trans siberian railway tickets price

In August, I took a trip from Tokyo to Berlin by surface transportation. I got on and off the train at the several train stations, but I would like to review how much the entire tickets cost. The detail is below.

from	to	unit	currency	train nr/ferry	class
Tokyo	Fushiki	11220	JPY	Toki/Hakutaka	Seat
Fushiki	Vladivostok	44000	JPY	rus	4th
Vladivostok	Khabarovsk	920.9	RUR	201	Platskart
Khabarovsk	Ulan Ude	2616.8	RUR	31	Platskart
Ulan Ude	Irkutsk	915.3	RUR	1	Platskart
Irkutsk	Krasnoyarsk	1025.6	RUR	63	Platskart
Krasnoyarsk	Novosibirsk	881.4	RUR	53	Platskart
Novosibirsk	Sverdlovsk	2340.8	RUR	37	Platskart
Sverdlovsk	Moscow	2485.8	RUR	9	Platskart
Moscow	St. Petersburg	2501.2	RUR	4	Kupe
St. Petersburg	Vilnius	3991	RUR	91	Kupe
Vilnius	Sestokai	25.3	LTL	393	Seat
Sestokai	Warsaw	48.68	LTL	910TA	Seat
Warsaw	Berlin	203.04	PLN	448	Seat

Suppose RUR/JPY=3.1, LTL/JPY=38, PLN/JPY=34 and EUR/JPY=138.
In total, it cost 119,739JPY (867 EUR).
Tokyo-Vladivostok cost 55,220JPY(400EUR)
Vladivostok-Moscow cost 34,678JPY(251EUR)
Moscow-Berlin cost 29,840JPY(216EUR)

What is remarkable is that the Trans-Siberian journey from Vladivostok to Moscow is only 30% of the total cost.

From Irkutsk to Moscow I could buy tickets by my credit card.

trans siberian on the train

Russian trains are perfectly designed for a long haul journey. Each sleeping carriage is equipped with 2 toilets and a samovar and there 2 train attendants. They are in charge of everything on the carriage, checking a ticket, delivering linens, cleaning the toilets and floor, maintaining the samovar, selling tea and snacks etc.

This time I bought third class Platzkarta tickets on the entire Trans-Siberian route. Platzkarta was more comfortable than second class Kupe, in a way. You have lots of space if there are few people on the carriage. You might use one bed and a seat. Fortunately I did not met drunk people who disturb my stay on the train.

Talking to local people on the train was a good Russian lesson. Despite my poor Russian skills, they were trying to communicate with me in Russian so patiently. Generally speaking, I realised that Russian people are so kind and friendly, but little simile, if you try to communicate with them in Russian. They sometimes smiled when I spoke to them with my strange accents and grammar.

room hunting in Germany

In the end of September, I stayed in Germany for a week and managed to find a room for October. Room hunting in Germany was so exhausting, the university and its services did not helped me find a flat and the halls of residence were full. They just said, you should find a flat by yourself on the internet although I did not have an internet connection so often. I bought a phone and got in touch with several people at an internet cafe, then finally found a room on Friday. It took 4 days to secure my accommodation. It was the first impact on me in terms of cultural differences. I realised that Germany is a country of 'Do it yourself' as Japan is a country of 'everything is organised'. But I would like to enjoy the difference as much as possible.

Trans-Siberian Railway

This month I have travelled from Japan to Germany by surface transportations, without flights. Most of the time I was on the train in Russia. It was the Trans-Sieberian railway that I had been eager to take since I read a picture book in my childhood. It takes a week from Vladivostok to Moscow with a direct train. In addition, if you get across the sea of Japan by ferry, it takes 2 nights. As I hopped on and off the train at the several stations on the journey, it took 24 days from Tokyo to Goettingen. It would be impossible for Japanese workers to take the journey. A 2 months interval between work and study let me take the journey. I have met lots of nice locals and travellers. It is no doubt that they made my journey amazing and impressive. It was the most amazing journey I have ever taken. I would like to take the Trans-Siberian route again. The experience is by far affluent than a flight. It is worth trying the journey if you like travelling or trains.

sunset at the lake baikal

Yesterday, I visited a lakeside village Listvyanka. The lake Baikal was so huge that I could just say that it is like a sea not a lake. The world's deepest lake and largest lake by the amount of water, its water is so pure, I realised that the lake is one of the most precious heritage in the world, so Russian and people in the world must keep its beauty for the future.

Vladivostok

I am in Vladivostok, Russia. I took a ferry to the city from Fushiki, Toyama. The city is so beautiful and looks like San Francisco or Istanbul. I like this city.

A Rainbow at the Berlin Hauptbahnhof

Last month I transferred a train at the Berlin Hauptbahnhof. At that time I saw a rainbow while it was a heavy rain. It was so amazing that I missed my next train.

To be a student

I am going to be a student in Göttingen, Germany the next October. I have decided where I am going to study recently.

