everything is as during the writer’s life; there is also a garden with a bell, the sound of which called the inhabitants to the table, and a small log house in which “The Seagull” was written.

Serpukhov

Serpukhov station, 1 hour 50 minutes from Kursky station

A town where the provincial merchant atmosphere of the early twentieth century has been preserved, the remains of its own Kremlin, many churches and two-story houses decorated with wooden carvings. The main pride is the art museum, where a large collection of paintings by Natalia Goncharova and other Russian artists of the early 20th century is exhibited for the province; there are even several halls of European art.

Train tours to Moscow: cities, resorts, routes and attractions. What you need to know about train tours to Moscow. Tour operators.

• Last minute tours in Russia

Traveling by rail is a real godsend for active extroverts, tired of loneliness, who are afraid to fly and dream of getting some sleep: it’s safe, romantic, and you can also make new acquaintances. But seriously, train tours are a fascinating and quite comfortable way to see the world and experience new experiences. The active development of railway communication in Russia has become a great help for tourists, thanks to this it is possible to travel by rail to any corner of not only our country, but also almost the entire continent.

The active development of railway communication in Russia has become a great help for tourists, thanks to this it is possible to travel by rail to any corner of not only our country, but also almost the entire continent.

By train from Moscow to Europe

Just a sea of ​​tours from Moscow awaits those who like to stroll along the ancient streets of European cities. For example, for those who want to arrange a fabulous French vacation, the Moscow - Nice train (No. 17/18), which departs from the Belorussky Station on Thursdays and delivers its passengers to the Cote d'Azur of France within 48 hours. The route of this train includes eight countries at once; from the window of your compartment you can enjoy views of Minsk, Warsaw, Vienna, Verona, Milan and Genoa.

The cost of a ten-day train tour to Nice includes breakfast, hotel accommodation, and guide services.

By train "Moscow - Paris" (No. 23/24), which also departs from Belorussky Station, you can get not only to Paris (the train arrives at the capital's East Station), but also to Berlin. The train passes through Minsk, Warsaw, Berlin, Hanover, Strasbourg.

Electronic registration is available for the Moscow - Nice and Moscow - Paris trains; to board, all you need to do is print out the ticket.

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Since June 1973, the Polonaise train (No. 09/10) began running on the Moscow-Warsaw route; it departs daily from the Belorussky Station at 17:21 and arrives in the Polish capital at 9:09, which is ideal for tourists.

By train "Tissa" (No. 15/16) you can get to Budapest without transfers, and the train "Moscow - Prague" (No. 21/22) will take you to the Czech capital in 33 hours. The Lev Tolstoy train, which departs every day from Leningradsky Station, carries passengers from Moscow to Helsinki, and the Vostok train can take you all the way to Beijing, although this journey will take you 146 hours.

As a rule, the cost of package train tours includes meals, hotel accommodation, insurance and guide services, but train tickets and visas are usually paid separately, take this into account when choosing a trip.

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Ideas for rail travel in Russia

It is no less interesting to travel around the territory of our country. A railway voyage along the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway, for example, will allow you to see the whole of Russia from edge to edge in two weeks. The Golden Eagle train passes through 10 time zones, and its route, exceeding 9,000 km, is considered the longest in the world. Tourists spend most of the trip on the train, and even despite the spaciousness and comfort of the compartment, this adventure is not for everyone. So before purchasing such a long tour, it is important to correctly assess your physical and psychological qualities. The journey begins in Moscow, then along the route Murom, Arzamas, Ufa, Chelyabinsk, Omsk, and the tour ends in Vladivostok, where tourists board a plane and return home. Travel agencies can also offer programs with visits to other cities: Ryazan, Ruzaevka, Samara.

Best destinations for train travel

All articles about railway tours on Subtleties

• Within Russia: from Moscow and from St. Petersburg, to the Northern capital, to Anapa, to Kazan, to the Black Sea
• Austria Vienna
• Baltics: Latvia (Riga), Estonia (Tallinn)