©
Marie Cavalié
Russia Travel Guide
©
Marie Cavalié
Getting around in Russia is very easy providing you can read Cyrillic. So a bit of basic knowledge of Russian is necessary if you want to get around using public transport. The transport networks can leave you feeling a bit confused when you realise all the vehicles are very dilapidated and date from the Soviet era, although the Russians themselves have been quick enough to replace their Ladas with big 4 wheel drives!
Part of visiting Russia, is experiencing the gentle rocking charm of the Trans-Siberian railway, one of the country's emblems. Whether you are travelling in town or in the country, public transport is a good way to discover Russia and its people.
Only the big cities have an underground: Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Novosibirsk. In the smaller towns the transport network is quite extensive, with lots of trolleybuses, trams, marchroutkas and taxis.
You'll probably be very surprised when you see the very old vehicles they use, but you will quickly appreciate that they are indispensable as every part of town is connected.
Trolleybuses and trams all have conductors (often women) so don't think you can escape without paying! In any case, public transport is not expensive (between 14 and 20 roubles on average) and fare evasion is really frowned on.
The marchroutkas are very Russian minibuses. You'll be amazed at how they work. They don't have conductors so the driver has to collect the money. During rush hour, people getting onto a marchroutka that is aleady full still have to pay. It may seem surprising to you at first, but what happens is that people who get on at the back pay for their ticket by passing the money to the person next to them, who passes it on and so on. Then the driver sends the change back in the same way. No cheating, no stealing, everyone trusts each other.
There are two sorts of taxis: the official ones and the unofficial ones (cheaper, obviously). But be careful of the latter because they can tell you're a tourist and may try to cheat you. The two types are easy to tell apart. Like in England, the first type have a sign on the roof, and the others don't.
Public transport is something you really should try, although it can be a bit disconcerting because, despite the roads being full of holes, a lot of Russians drive as if they were in a Formula 1 race.
In a country as big as Russia the fastest means of transport is the plane. All regional capitals have a station. But, if you want to experience real Russians, it's better to take the train.
Russia's railway network is quite popular, especially with foreigners, because of the legendary Trans-Siberian railway. It has three branches: the Trans-Siberian (Moscow to Vladivostok), the Trans-Mongolian (Moscow to Ulan Bator), and the Trans-Manchurian (Moscow to Beijing).
It takes a week to get to Vladivostok. And even if you don't want to go that far, the journeys are long. So consider doing what the Russian do, lay in a stock of provisions so the journey is more comfortable. On the train there is a very friendly atmosphere, a bit like in someone's home, because the journeys are long, so you might as well relax! So you'll often see Russians in slippers or flip-flops. In the stations you can buy more provisions, especially as the train could be there for several hours (there is a timetable in each carriage). On the platforms there are babushkas selling fruit and vegetables, and a kiosk that sells salamis or tea. Tea is very popular in Russia and people drink it all day long. That's why you'll always find a samovar in the train - so don't forget to take your teabags and cup with you! In the train, as the time goes by, you'll get to know your neighbours, play cards, read, drink vodka...and often meet some interesting people!
You can buy train tickets quite easily, on the internet, in hotels or at the station. The price of tickets depends on the class: platskart is like second class, and kupe is like first class. However, if you buy your ticket on the internet you need to get to the station ahead of time (so you are not stressed or hurried) to retrieve the original (either from a ticket window, or from an automatic machine).
The Trans-Siberian is a railway line that covers enormous distances. So to get to towns that are relatively close you will have to take trains with wooden benches that are not as comfortable, the elektrichkas. Although you won't find many of these trains in towns that are far away from Moscow or Saint Petersburg. So the bus is the only possible means of transport. Although the journeys are very long, their prices are very low.
