A DB class 628 next to an SNCF Régiolis TFA in Europe livery in a small station.

Head of an ICE 3 with a rainbow stripe.

Side of an ICE 3 with a rainbow stripe.

A PKPIC sleeper wagon hauled by an ÖBB Taurus locomotive at a platform in München.

The :pkpic: vagon-lits was a pleasant ride yestetday, sadly I have finally been Deutsche Bahned in 🇩🇪 Muenchen and missed my :cff: :kb_ec: EuroCity to 🇨🇭 Zurich. Instead, I took the opportunity of the :db: :de_ice: Tz "München" with the 🏳️‍🌈 pride stripe via 🇩🇪 […]

[Original post on zug.network]

Modern PKPIC carriages next to an LTG Pesa 730 ML at a small railway stop.

The Kyiv-Express leaving Warszawa eastbound. The train consists of some domestic PKPIC seating carriages and a bunch of Ukrzalitsnyzia RIC wagon-lits with one notably in the new livery rather than the classic blue-yellow one.

Bathroom with shower, sink and toilet in a night train.

A modern PKPIC wagon-lit in a long night train in Warszawa.

Last miles back home : During day 16 of my journey, I made it to my last :kb_liege: night train for a while.

The day began in 🇱🇹 Vilnius with an :ltg: Pesa 730 ML ride on the international link to 🇱🇹 Mockava, where there's the break of gauge between Soviet track […]

[Original post on zug.network]

Passengers leaving the LTG 730 ML unit in Vilnius at night time.

Modern departure hall of Vilnius with a ticket counter, wooden benches and a couple of people waiting.

The illuminated station building in Vilnius photographed from the park on the other side of the entrance square.

After a total travel time of 12:30 h today, I reached 🇱🇹 Vilnius with a little delay.

I'm exhausted since I didn't sleep a lot last night so I directly walked over to the Panorama Hotel most railway transit passenger might be familiar with.

While the timetables […]

[Original post on zug.network]

A Skoda RegioPanther parking in Tapa.

Narva railway station in sunshine.

An LTG Pesa 730 ML next to an Elron FLIRT in Valga.

The Elron FLIRT next to the beautiful, white station building of Valga.

The day began with a couple of hours by :elron: FLIRT : First, the :elron: RE33 got me from 🇪🇪 Narva to 🇪🇪 Tapa, where I changed to the :elron: RE45 bringing me to 🇪🇪 Valga / 🇱🇻 Valga with the transfer to the :ltg: 🤝🏽 :vivi: Pesa 730 ML bringing me via 🇱🇻 Riga […]

[Original post on zug.network]

I will write more about the day tomorrow morning.

For now I'm just happy to be back in 🇪🇺 Europe.

Oh, and a friendly :omya_pkp_ic: for charging me 300 (!!!) EUR for a sleeper reservation from 🇵🇱 Warszawa to 🇩🇪 Muenchen.

#FOSSRail #TeamNightTrain #CrossBorderRail

A DT1 train arriving at a small station at night time. Some passengers disbarking.

The Narva border square at night time, illuminated with the Estonian flag waving on the tower.

Suburban trains in Sankt-Peterburg Baltiyskiy.

A DT1 train from outisde.

Long live democracy, long live freedom, long live liberty 🌈✊🏽.

Let's fight together for a future in solidarity !

I'm back in 🇪🇺 Europe. I'm back in democracy. I'm back in a country where I don't need to fear to disappear for putting up my voice. I left the […]

[Original post on zug.network]

A passenger train at a small railway station at night time.

My compartment with snacks and drinks on the table and Rosåhaj leaning on the pillows in the corner.

A long passenger train at SPB Ladozhskiy station with a few lonely passengers on the platform.

The SPB metro accelerating in a huge underground station with beautiful arcs.

After one more night onboard of the :rzd: 071Е, I reached 🇷🇺 Sankt-Peterburg Ladozhskiy around noon. Leaving my comfortable :rzd: first class single SV compartment behind, I'm preparing for the final leg in Russia : Tonight, the :rzd: dieziel' (or is it an […]

[Original post on zug.network]

A plate of rice noodles and steamed vegetables on a night train table.

A mid-old Russian SV compartment with my huge backpack on the right hand side berth. Table with fruits, tea mugs and the usual selection of magazins.

A Russian railway platform at night. People are boarding the sleeper train on the right hand track. On the opposite platform on the left, there's another night train.

Adorable narrow gauge vehicles in the museum area in Ekaterinburg. A track with a level crossing and a Soviet light signal is in front of the museum.

After spending the evening in 🇷🇺 Ekaterinburg with the amazing Children's Railway, I boarded one of the two actually occupied SV compartments of the :rzd: 071И "Diemidovskii Ekspriess" brining me to 🇷🇺 Sankt-Peterburg during its 40 hour journey. Sadly, this is my […]

[Original post on zug.network]

A plate with potatoes and mushrooms on a sleeping car table.

