The Vodkatrain (St. Petersburg to Beijing) with Vodkatrain
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Recent Reviews
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Tour reviewed 5th September 2012 |
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Had an amazing time. Started in Beijing for a couple of days, wandering around with a tour guide who didn't direct us, simply laid out all the options and explained everything we wanted to know then let us do our own thing. I was alone, so teamed up with a couple and had a very long but amazing few days wandering the length and breadth of Beijing.
Then on to Mongolia! The train was comfortable, easy and also a lot of fun, we got chatting to some people nearby, one of whom turned out to work on the border of North and South Korea, of all places, great range of people. Mongolia was easily the highlight, great tour guide, bizarre and manic city with beautiful and expansive countryside. Waking up to half an inch of snow outside your warm Ger and horses wandering about is unlike anything I've seen before.
Lake Baikal was next, with an incredible, huge, freshwater Lake stretching further than the eye could see, with incredible views from the top of a tiny little ski resort, very cool. The accomodation was amazing and the food was superb.
From Lake Baikal the interesting 5 day train ride began. I was actually injured on the first morning of that train journey, a completely accidental cup of boiling tea was spilt on my leg and I couldn't walk for the next month, but the rest of the tour group and the tour guide in Moscow (the best tour guide of all) were all incredibly nice, helpful and I still managed to see a lot of Moscow, without being able to walk.
An overnight train to St Petersburg next, with a great and very interesting tour guide (she sails boats around the world) and one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. Excellent food, great sights and even a night out at one of the better restaurants in St Petersburg, where a completely unexpected strip show began. Only in Russia.
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Tour reviewed 5th September 2012 |
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I highly recommend this trip for any person of able age. The train was more comfortable than I thought it would be, I'm 6'2 and could stretch out at night. The package was well suited to those not sure of local sights and took the hassle out of getting around non English speaking countries. I had a great group of like minded travelers some of who I am still in contact 12 months later. The guides were mostly knowledgeable and helpful and it was some of the most memorable sights and experiences of my life.
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Tour reviewed 31st August 2012 |
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Quite possibly the best 21 days of my life - definitely the trip of a lifetime! The honchos were fantastic in every city and the accommodation was great (except for Godzillas in Moscow, which I sincerely hope you don't still use, as the owner was an asshole!). The only negative thing I would say is that it's VERY expensive when you consider how cheap everything is in all these places, but granted it does take a huge element of hassle out of the equation. I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
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Tour reviewed 25th August 2012 |
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The Vodkatrain was a fantastic experience!! I've always thought the best way to travel is with a local, and that's exactly what this trip is all about. All the guides were amazing - really friendly and very knowledgeable about their city, the best places to go/eat/drink etc.
While it feels a bit expensive before you go, i think it is totally worth it for the safety net of having a native speaker to help you in unfamiliar places like Russia.
Just make sure you take enough warm clothes, even on a summer trip!
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Tour reviewed 25th August 2012 |
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On the whole the trip was amazing. I don't think any one in my group would deny that we didn't become close, but the honchos were great. I returned to Moscow to study a couple of years later and met up with my old guide which was fantastic, it was great to know I had a friend in the city. Chatting to other independent travelers they found the countries visited rather impenetrable, and out guides were took us straight to the heart of the city. The only let down was our honcho at Baikal who just left us on our own because it was raining, that was a a boring and grey few days.
The trains were amazing, I was the odd one out in our group so ended up sharing my room with Russians and that was lots of fun. The only shame was that from Baikal onward our trains were fully booked by middle-aged British tour groups, so ended up having exactly the kind of atmosphere I was keen to avoid, though I'm sure Vodkatrain can't do much about the other passengers.
I loved the fact I wasn't bound by a schedule or that we were obliged to do everything together. I want to visit Russia and Mongolia again as an independent traveler, but as a first taste of these fascinating and intimidating countries I'm sure Vodkatrain can't be beaten!
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Tour reviewed 23rd August 2012 |
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The trans-siberian had always been on my wishlist but this trip far exceeded by expectations. It was one of the best trips I've ever done - such an adventure and made even better by the amazing group we ended up travelling with. We were like a little family by the end of the trip!!
Great guides, entertaining locals, amazing sights and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!!
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Tour reviewed 23rd August 2012 |
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Our experience on our travels was second to none and the railway journey we took was one of the many highlights of the trip and has molded our friendships for after the trip.
The Honchos we were given were brilliant and gave us an insight in to some of the places we visited. I'd definitely recommend this trip to all hopefull travellers.
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Tour reviewed 22nd August 2012 |
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VT was an absolute blast. Travelling from St Petersburg to Beijing, I had the pleasure of sharing hostels and trains with 14 amazing people. The guides were friendly and very open to suggestions, relaxed while still making sure you got the most from your trip. Some of the meals were truly memorable, while noodles on the train have their own charm... it fades after day two though. :) A fantastic way to travel if you're solo and getting used to being out of your comfort zone.
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Name of tour: The Vodkatrain (St. Petersburg to Beijing)
Starts: St Petersburg
Ends: Beijing
Tour operator: Vodkatrain
Price:
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