Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26099 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Review
"Definitive guide."
-- Conde Nast Traveler (USA)

"The best specialist guidebook is The Trans-Siberian Handbook."
-- The Independent (UK)

"The Trans-Siberian Handbook ...is a must."
-- The Sunday Times (UK)

Review
"Definitive guide." --Conde Nast Traveler "Tells you everything you need to know." --Cosmopolitan "An invaluable guidebook." --The Financial Times "The Trans-Siberian Handbook ...is a must." --The Sunday Times "Well researched...A wealth of information... Is is a fascinating read and contains so much more than the usual handbook." --The Herald "An invaluable travelling companion." --Traveller First edition shortlisted for the Thomas Cook Travel and Guide Book Awards

From the Back Cover
A trip across Siberia on the longest continuous railway track in the world is undoubtedly the journey of a lifetime. It's also a convenient way to reach China, Mongolia or Japan. Tickets are not expensive or difficult to arrange.
Inside you'll find information on: Siberia, now wide open to visitors. For the first time in Russia's history you can now travel almost anywhere you want in Siberia: we tell you how to arrange a trip, where to buy tickets and where to go; Kilometre-by-kilometre route guide - covering the entire routes of the Trans-Siberian, Trans-Manchurian and Trans-Mongolian railways with 23 strip maps in English, Russian and Chinese: see where you are as you travel; Siberia and the railway - the detailed history of Siberia, the construction of the railway and the running of the Trans-Siberian today will be of great interest not only to visitors but also to armchair travelers; city guides with maps - the best sights, hotels and restaurants for all budgets plus Russian and Chinese phrases, rail fares and timetables.

Customer Reviews

An EXCEPTIONAL BOOK!
Because I plan to trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway next year I bought this book hoping to read some advice and tips on how to travel the whole trip, where to stay, how much it costs, where to stay etc.

But his book absolutely surpassed all my expectations!! There are not only those tips on trans-siberian rail, but also "travel guides" for cities like Moscow, Irkutsk and even tips on how to get to Mongolia, where to stay in Ulan-Bator and so forth.

I have no idea how I would plan my trip without this book! It's really amazing how much information (and even with tips from other "ordinary" travellers!!) is in that, for instance bus-numbers from Moscow airport heading to the center of the city ...

The book absolutely worth the money.

Preferable to the Lonely Planet guide. Indeed, one of the best travel guides I've ever encountered
For passengers on traveling on all or most of the Trans-Siberian Railway and visiting the cities along it, there are only two English-language travel guides. The Lonely Planet guide appeared in 2003 with a second edition in 2006, while Bryn Thomas updates his guide almost yearly and in 2007 it reached its seventh edition. I'm a two-time veteran of the Trans-Siberian, using the 1st edition of the Lonely Planet on the eastbound Trans-Manchurian route, and the 2nd edition on the eastbound Trans-Mongolian. When I recently discovered Bryn Thomas' guide in the local library, however, it struck me as the guide that I wish I had had on the trip.

The Lonely Planet guide and Thomas' have much in common. Both include a history of Russia in the Trans-Siberian era and general information about culture. They both give sightseeing guidance and lodging listings for the cities along the way. The LP sticks to the three traditional routes between Moscow and Beijing or Vladivostok, but Thomas has now added Yakutsk, soon to be accessible by rail) and other possible rail terminus cities like Prague and Hong Kong.

What makes Thomas' guide real special is his enthusiasm for the train journey itself. Unlike the LP guide, he gives timetables for the route, truly equipping the reader to prepare for the trip without having to look for too much information outside the book. Thomas discusses in detail the layout of carriages, specifics of what the carriage attendant can do for those under her charge, and things to look out for at kilometre markers along the way. The LP guide has little about the journey itself, and what little interesting information it did have in the first edition disappeared in the second.

Thomas' tone is also much more pleasant to read than in the common guidebooks for independent travelers. He doesn't try to sell you places you have already decided to visit with an overuse of words like "vibrant" and "spectacular". I also admire that he succeeds in writing for a general audience. While some of the accomodation listings are pricey, it doesn't feel like he is dismissing backpackers like certain sell-out guidebook lines.

I don't think I will ever travel the Trans-Siberian all the way again. While still fairly low considering the distance, fares are rising and I usually have the three free weeks needed to hitchhike from Europe to Ulan-Ude or Vladivostok. Nonetheless, I'd certainly recommend this to travelers planning a trip that is well-worth doing at least once.

Excellent guide
My friend and I did part of the trip last summer, and the guide was simply invaluable. We were in the major cities decribed in the book, and we took the train Irkutsk--Ulaan Baator. The book was very helpful both when we were planning the trip (has train schedules) and on the spot, directing us to places of interest. Overall, gives you a good idea what to expect. Start reading the guide at least half a year before the planned trip. You'll need good 4 to 5 months to arrange everything.