How to make friends on the Trans-Siberian Railway

For many avid travelers, crossing Russia on the mystical Trans-Siberian Railway is a once-in-a-lifetime dream. It’s definitely one of the highlights of my travels, and a special part of it was the chance to mingle with lots of interesting Russians, my fellow travelers. If you want to see more than just the tourist sights along the Trans-Siberian route, I have a few tips for how to make connections with those who you’re sharing your carraige with, and to have a lot of fun on the long stretches between stops.

1. Go the wrong way. Of course it’s not the wrong way, but if you travel from Vladivostok to Moscow, you’ll be going the opposite way from the majority of tourists, so you’ll be more likely to be sharing your cabin and carriage with Russians. You should also try to travel independently, rather than in a tour group – if you book a tour, your group will most likely be accommodated together in the same carriage, and that doesn’t leave so much room for locals. And if you’re traveling with just one friend or partner, book your train passage in 4-berth cabins so that you’ll probably be sharing with one or two others. Granted this can sometimes lead to a few difficulties (a drunk snoring Russian interrupted my sleep once) but it sure makes for a better story to tell later than “I slept well”. And traveling the Trans-Siberian is definitely all about gathering experiences.

2. Share food and drink. Step one: be as prepared as possible and bring supplies – biscuits, chips, all kinds of drinks and (my personal favorite on the Trans-Siberian) instant noodles. There’s no kitchen on a regular Trans-Sib train but there is a samovar, or urn, full of (really hot) boiling water, perfect for a noodles dinner. Step two: add to your supplies by stocking up from the trackside vendors at each of the longer stops (usually around 20 minutes) that occur a few times a day. I bought some delicious raspberries somewhere between Vladivostok and Irkutsk, and I can still taste how sweet they were. Step three: share. Offer some of your treats to your cabin pals, or someone sharing your corridor with you as you stare into Siberia rolling by. You’ll receive plenty in return, both in terms of nourishment and companionship.

3. Bring games. I had a packet of cards; the kids in the cabins nearby had checkers and chess. Despite my limited Russian (my phrasebook helped to ask a few questions) and their limited English, we managed to get through plenty of games of Snap, and some very competitive moments with checkers. Later, I met their parents and heard interesting tales of their holidays – they were in fact on the way back from their summer holidays in eastern Russia, and thought nothing of spending a week on the train both ways to get there and back! And even though I got on and off the train for some stopovers along the way, it was amazing how many of these families popped up again at train stations.