The long train

THE TRAIN had been shuffling up and down the border station tracks for five hours. We waited in a no man's land between the Mongolian border and the Russian frontier. A young soldier stood rigidly to attention outside our window, only his eyes betrayed boredom as they absently wandered up and down the side of the train. He caught our eye and gestured to his mouth. We threw him some sweets and a cigarette which he lit and started to smoke, hiding it in his cupped hand.

A sharp knock and our door opened to reveal three more soldiers, all women, holding the essentials of border duty. A briefcase, a stamp and a large, well-polished, rifle. The first soldier shouted "PASSPORTS!" and we all fumbled nervously in our pockets. This was our introduction to Russia.

Antique trains, overcrowded platforms, drunk passengers - it sounds like the latest rail journey from hell, but it isn't. At 9,289km the Trans-Siberian rail journey, from the far north-eastern corner of Asia to Moscow, is one of the longest train journeys in the world.

Pushing through the crowd at Beijing railway station towards the train, we tried not to lose any bags, limbs or friends. The train left bang on time as we squeezed into the wooden panelled room and surveyed what would be our new home, on and off, for the next three weeks

The well-kept carriages have an attendant, toilets and an all important 'samovar' - a coal-fuelled machine that dispenses boiling water for drinks and noodles. There is a dining car but it's far more interesting to dash off and buy from platform vendors. We bought boiled vegetables and fish, freshly-baked bread, cakes, home-made beer and vodka that was so strong we gave it away.

The stopping times and places are in the carriage and despite Russian's Cyrillic script, it's easy to guess where you are and how long you'll stop there. Don't get it wrong.

A missed train could spell disaster and an expensive taxi ride to catch up - if you can find one.

The first stretch of our journey took us past the end of the Great Wall of China. Lined up on one side of the carriage, we snatched glimpses of the wall between green trees and small Chinese houses.

In the evening, we stopped at the border town and ate dinner while the carriages were adjusted for the different scale Russian tracks used in Mongolia, apparently a measure taken to frustrate invasion.

Morning brought Mongolia, an uninterrupted soft expanse of green, undulating hills. Man-made objects are rare and the towns are wooden, dusty and small. Occasionally, herds of horses could be seen near a stream or wandering down a dirt track. Mongolia has tens of millions of horses and only five million people.

We arrived in Ulan Batur, the capital, around midday and travelled out to a camp where we stayed for five nights in traditional Mongolian tents, known as gers. Over the next few days we rode horses, ate home-made food and walked for miles across the beautiful, unspoilt landscape. Mongolia is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

Next stop was Russia and Lake Baikal, one of the biggest fresh-water lakes in the world. Siberia is often associated with barren landscapes and a harsh climate but the lake's surroundings were green and lush. We stayed for four days with a hospitable local family and we all missed our adopted Russian mother when we left.

Next was our longest continuous time on the train. Four nights and five days to Moscow.

Surprisingly the time passed quickly and we slept or occupied ourselves with books, chess and platform forays for more supplies.

What has been described as 'the longest Russian film ever made' passed by our windows in a blur of green, brown and blue. Sometimes the train slowed down and we looked more closely at the landscape around us.

Between great stretches of tall pine trees we saw small villages which gradually became bigger and greyer as we approached the more industrialised parts of Russia. Near the bigger cities, concrete tower blocks were common and huge chimneys spewed clouds of smoke.

There was plenty of time to sit and watch the world go by as Asia slowly melted away. Soon a white obelisk in the Ural mountains appeared, signalling the beginning of Europe. From my guide book, I knew Moscow was now just 1,777km away.

I quietly cheered, the rest of my compartment continued to snore.

Fact file

A single Trans-Siberian line doesn't actually exist. The phrase is used to describe a collection of routes. They begin in Moscow and terminate in either Vladivostok, the eastern Russian port, or Beijing in China.

The number of tourists travelling the Trans-Siberian route is increasing every year. It is possible to go independently but safer to travel as part of an organised group or with a group of friends on a collectively-organised ticket.

The Russia Experience, London, offers a variety of packages to suit every holiday and budget. Its packages begin at £399, with two nights in Moscow, although this does not include connecting flights to Moscow or home from Beijing. Its top-of-the-range trip includes six stops, costs £1,740 and takes 22 days.

Visit www.trans-siberian.co.uk or call 0208 566 8846 for more details.

The China Tourist Service can also arrange Trans-Siberian tickets.

Prices start at £218 for a second-class berth, travelling directly from Moscow to Beijing. It also offers packages starting at £2,095 which include all connecting flights and transfers from London. Call 020 7836 9911 for more information.

The Lonely Planet guide to Russia (£16.99 from most bookshops) contains an extensive section detailing the Trans-Siberian journey and how to organise it for yourself.