Guides
Eastbound or westbound: choosing your Trans-Mongolian directionDirection matters on the Trans-Mongolian, though not because one side is inherently better. Going east from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing places the Gobi first and…The soul of the sleigh: how to plan a winter wonderland train tripSnow turns the Trans-Siberian into a sequence of silver birch forests, frozen rivers and stations glowing beneath lamps. The best winter journeys combine long…BAM and Trans-Siberian: a circular rail route via KomsomolskCombining the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) with the Trans-Siberian turns two long rail routes into a striking circuit through eastern Siberia. The pivotal place…Ulan-Ude’s Lenin Head: The World’s Second-Biggest StatueUlan-Ude is easily reduced to a line in a Trans-Siberian timetable: the pause between Irkutsk and Vladivostok, useful for reaching Lake Baikal without…Overcoming your fear of long-distance trainsLong-distance trains compress huge amounts of geography into one unhurried journey. For Australian travellers, that can sound romantic and mildly alarming:…Amur river journeys: trains, ferries and China crossingsGlimpses of the Amur River reveal a landscape where Russian and Chinese worlds meet. The river forms much of the border between the two countries before…Crafting A Special-Interest Tour Across Russia, China And MongoliaA special-interest journey becomes memorable when a broad curiosity is shaped into a clear travel story. Archaeology, music and architecture can work together…Vladivostok Port and the Pacific EdgeReflections on the End of the Line: Vladivostok Port and the Pacific Edge captures the dual character of Russia’s far-eastern gateway. Vladivostok is where…Trans-Mongolian adventure checklist: Documents, shots, and gearA Trans-Mongolian journey links Beijing, Ulaanbaatar and Moscow by rail, with border procedures and occasional road or ferry transfers making it more complex…Nomadic culture and the Beijing Express: Kazakh families of the AltaiMeeting the Kazakh families of the Altai becomes vivid beyond the train window. Nomadic culture and the Beijing Express meet in southern Altai, where routes…