General

The Trans-Siberian connects European Russia to Eastern Russia, Mongolia, China and the Sea of Japan.

If you decide to take the 19-day train ride from Vladivostok across Siberia to Moscow or the other way around, you will for sure get a complete feeling of what traveling by train is really about. Imagine how many times the scenery changes in 6000 miles of rails!

Here's three reasons why you should try this experience:

1. You will get to see much more of Russia and freezing Siberia, that is an experience itself

2. You will make new friends and meet new people from different cultures

3. This is a ticket for an 'out of time' experience: the Trans-Siberian crosses 7 time zones. You'll have no idea what the local time is, and you probably won't even care! All you will know it's Moscow's local time and that's all you need. Just enjoy the ride out of time!

You can travel in a second class fort-berth compartment or in a first class two-berth compartment, for 13,000 ruble to start with ($400). The train will stop for 3 minutes up to 30 minutes about 5-8 times a day, but if you want to wonder around, you should probably check with your attendant first.

If you are interested in making this trip, you should know that tickets can only be purchased no more than 45 days in advance, only from Russian Federation or Finland. But you can get a reservation in some of the local travel agencies that work with Russian tour companies.

This journey is itself a destination, so step out of time and into the Trans-Siberian, and get ready for the train ride of your life: 9,288 kilometers (5,772 miles) in a non-stop journey!