Trans-Siberian Handbook

Written by Bryn Thomas, the first edition of this book was shortlisted for the Thomas Cook Travel and Guide Book Awards. In 1991 he set up Trailblazer, to produce the series of route guides for adventurous travellers that has now grown to over 40 titles. Fully revised and expanded, this 9th edition is updated by Anna Kaminski, a Russian-UK national who is a professional guide-book writer also working for Lonely Planet and Rough Guides.

INTRODUCTION (1) PART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP - Routes and costs (Route options, Costs, Breaking your journey, Internet resources), When to go, Bookings and visas, Organized tours or individual itineraries?, Route planning, Visas, Making a booking (in Britain, in Continental Europe, in North America, in Australasia, in South Africa, in Asia), What to take (Clothes, Gifts, Money, Background reading), Health precautions and inoculations (Inoculations, Medical services) (2) PART 2: RUSSIA Facts about the country (Geographical background, Historical outline, Economy, The people), Practical information for the visitor (Documents, Crossing the border, Where to stay, Tours, Local transport, Buying rail tickets, Electricity, Time, Money, Post/telecommunications, Magazines and newspapers, Holidays, Festivals, Food and drink, Buying your own food, Where to eat, What to do in the evening, Shopping, Crime) (3) PART 3: SIBERIA AND THE RAILWAY Historical outline (Early history, The nineteenth century, The exile System, Early travellers), Building the railway (Plans for a Trans-Siberian railway, The decision to build, Railway construction, The first rail travellers, The railway in the twentieth century), The Trans-Siberian today (The train, Life on the train, Steam locomotives in Siberia, Other railway lines (4) PART 4: CITY GUIDES AND PLANS St Petersburg (History, What to see, Excursions from St Petersburg, Local transport, Orientation and services, Where to stay, Where to eat, Moving on), Moscow (History, What to see, Excursions from Moscow, Local transport, Orientation and services, Where to stay, Where to eat, Moving on), Sergiev Posad (History, What to see, Practical information), Rostov-Yaroslavski (History, What to see, Practical information), Yaroslavl (History, What to see, Practical information), Vladimir (History, What to see, Excursions from Vladimir, Orientation and services, Where to stay and eat, Moving on), Suzdal (History, What to see, Practical information), Nizhny Novgorod (History, What to see, Practical information), Vyatka (Kirov) (History, What to see, Practical information), Perm (History, What to see, Practical information), Yekaterinburg (History, What to see, Practical information, Where to stay, Where to eat, Moving on), Tyumen (History, What to see, Practical information), Omsk (History, What to see, Practical information), Novosibirsk (History, What to see, Practical information, Where to stay, Where to eat, Moving on, Excursions from Novosibirsk: Akademgorodok, Tomsk), Krasnoyarsk ((History, What to see, Practical information, Where to stay, Where to eat, Moving on, Excursions from Krasnoyarsk), Irkutsk (History, What to see, Practical information, Where to stay, Where to eat, Moving on), Lake Baikal (Getting to Lake Baikal, Listvyanka, Port Baikal, Bolshie Koty), Other Siberian excursions (Bratsk, Severobaikalsk, Nizhneangarsk, Yakutsk), Ulan Ude (History, What to see, Ivolginsk Datsan, Orientation and services, Local transport, Where to stay, Where to eat, Moving on), Chita (History, What to see, Practical information), Birobidzhan (What to see, Practical information), Khabarovsk (History, What to see, Practical information, Where to stay, Where to eat, Moving on), Vladivostok (History, What to see, Practical information, Where to stay, Where to eat, Ferries, Moving on), Ulan Bator (History, What to see, Practical information, Where to stay, Where to eat, Moving on, Excursions), Harbin (What to see, Practical information), Beijing (History, What to see, Practical information, Where to stay, Where to eat, Moving on) (5) PART 5: ROUTE GUIDES AND MAPS Using this guide, Trans-Siberian route (Moscow - Vladimir - Nizhny Novgorod - Vyatka - Perm - Yekaterinburg - Tyumen - Omsk - Novosibirsk - Krasnoyarsk - Irkutsk - Ulan Ude - Chita - Bureya - Birobidzhan - Khabarovsk - Vladivostok (Maps 1-27)), Trans-Monglian route (Ulan Ude - Naushki - Suhbaatar - Darhan - Ulan Bator - Erlyan - Datong - Beijing (Maps 28-30)), Trans-Manchurian route (Chita - Zabaikalsk - Manzhouli - Angangxi - Harbin - Changchun - Shanhaiguan - Tianjin - Beijing (Maps 31-35)) Siberian BAM Route (Tayshet - Bratsk - Severobaikalsk - Severomuysk - Tynda - Novy Ugal - Komsomolsk-na-Amure - Vanino - Sovetskaya Gavan) (6) APPENDICES Alternative route via Yaroslavl, Timetables, Siberian fauna, Bibliography, Phrase lists) (7) INDEX