Regularly Scheduled Trains

Second Class cabins, called kupés (pronounced koo-PAYs), are efficiently designed four-berth cabins, with two upper and two lower bunks.

Upper bunks are accessed by a short ladder and can fold up during the day, making more headroom for those sitting on the lower bunks. A small foldaway table beneath the window can hold snacks and drinks, as well as playing cards and games. 

Cabins can be locked from both inside and out. There is storage suitable for carryon-size luggage below the lower bunks and above the door. Larger luggage must be stowed at the end of the carriage.

You should expect to share your cabin with three other travelers, possibly of mixed genders, as is the standard on trains in this region.

First Class cabins have the same layout as Second Class. They differ only in that they’re assigned to two passengers rather than four. 

Please note that first class cabins are not available on every train in Russia. It is possible to arrange a single compartment (in either first or second class) if booking all berths in a cabin, but this cannot always be guaranteed on our Mongolia to Moscow small group tour.

On MIR’s Mongolia-to-Moscow small group tour program, travelers are generally matched with other members of the group. Depending on the group make-up, you may be sharing your cabin with travelers of a different gender.  

Such mixed-gender arrangements are common on Russian trains, and travelers are accustomed to sharing a train compartment with people of a different gender. Under such circumstances, custom is to ask cabin-mates to exit the compartment while you are dressing or preparing for bed. They will expect the same of you.

For each carriage there are two WCs with toilet and sink, one at each end. Wear your flip-flops or rubber-bottomed slippers when you use the facilities, as there is often water on the floor.

WCs will usually be locked from 20 minutes before arrival at a station until 20 minutes after departure, so plan ahead.

Showers are generally not available on the regular trains and should not be expected.

Each car has a daytime and a nighttime attendant, called a provodnik (male) or a provodnitsa (female). They are responsible for giving you your bedding (included in the price of the ticket) at the start of the journey; selling supplies such as cups, instant coffee, and tea; and keeping the WCs clean.

On the Mongolia-to-Moscow small group tour, accommodations for nights not spent on the train range from four-star hotels in larger cities to comfortable three-star properties in the smaller cities. There is also one night in a rustic ger camp with shared facilities.

When arranging a private, custom journey using the regular trains in Russia, you can choose any level of accommodations available in the cities you overnight along the way.

One of the great appeals of travel on public trains is the opportunity it provides to get to know the Russians who make up the majority of the other passengers. You may find yourself in prolonged contact with a grandfather from Perm on his way to pick up a car in Vladivostok, or an English teacher from a small village who has never conversed with a native English speaker before.

Rail is the preferred way for most Russian people to travel, and you’re sure to disembark with a deeper appreciation of their daily life.

Hot water is always available free of charge in a samovar at the end of each carriage, but coffee, tea, and mugs to drink them in are not complimentary. A good idea is to purchase a glass of tea at the beginning of a train journey and then keep the glass for use throughout the trip. Most carriage attendants are aware of this practice and don’t mind as long as the glass is either returned or purchased at the end of the journey.

It’s a good idea to bring food to snack on with you. At longer station stops there may be local babushkas (grandmothers) selling home-baked goodies on the platform.

Meals in the train’s dining car tend not to be as substantial as off-train meals. Each restaurant car or canteen is run separately by a private company, so it is difficult to predict the standard of food that will be available, but it tends to be quite basic. Bringing some snacks with you is a good insurance policy in case you’d like to supplement meals.

If you are on a MIR tour, breakfast and dinner served in the dining car are a part of your package. Your tour manager can help you navigate the dining car during lunch. 

If you’re an independent train traveler, we encourage you to use the restaurant car or canteen, even if you don’t speak Russian (although it’s still a good idea to carry your own snacks). The menu may have English translations; if not, you can use hand gestures, point at menu items and hope for the best, as intrepid travelers do. A Russian/English dictionary is invaluable on such occasions.

Private vehicles and local guides whisk you away to explore the principal towns and cities along the line, in some cases including hotel stays. Your tour itinerary includes all the details.