Last March I sent my application packages to four European universities and I received offers from the four universities in May and June. One is in the Netherlands, two are in Germany, and one in Poland. At the beginning of this month, I visited Europe in order to make a decision which university I am going to study the next October. Unfortunately, one university in Germany informed me the admission after the visit to Europe. Therefore I could not think it over and had to withdraw from the programme although they offered a fee waiver and it was the best condition financially. I felt a sense of regret at that moment.

On the first week of this month, I visited Groningen (the Netherlands), Göttingen (Germany), and Krakow (Poland) and met programme coordinators. All cities and universities were so excellent that it was hard to decide. Finally, I chose Göttingen on the basis of the explanations of the coordinators and accessibility to English books. I think Göttingen will be the best place to study and my German skills will get rid of some difficulties in my life in Germany. I wrote an acceptance letter and three withdrawal letters last week. I was so sorry to inform them of my withdrawals.

My admission was not so difficult (was a little bit hassle), so it was all it's cracked up to be, indeed. I think that completing programme successfully in a foreign country will be more difficult than admission(in Japanese universities it is not...). I have to manage, but it is daunting at the moment. I have no idea how I can write term papers and thesis... My day of reckoning is coming. I am sure that I will undergo trials of Academic English, but I hope I will manage and want to enjoy my life in Germany. However, when I complete the programme successfully, my English skills will be improved! So it is a great opportunity to live in foreign countries and to get a new perspective. I am looking forward to meeting new people from all walks of life!

For the time being, I am really up to my neck in the preparation for the study. Quitting my job, getting a visa, paying the tuition fees, finding my accommodation, going to a dentist etc... It is a real hassle!

cinque terre monterosso al mare

I stayed in one of the cinque terre villages Monterosso. I did a trekking from Monterrosso to Riomaggiore. It was very harder than I had expected, indeed.

In florence

I am in Florence where Anthony Hopkins's film "Hannibal" was taken. I will write more later..

flying to Rome

I am at the Beijing airtport and waiting for the boarding. From today I am travelling to Italy a week. The airport is so huge that it took 1 hour to get to complete transfer procedure. It is a new, but not efficient.

This time I am taking a laptop and can connect the internet at the place where a hotspot exists.

Sukhariki from Moscow

Last month I did my Russian friend a favor. In return for it, I have received a packet from Russia. The content of the packet was lots of Sukhariki(Russian rusk) and chocolates! As Sukhariki is my favarite snack, I am so delighted at lots of Sukhariki. However, I cannot eat up all the amount, I gave some of them to my family and colleagues. As Sukhariki is not sold in Japan and the cyrillic alphabet is written on its package, they were interested in it. We enjoyed a flavour of Russia. I am grateful to my friend for all the favor. Sending food to Japan from Russia would be a bit of hassle. Thank you very much indeed.

Express Mail Service

Recently I have sent a parcel to Russia by Express Mail Service(EMS). EMS is the fastest delivery service for those who pay a surcharge. According to Japan Post, most of the delivery to Europe it takes just 4 days( not included custom). What I found EMS really interesting and reliable is that EMS parcels can be tracked from post to the final delivery on the internet. On the day I post my parcel a cargo airplane crashed and became inferno while landing at the Tokyo Narita Airport and the main runway was closed until the next day. At that time I worried about the delay of delivery because the airport deals with international flights in the greater Tokyo. As a result, the delivery did not delay. Furthermore, my parcel passed the Russian custom in Moscow without any delay. I had expected to take a few days. Tracking result showed me the delivery status. The EMS tracking system provides us with reliable and a real fun of delivery status. This is the moment when I realise the benefits of technology which is hard to find out in our daily life.


In addition, the EMS tracking system is available not only in Japan, but also in Russian. EMS serial number is internationally compatible between Japan and Russia.

EMS Tracking System in Japan
EMS Tracking System in Russia

maps for the rest of us

Maps have been developed by human beings for centuries. However, they used to be a special tool which only few people could read and make use of. In addition, traditional maps requires certain skills to read. However, digital maps in the 21st century are breaking through this idea for the rest of us.

In keeping with our history, maps were considered as one of the most confidential sources of information for the authorities. For example, in Japan a very accurate map was made by Ino Tadataka in the Edo era. It was such a accurate map that the Tokugawa Shogunate kept it a secret, but Franz Siebold, a German physician, tried to take the map out to Europe. In the end he was expelled from Japan. So, ordinary people were not allowed to access the information.

At the end of 20th century, the cold war was over and sat-nav technology was released to the public. We were able to have accurate and detailed maps. However, they are so complicated that lots of people were not good at reading maps could not have the benefit of them.

With the dawn of the 21st century, cutting edge technologies such as GPS navigation system and Google map on the internet have spread the benefit of maps ahead. Accurate maps equipped with ease of use. People who has a little sense of direction no longer suffer from a real hassle of paper maps. They tell you which direction you should move in.

The more our technology evolves, the more difficult to use and understand it becomes. Indeed, ordinary people do not seem to benefit from it. However I think the digital map technology would be one of the most useful technology for the rest of us. Although some people are skeptical about cutting edge technologies in public, there is no reason why we should not enjoy the benefit.

