Trans-Siberian Handbook

by Bryn Thomas, bryn-thomas, Daniel McCrohan

Book Overview

A trip across Siberia on the longest continuous railway track in the world is undoubtedly the journey of a lifetime. It's also a convenient way to reach China, Mongolia or Japan. Tickets are not... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1873756704
• ISBN13: 9781873756706
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Trailblazer Publications
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.8" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Preferable to the Lonely Planet guide. Indeed, one of the best travel guides I've ever encountered

For passengers on traveling on all or most of the Trans-Siberian Railway and visiting the cities along it, there are only two English-language travel guides. The Lonely Planet guide appeared in 2003 with a second edition in 2006, while Bryn Thomas updates his guide almost yearly and in 2007 it reached its seventh edition. I'm a two-time veteran of the Trans-Siberian, using the 1st edition of the Lonely Planet on the eastbound Trans-Manchurian route, and the 2nd edition on the eastbound Trans-Mongolian. When I recently discovered Bryn Thomas' guide in the local library, however, it struck me as the guide that I wish I had had on the trip. The Lonely Planet guide and Thomas' have much in common. Both include a history of Russia in the Trans-Siberian era and general information about culture. They both give sightseeing guidance and lodging listings for the cities along the way. The LP sticks to the three traditional routes between Moscow and Beijing or Vladivostok, but Thomas has now added Yakutsk, soon to be accessible by rail) and other possible rail terminus cities like Prague and Hong Kong. What makes Thomas' guide real special is his enthusiasm for the train journey itself. Unlike the LP guide, he gives timetables for the route, truly equipping the reader to prepare for the trip without having to look for too much information outside the book. Thomas discusses in detail the layout of carriages, specifics of what the carriage attendant can do for those under her charge, and things to look out for at kilometre markers along the way. The LP guide has little about the journey itself, and what little interesting information it did have in the first edition disappeared in the second. Thomas' tone is also much more pleasant to read than in the common guidebooks for independent travelers. He doesn't try to sell you places you have already decided to visit with an overuse of words like "vibrant" and "spectacular". I also admire that he succeeds in writing for a general audience. While some of the accomodation listings are pricey, it doesn't feel like he is dismissing backpackers like certain sell-out guidebook lines. I don't think I will ever travel the Trans-Siberian all the way again. While still fairly low considering the distance, fares are rising and I usually have the three free weeks needed to hitchhike from Europe to Ulan-Ude or Vladivostok. Nonetheless, I'd certainly recommend this to travelers planning a trip that is well-worth doing at least once.

Useful Along the Railroad

I used this book while traveling along the Trans-Siberian railroad and in planning my trip beforehand. It provides a great amount of quality information for planning purposes, but it is not complete. For example, when it lists the time table of trains, please note that it is only a sample of the most popular "tourist" trains. We found hundreds of trains going along the route, leaving at all times of day and night (of course we figured this out once we got there). The translations were useful if you do not know the Russian alphabet. The pronunciation guide is good. The best part of the guide was the section which gave you fun facts along the kilometer markings of the railroad. These made up a great portion of our entertainment while riding the train (4 days of sitting and looking out the window, chatting with other travellers, etc.). The little tidbits were very interesting! The city guides within the book were an okay start to get familiar with the cities, but as with any guidebook which tries to cram it all in, it was not nearly complete. My only con of the book was the large size of it. It is very thick, but I guess it must be (it has sooooo much info inside!) I would recommend buying it if you are traveling along the railroad, or just as a great reference!

trans Siberian Handbook

Have just finished the trip - this guide is fantastic the trip would have been a lot less without it. Every one around us borrowed it

Really helpful

I found this book to be of great help in planning my Trans-Siberian trip. It is organized and contains information that will definitely be indispensible along the way: basic translations of common terms, general info on departure cities other than Russia and things I would never think of adding to a travel guidebook.I would recommend this guide to anyone aspiring to travel by train in Russia.J

indespensible, doubles the pleasure of the trip

without this book, most of the sights will pass by. The times, station breaks, kilometre breakdown are essential for getting the most out of the journey. there is nothing else out there that combines the knowledge and tables as well as this publication. It does lack sufficient maps though so bring your own