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Published: September 27th 2007
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Yaroslavsky station
where we finally embarked a train out of Moscow 3 days and 4 nights - that’s how long it took to get to Irkutsk on board the Baikal express. Plaskarte (3rd class) is the class that most Russian travellers use and most guidebooks warn you to avoid, describing it as resembling a refugee camp after several days onboard. In plaskarte you have a bunk bed and the cabin is open plan, so that all the passengers can move about freely. In each section, there are 6 beds, separated by partitions. Sharing our compartment, were 4 women, Kalina, Oxanna, Alex, and Oliba. Oxanna (18) had been on holiday to Moldova with her brother and was returning home. Alex (27) was on her way to meet her fiancés parents, and was visiting Irkutsk for the first time. As for Kalina and Oliba, we didn’t really learn their story as they were not as keen to communicate as the other two. Alex had the best English, but still very little, so what little we learned was through the use of a phrasebook and English/Russian dictionary. Oxanna’s brother was a wrestler. As for us, it was easy for them to learn about us as we were able to show them photos and video of
Baggage
we spent far too long admiring this sign..and not actually achieving anything our trip so far.
The journey on the whole was restful and sedate, we met a few other travellers on board and had time to plan our trip through China. The scenery was nice but not particularly changeable, mainly the landscape seemed very flat and dotted with small wooden villages with the occasional more industrial looking place.
The vodka drinking party did not kick off until the last day, and after being treated to a few Russian songs, (which despite the party atmosphere, everyone listened to quietly and respectfully) it was quickly put a stop to by our serious looking provodnitsa (guard) who had called the train police. The police just came and stood and looked at the party, as if they would perhaps have liked to join in, but we understood the party was over, and everyone dispersed.
Sept 5 day 142 Boarded train to Irkutsk with bicycles (a small miracle) 9km ride to station
Supermarket 845 RB
Restaurant - 144 + 285 + 385
Bicycle carriage - 655 RB for 2 bicycles
Other food and drink - 170 RB
Unscrew pedals (at mechanic) - 160 RB
Donation - 200 RB
Total = 2844 RB
the bikes on the scales
the dramas leading up to the bikes getting on the train Total = 80 euro
Our experience of what was necessary to board Trans-siberian bound trains with bicycles from Yaroslavsky (- we went to Irkutsk on the Baikal express -train no. 10)
1) buy a ticket for yourself - you can do this in advance - apparently there are two windows at the station where they speak English, but we didn’t find them. Have your destination and preferred class written down in Cyrillic, along with your passport details in Cyrillic. Ask for a train with a baggage wagon (baggagi wagon)
2) On the day, go to the baggage weigh station next to the Lenin statue. Wait in the queue and have your bike weighed. Show them your train tickets. Tell them you want it to go in the baggage wagon. This cost 55 RB and a small receipt is provided. Note this baggage weigh station closes at 8pm (2000hrs) and there are queues there.
3) Take the small receipt to Cashier no 13, who will then print off the large baggage ticket. Our bikes weigh 15kg each and the cost for our two bicycles was 309 RB. Cashier number 13 also closes at 8pm so allow plenty of time)
There
with Jasmina
celebrating once we finally had our baggage tickets for bikes is a left luggage office at the station which charges 50 RB per item.
4) The train platform is announced approximately ½ hour before departure so make sure you are on the platform when this occurs. We then hurried with our bikes to drop the panniers next to our carriage, and wheeled the empty bikes to the baggage wagon. The baggage wagon attendants were then indicating that we needed to wrap up our bikes so be prepared for this. We managed to get away with removing the pedals, removing one front wheel, and turning the handlebars on one bike. Luckily a backpacker had agreed to watch our luggage. While Nigel dismantled the bikes, I was called on board the baggage wagon and another payment was required for 300 RB. I was given another receipt and asked to produce this at the other end. I had to sign it and really have no idea if it was official or not. However as the overall cost for bike transportation was only 650 RB for 2 bikes we were not concerned. When this was over I ran back and began loading our panniers onto the carriage while Nig loaded the bikes into the
carriage. The whole thing was very stressful and it was very lucky that we had located a bike shop to loosen off the seized on pedals that morning.
5) I would suggest to future travellers that if possible try to locate a luggage trolley somewhere in the station (we didn’t see where to get one, but then again, we didn’t really look) Then you can break down and wrap the bikes in advance, and put the bike and luggage on the trolley so you just need to head to the platform when it’s announced.
We did consider taking our bikes on board with us. The onboard luggage limit is 36kg per person and many cycle tourists would come under this amount. We were told that it was likely we would not be allowed to board the train with our bikes. The number 10 train that we were boarding to Baikal was very full and I think we would have been most unpopular if we had attempted to bring them on board. We travelled plaskarte but really there did not appear to be more room in coupe. First class did not even have overhead luggage racks.
Sept 6 day
Babuska selling food on train platform
yummy pastries with cabbage and mashed potato inside 143 on board Baikal express
Food and drink 85 + 100
Euro = 5.2
Sept 7 day 144 on board Baikal express - we passed through the Ural mountains in the night so did not see them. We are now officially in Siberia.
Food and drink 250
Charging computer 30
Total = 280
Euro = 8
Sept 8 day 145 on board Baikal express - stopped at Omsk
Food and drink 85
Euro = 2.4
Sept 9 day 146
Irkutsk 8km to hostel
Grotty twin room - fold out couch with sheets made out of tea towels (slight exaggeration) and warning and instruction signs on every surface such as penalty for using washing machine 5000 and one that looked like it had been there at least a year saying the sink is broken.
1300 - booked on-line and recommended by lonely planet.
Internet 20
Visa Registration 600
Supermarket 500
Total = 2420
Euro = 68
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Jimi
non-member comment
Baggage Sign
My Romanian friend beleives that the baggage sign that you guys admired points out that the baggage handlers dont work between 8 and 10 pm. Any way I hope that you guys will be back for Xmas..CHina is a biggg place. Love yahs - and keep on peddling - homewards