Trans-Siberian Handbook, 5th Includes Rail Route Guide and 25 City Guides

by Thomas, Bryn

• ISBN13: 9781873756423
• ISBN10: 1873756429
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-02-15
• Publisher: Trail Blazer Pubns

Summary

A trip across Siberia on the longest continuous railway track in the world is undoubtedly the journey of a lifetime For the first time in Russias history visitors can now travel almost anywhere they want in Siberia; find out how to arrange a trip where

Table of Contents

Introduction
PART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Routes and Costs
Route options	9	(1)
Costs	9	(3)
Breaking your journey	12	(2)
When to go
Tourist season	14	(1)
Bookings and visas
Organized tours or individual intieraries?	15	(1)
Route planning	16	(2)
Visas	18	(5)
Making a booking in Britain	23	(4)
From Continental Europe	27	(4)
From North America	31	(2)
From Australasia	33	(2)
From South Africa	35	(1)
From Asia	35	(4)
What to take
Clothes	39	(3)
Gifts	42	(1)
Money	43	(2)
Background reading	45	(3)
Health precautions and inoculations
Inoculations	48	(1)
Medical services	49	(1)
PART 2: RUSSIA
Facts about the country
Geographical background	50	(2)
Historical outline	52	(6)
Economy	58	(2)
The people	60	(3)
Practical information for the visitor
Documents	63	(1)
Crossing the border	63	(2)
Hotels	65	(3)
Tours	68	(1)
Local transport	68	(2)
Electricity	70	(1)
Time	70	(1)
Money	70	(2)
Post and telecommunications	72	(1)
Holidays	73	(2)
Festivals	75	(1)
Food and drink	75	(5)
Restaurants	80	(1)
What to do in the evening	81	(1)
Shopping	82	(4)
Crime	86	(1)
PART 3: SIBERIA AND THE RAILWAY
Historical outline
Early history	87	(3)
The nineteenth century	90	(1)
The Exile System	91	(6)
Victorian adventures	97	(1)
Siberian Post Road	97	(6)
The railway
Building the railway	103	(7)
The first rail travellers	110	(5)
The railway in the twentieth century	115	(1)
Trans-Siberian today	116	(9)
Rail tickets	125	(3)
Steam locomotives	128	(3)
Other railway lines	131	(2)
PART 4: CITY GUIDES AND PLANS
St Petersburg
History	133	(2)
What to see	135	(7)
Local transport	142	(1)
Orientation and services	143	(2)
Where to stay	145	(1)
Where to eat	146	(1)
Moving on	147	(3)
Excursions	150	(1)
Moscow
History	151	(2)
What to see	153	(14)
Local transport	167	(1)
Orientation and services	167	(3)
Where to stay	170	(3)
Where to eat	173	(3)
Moving on	176	(2)
Sergiev Posad
History	178	(1)
What to see	179	(3)
Where to stay	182	(1)
Rostov-Yaroslavski
History	183	(1)
What to see	183	(4)
Services	187	(1)
Where to Stay	187	(1)
Yaroslavl
History	188	(1)
What to see	188	(6)
Services	194	(1)
Where to stay	194	(1)
Moving on	194	(1)
Vyatka (Kirov)
History	195	(1)
What to see	196	(1)
Services	196	(1)
Where to stay	196	(1)
Moving on	196	(1)
Perm
What to see	197	(1)
Services	198	(1)
Where to stay	198	(1)
Yekaterinburg
History	199	(2)
What to see	201	(5)
Orientation and services	206	(1)
Local transport	206	(1)
Where to stay	206
Where to eat	196	(11)
Moving on	207	(1)
Tyumen
History	208	(1)
What to see	208	(2)
Orientation and services	210	(1)
Where to stay	210	(1)
Where to eat	210	(1)
Omsk
History	211	(1)
What to see	211	(1)
Orientation and services	212	(1)
Where to stay	212	(1)
Moving on	212	(1)
Novosibirsk
History	213	(3)
What to see	216	(1)
Orientation and services	217	(1)
Local transport	217	(1)
Where to stay	218	(1)
Where to eat	218	(1)
Moving on	219	(1)
Akademgorodok	220	(2)
Krasnoyarsk
History	222	(1)
What to see	223	(1)
Orientation and services	223	(3)
Local transport	226	(1)
Where to stay	226	(1)
Moving on	226	(2)
Irkutsk
History	228	(4)
What to see	232	(4)
Orientation and services	236	(1)
Local transport	237	(1)
Where to stay	237	(1)
Where to eat	238	(2)
Moving on	240	(1)
Lake Baikal
The world's deepest lake	241	(2)
Getting to Lake Baikal	243	(1)
Listvyanka	243	(2)
Port Baikal	245	(1)
Bolshie Koty	246	(1)
Other Siberian excursions	246	(61)
Ulan Ude
History	251	(1)
What to see	251	(4)
Ivolginsky Datsan	255	(1)
Services	256	(1)
Local transport	256	(1)
Where to stay	257	(1)
Where to eat	257	(1)
Moving on	257	(1)
Chita
History	258	(1)
What to see	258	(1)
Services	259	(1)
Where to stay	259	(1)
Moving on	259	(3)
Birobidzhan
History	262	(1)
What to see	262	(1)
Services	262	(1)
Khabarovsk
History	263	(3)
What to see	266	(2)
Orientation and services	268	(1)
Local transport	268	(1)
Where to stay	269	(1)
Where to eat	270	(1)
Moving on	271	(1)
Vladivostok
History	272	(4)
What to see	276	(1)
Orientation and services	277	(1)
Local transport	278	(1)
Where to stay	279	(1)
Where to eat	280	(1)
Getting there	281	(1)
Ferries	281	(1)
Ulan Bator
History	282	(1)
What to see	283	(4)
Orientation	287	(1)
Visiting Mongolia	288	(1)
Local transport	288	(1)
Services	289	(1)
Where to stay	290	(1)
Where to eat	291	(2)
Moving on	293	(1)
Excursions	293	(3)
Beijing
History	296	(2)
What to see	298	(3)
Orientation and services	301	(1)
Local transport	301	(1)
Where to stay	302	(1)
Where to eat	303	(1)
Moving on	304	(3)
PART 5: ROUTE GUIDES AND MAPS
Trans-Siberian route	307	(63)
Moscow - Irkutsk - Ulan Ude-Chita-Vladivostok (Maps 1--18)
Trans-Monglian route	370	(11)
Ulan Ude - Ulan Bator - Beijing (Maps 19--20)
Trans-Manchurian route	381
Chita - Harbin - Beijing (Maps 21--23)
PART 6: DESTINATIONS AND DEPARTURES
Tokyo	389
Hong Kong	391
Helsinki	393
Berlin	394
Budapest	395
Prague	396
Warsaw	397
Minsk	398
Tallinn	399
Riga	400
Vilnius	401
APPENDICES
Timetables	403
Siberian fauna	411
Bibliography	414
Phrase lists	415
Index