A modern RZhD suburban train in Ekaterinburg.

Sunset behind a narrow gauge track. In background, there's a viaduct with even more narrow gauge trains.

A bunch of old narrow gauge trains on display in a snowy park.

The winter landscapes were passing by and after a while I was hungry again. Sadly the :rzd: @diningcar had lunch break so I returned to my compartment without food.

To my surprise, after half an hour, the chef knocked at the door and served me a tasty lunch […]

[Original post on zug.network]

A Russian metal glass of tea with the RZhD emblem.

My compartment's table served with porridge, a plate of salad, orange juice and a cup of tea.

Rosåhaj on her bed in the train.

I slept like a baby onboard of my :rzd: Ammendorf SV wagon 🥰. While sleeping, I made it from Siberia to Ural Federal District so I guess I'm back in Europe now ?

In any case, the border to 🇪🇺 EU seems within reachable distance and while I absolutely enjoy my […]

[Original post on zug.network]

Ammendorf first class SV sleeper wagon, coal heated and with the most floofy interior possible. Tell me about any better railway carriage 🥰🥰🥰 ?

#FOSSRail #TeamNightTrain

My special skill after this trip will be explaining what vegan food means in any most cursed situation in Russian 🫠.

#FOSSRail

A traditional Soviet tea cup with the metal emblem of the RZhD and the FPC.

A very old-fashioned SV compartment in two-berth composition.

An RZhD Vagon-Bistro in a railway station.

People boarding an RZhD train at night time.

I was said good-bye by the conductor with a German "Auf wiedersehen" when leaving the train in 🇷🇺 Novosibirsk. Even though I have a one hour transfer here, my connecting train already arrived after 10 more minutes.

The :rzd: 115И on its journey from 🇷🇺 Tomsk to […]

[Original post on zug.network]

Original post on zug.network

My train is about to arrive. Meanwhile the staff changed and the elderly conductor knocked at the door, informing me we'll arrive in 🇷🇺 Novosibirsk in 30 minutes. Adorably, she told me so in the classic language of international railways : German. It's wonderful to realize how in many corners of […]

A plate with potatoes on a dining car table with a snowy landscape outside.

Dining car table with a plate of potatoes.

Rosåhaj lurking onto the table of the RZhD dining car looking for my dinner.

After round about 30 hours of travel time, I could finally convince myself to leave the cozy SV compartment and walk around the train to visit the :rzd: @diningcar .

Despite some language barrier, I could be explained how they're out of the regular vegetarian […]

[Original post on zug.network]

Original post on zug.network

:rzd: trains sometimes are a pure dog and pony show : One minute, the conductor comes collecting the used dishes of my dinner, five minutes later someone from the bistro knocks asking whether I'd like to order any drink. Shortly later, the customer satisfaction officer asks whether I enjoy my […]

A plate of risotto with boiled vegetables on a night train table. Along with it, there's some apple juice, a bun and some fruits.

A salad plate on the night train compartment.

Blurry picture of the sunset above the Siberian horizon next to a snowy village.

Luxury but old-fashioned SV compartment with one bed and one sofa.

Enjoying a delicious meal onboard the :rzd: 009Н on its 6-days route from 🇷🇺 Vladivostok to 🇷🇺 Moskva on my leg from 🇷🇺 Irkutsk to 🇷🇺 Novosibirsk.

The :rzd: @diningcar served a tasty sweet vegetable risotto along with a salad plate. I'm proud of my Russian […]

[Original post on zug.network]

A comfortable RZhD SV compartment with one side converted to a bed while the other one is in day-time position. A fruit plate, a bottle of water, blankets and cushions are provided in the corner.

Sight on the end of the train standing in the station. The last two carriages are in AYaM design rather than the classic RZhD livery.

The 305И train arriving from Ulaanbaatar on the opposite platform. It's composed of RZhD carriages pulled by an EP1 locomotive.

Two passenger trains in front of Irlutsk railway station in sunshine. Two railway workers are walking next the luggage trolley behind the right train.

After one more night in 🇷🇺 Irkutsk, I'm finally back on tracks. I boarded the :rzd: 009Н train where I got a comfortable 1st class single SV compartment for the next 1½ days before changing in 🇷🇺 Novosibirsk.

While waiting at the station, my initially considered […]

[Original post on zug.network]

Original post on zug.network

My progress so far :

- 9 trains
- 8.000 km
- 3 nights on trains (5 night trains though in which I also just slept at day time)
- 8 travel days
- 4 countries

🚂🇹🇭🇱🇦🇨🇳🇷🇺

Still 6.000 km and four nights on trains until I'll reach 🇪🇪 Narva and cross back into the 🇪🇺 EU - I'm looking forwards to […]

The huge, white and cyan railway station of Irkutsk.

