Trans-Siberian Memories

Experiences on an epic trip like crossing Russia with the Trans-Siberian aren't easily forgotten, and half the fun is the companions you meet in your train cabin.

My Russian language phrasebook was like a key to a new world when I traveled on the Trans-Siberian train from Vladivostok to Moscow - with a number of stops in between. Each time I re-boarded the train, I looked forward to seeing who I'd be sharing a cabin with and what kind of conversation my phrasebook would allow us to have.

Getting on in Yekaterinburg, I met a middle-aged Russian who worked somewhere far, far north in Siberia. Exactly what he did or why remained a mystery - OK, a phrasebook can lead to a limited conversation - but we did establish that he liked fish and he understood that I was from Australia. I also learnt that he snored a lot, and loudly, but I didn't need the phrasebook for that.

In the case of a Trans-Sib trip, it really is the journey and not the destination that makes it special. But that doesn't mean that you can't also enjoy some great destinations along the way, and this week's article looks at possible stopover towns on the western half of the Trans-Siberian journey, to give you all the choices you need for some mid-trip entertainment and fun.