The Lowdown

How it works?
So after meeting your travel companions on day 1, your Honcho will give you a run down of what to expect and assist the group with whatever they need — local transport directions to the Kremlin, translation of chat up lines in a café, an impromptu city tour taking in the best sites, internet cafes and cheap supermarkets, advice on phoning home…whatever. They will also have a stack of great idas about what you can get up to during your stay. As there are no set activities, you can choose to hang with the Honcho and the group or do your own thing!!

When it’s time to move on your Honcho will take you to the right train station, find your platform (ever looked at a departures board entirely in Mandarin?) and put you on the right train in the right direction. When you arrive at your next city, there’s a smiling Honcho waiting for you with your transfer to your accommodation and another amazing city to explore.

What’s the difference?
Even for the experienced backpacker the Trans Mongolian Railway presents a challenge. We understand you don’t necessarily want a tour leader telling you what to do each day and definitely don’t need your hand held on a train so Vodkatrain removes the hassle so you can enjoy the best bits that travel has to offer.

This is not an ‘escorted’ tour but it is group travel. It means having other travellers around, having fun and sharing experiences it also means you have a support network so you don’t have to tackle the hard bits alone.

Our Honchos are invaluable, a friend in a distant city, who speaks the language, who can help you out and show you around so you get the most out of your stay.

It takes a unique understanding of the intricacies of travel in this part of the world to ensure a transcontinental crossing goes smoothly. Vodkatrain is owned and operated by Sundowners Overland a company with more than 30 years experience operating Trans Siberian journeys for travellers. Consider the value of booking with the experts, who offer more than just a ticket, it could pay dividends later on.

Why 18-35? Is this just a drinking tour?
If you’ve read this far we reckon you understand this is a misconception. We do like to enjoy ourselves and there is no denying that vodka is a big part of Russian hospitality but if you want to drink yourself into oblivion that’s your deal, we would rather remember the good times! You might ask us then, why did we call it Vodkatrain? Well for us it was an easy decision: Vodkatrain is a revolution born out of the bureaucracy and beauty of Russian travel – and there is nothing more Russian than Vodka and nothing more local than trains …plus the logo looks good! So, if you can’t get further than a name then perhaps this is not for you. Vodkatrain is for open minded travellers who have an appreciation for the destinations we visit and are interested in sharing that with other people of a similar age and mindset. It would be fair to say that plenty alternative tour companies attract a wide range of ages on their journeys. Though we love our intrepid grandmas Vodkatrain simply offers something different.

Vodkatrain and Sundowners Overland
It’s been almost 40 years since the first mini-bus set off from India to Europe with Sundowners Overland’ young Australian founder and his assorted travelling companions. In 2009 the world has changed but young travellers still hold the same ideals, the desire to find something more meaningful, a shared adventure in faraway lands, to have new and different experiences away from the humdrum of our own lives. We crave that pioneering chance to explore new places, meet people whose experiences are so far removed from our own, carve out alternative routes (or visit long untrodden ones), to do something different. Though the original hippie trail through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan to India and Nepal may not be a viable option for the average backpacker, it is possible to blaze a different trail through Russia, Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, China, India, southern and eastern Asia and onward. In a time when we crave adventure but backpackers don’t know where to look for it beyond a Lonely Planet, Vodkatrain, the youth brand of Sundowners Overland is offering an alternative adventure!

How do I book?
It’s simple, choose your preferred itinerary and pick your preferred departure dates then visit your travel agent or our website. It will help if you have your passport ready at the time. Bear in mind you will need to book in advance to give yourself enough time to obtain the visas (though any one visa might take just a few days to obtain, allow about six weeks for the visas necessary for a Trans Mongolian journey).

When you book you will be provided with additional guidelines about the journey and advice on how to prepare for it. Once you have provided us with all the required info we will be able to send you the official visa support documents. We will also send you travel documents approximately six weeks before departure. The best bit is we are able to provide this easily and efficiently by email so you can pick it up wherever you are in the world

Given that these journeys are using public transport and visas are issued by government agencies not tour operators there are some things that are beyond our control but we will manage on your behalf in order to make it easier for you. Though rail schedules rarely change significantly it is a possibility, in which case we would need to reschedule your journey for you as necessary. We recommend you do not confirm non refundable/non changeable air tickets until your journey is guaranteed. We do recommend you book additional nights at the start/end as there is loads to see and do.

We can help you with getting there and away or extending your overland travels further (ever considered London to Ho Chi Minh by rail!?!). There are good rail connections between Russia and Eastern Europe which we can book on your behalf and our Rail Packs will help you extend your travel through China and beyond. At the time of writing it is not possible to make advance bookings for the Qinghai railway from Beijing to Lhasa. We hope this situation will improve in time but for now it makes the Tibet-Nepal-India connection more difficult for overlanders.
You have booked with the experts and as such you can expect service to match. Your journey starts from your initial enquiry and continues through to its successful completion. You will benefit from an unparalleled support network every step of the way. We look forward to having you aboard on the Vodkatrain!