Yin and Yang, and Yen

It is now official, the world is in a recession and it is deeper than expected. It also claimed the first leader to step down in Iceland. However, the Japanese Yen has hit a record high against almost all the currencies in years. The global economic turndown has brought Yen to be appreciated. Our purchasing power has appreciated by about 30% since last summer. It helps Japanese travellers take trips abroad.

My trip to Russia was not an exception. I had expected high prices in Moscow, but it was not all it's cracked up to be. It was almost the same as Tokyo. I found lots of Europeans who were suffering from such high prices in Moscow. The reason why I did not suffer from the prices is definitely the appreciation of Yen. Yen has appreciated by about 30% against Russian Ruble, which means that everything seemed to me 30% off. The total amount of my 17 days trip was ¥215,000. More than half of the expense was a flight ticket between Tokyo and Moscow. I bought it at the zenith in the last October. If Yen had not appreciated, I would have felt expensive. I enjoyed the benefit of strong Yen.

Japanese tend to consider the appreciation of Yen drawbacks because our economy has been shored up by exports for decades. Indeed, the Japanese automobile industry such as Toyota or Honda are suffering from the appreciation of Yen and lots of temporary workers are losing their jobs. That's a big problem. However, I think it is an opportunity to reconsider a hatred for the appreciation of Yen. Japanese exporters enjoyed the benefits too much under undervalued Yen. I think everything has to get balanced in the end. The benefits of strong Yen will outweigh the drawbacks. It is time to change our perception.

Leckeres Essen in Russland

In meiner Reise habe ich wunderbares russisches Essen genossen. Suppen und Pumpernickel haben mir sehr gut geschmeckt und ich habe sie jeden Tag gegessen. Besonders eine Suppe, die "Soljanka" heißt, war ganz lecker. Man isst Soljanka mit saurer Sahne, Zitrone und Oliven. Ich mag den sauren Geschmack der Soljanka mit Pumpernickel.
Russisches Essen ist gesünder als ich glaubte. Es gibt viele verschiedene Salate in Russland. Salate mit roten Beten sind sehr gut und lecker! Man kauft Salate im Supermarkt oder im Stolovaya(Canteen). Ich habe im Stolovaya viele Leute, die mehr Salate als Fleisch essen, gesehen und sie essen in riesiger Menge Salate... Über was ich überrascht war, ist Wareniki(ein Teiggericht wie japanische Gyosa). Die Teige sind nicht gesalzen, sondern süß! Erdbeere im Teig! Es war eine neue Entdeckung für mich. Kavier geschmeckt Suhariki(Zwieback) hat mir auch geschmeckt. Ich habe erkennt, dass russiches Essen lecker und kultiviert ist. Russland braucht kein Fastfood wie McDonald's. Es hat mir in meiner Reise sehr gut geschmeckt. Zusätzlich können Russen sehr gut Stäbchen benutzen. Es gibt viele japanische Restaurant in Moskau.

S Novim 2009 Godom

I took a 17 days holiday from Christmas to New Year. I travelled around Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and saw the year off at the Red Square, Moscow. I expected that my trip to Russia would be the most difficult and challenging trip I had ever experienced. However it was not all it's cracked up to be. There are several elements that made my trip comfortable without any problem. In this post I would like to review my trip what makes my entire trip comfortable.



Firstly, my Russian friends helped me a lot. They gave me live information about Moscow in advance and helped me buy tickets and a mobile phone. They invited me for a wonderful silvester dinner in their new flat. I am so grateful of them for their great hospitality. If they had not advised me that I should go to the Red Square more early than I had planned because there were several security controls to enter the Red Square for new year celebration, I could not have celebrated new year and seen fireworks at the square. It was 5 min to the new year when I arrived at the square.

Secondly, I had prepared to study survival Russian in the run-up to the departure. I decided to take a trip to Russia in last October and then started studying Russian. I took private Russian lessons in Tokyo. It was just survival Russian such as greeting, counting numbers, typical phrases for travel use. As a result, few people understand English as I had expected. I managed to communicate with them in my poor Russian during my entire journey. At least I have got used to the Cyrillic alphabet. Thank my Russian teachers for helping my Russian. It worked really well.

Finally, there were lots of nice, friendly and supportive local people who helped me in every situation. They smiled not so often, but once I asked them for something, they tried to explain to me with patience although most of the people did not understand English. I realised in my trip that we have an inbuilt assumption that Russian people are not friendly. It is not a ture, I think that little smile and little English would inflate our Russian stereotype. Unfriendly people might used to be true, but Russian people in 21st century have changed.

To conclude, the countries I have been to this time are worth visiting. There are lots of amazing places round the region. Nice people, delicious food and beautiful lit up buildings especially in winter are waiting for your visit. The countries have been changing over the last ten years. Gloomy Soviet atmosphere has almost been cleaned up. With getting used to the Cyrillic alphabet, we can enjoy the modern Moscow and other former Soviet cities.