An old house with street art at a muddy road.

Irkutsk railway station shining in the last sun rays before sunset.

One day on 🇷🇺 Irkutsk to get everything settled. Groceries and railway tickets acquired after a long hunt for a bank which does foreign currency exchange.

At the :rzd: Kassa, the prompt "Cancel my direct ticket and sell me two separate tickets for the same route […]

[Original post on zug.network]

Sunrise above a railway station with a passenger train at a platform.

Irkutsk railway station at night time.

Engine and dining car of the Rossiia train with people boarding.

The Chita cathedral with its golden roofs between two railway buildings.

After 12 hours, I arrived in 🇷🇺 Chita-2 the next morning where I got a transfer to the Trans-Siberian-Railway on the famous 001Э "Росси́я" composed of 20 modern :rzd: carriages on it's 6 day journey from Valadyvoshock to Moskva bringing me to my next destination […]

[Original post on zug.network]

An RZhD electric locomotive at the head of a train. There's a pedestrian bridge over the dual-gauge tracks and some snow on a pile.

Old-fashioned interior of an Ammendorf Kupe with pale light and leather couchettes.

An old steam locomotive displayed on the platform of a cold railway station in dusk.

A beautiful Soviet railway station building illuminated in dusk. Huge letters above the roof indicate it's the RZhD station of Zabaikalsk. A few passengers are walking towards the camera.

After 1.5 days of forced break, I'm finally back on track. Leaving the adorable railway station I spent the last full day in behind, I'm boarding the :rzd: 393ь train from 🇷🇺 Zabaikalsk to 🇷🇺 Chita-2 where we will arrive around 8 a.m. after 12 hours of travel […]

[Original post on zug.network]

Original post on zug.network

[money, expensive railway tickets]

The new tickets were 56.000 RUB (570 EUR) in total. 3.5 days in second class Kupe and 1.5 days in first class SV.

I still have 10.000 RUB (110 EUR) left so I'll urgently need to exchange some more of my 5.000 RMB (650 EUR) to Russian rubles. I hope I'll find […]

Cargo trains in the huge transshipment facilities around the station.

A passenger train standing in a cold station with dual gauge tracks.

Side view of an RZhD train in a station photographed from my room's window.

The advantage of staying in the Komnata Otdika : You can watch all the cute :rzd: trains right from your window 🥰🥰🥰 !

My mission for today was to exchange enough Chinese yuan to Russian ruble that I can rebook all my trains - that's a complicated mission since […]

[Original post on zug.network]

A corridor in an RZhD Kupe carriage.

Entrance of a beautiful railway otel with welcoming furniture.

A huge cargo railyard at night.

Sight out of the window on snowy steppe. The huge Chinese border gate spans over the railway line.

I got a brand-new :rzd: Kupe carriage I shared with one other traveler. After 40 minutes of travel time, we arrived in 🇷🇺 Zabaikalsk. The Russian passport check went much smoother than expected. I was notably told by the immigration officers that I'm the first […]

[Original post on zug.network]

An RZhD diesel locomotive on standard gauge in a Chinese railway station.

Two RZhD carriages in a snowy railway station. Notably a Chinese border officer carries Rosåhaj to the open entrance door of the carriage.

Goodbye 🇨🇳 China, hello 🇷🇺 Russia !

The Bank of China told me it'd take two more hours to exchange currency so I had to leave without. Idk, I always thought currency conversation was strictly regulated in Europe but in China this seems to be an even more […]

[Original post on zug.network]

A Chinese ticket booklet cover for a journey from Manzhouli to Zabaikalsk today.

Chinese/Russian/German railway ticket issued by the "Railways of the CPR", with all classic remarks of a booklet ticket. The price is 42 RMB.

Sight on a city photographed from a high building. Some huge towers, a big square, monumental city buildings. Vibe of Sino-Russian mix. Clear sky and some snow on the roads.

A huge square in the city center surrounded by monumental city buildings and skyscrapers.

While travel agencies are *really* a thing here, currency exchange seems to be strange here.

Finding a travel agency who could issue me a cross-border ticket to Russia took me less than 10 minutes, I was searching for a currency exchange for over two hours - […]

[Original post on zug.network]

I'm really looking forwards to having a dining car with vegan food again tomorrow 😋. I'm sick of instant ramen and cookies 😵‍💫.

#FOSSRail

Original post on zug.network

If you're wondering what I'm referring to when saying "various Russian travel agencies" : In a radius of 500 meter around my hotel, there are 15 different travel agencies - even though my hotel is half way surrounded by a lake.

I don't know why exactly but travel agencies seem to be a very cool […]

Oh, and did I mention : It's 16 °C and according to my weather site it "feels like -26 °C" - which I can confirm after walking for 10 minutes looking for a taxi 🥶🥶🥶.

#FOSSRail