i am 35 year old man, I've never been on Lake Baikal :-( as like many Russian living in central Russia. My very long trip to the east Russia was in 'Gorny Altai' republic! I drove about 3 days by railways in third-class car to the city Biysk (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biysk) . I read your report on the trip to Sochi, very interested and the importance of personal space for an American! Рersonally for me, travel in third-class car is not tiring, interesting to see how the changing nature of how during the many days trip.
Last year in August, I went from Moscow to Veliky Novgorod (only one night) in third-class car (platzcart) and my neighbor was a Canadian citizen ( from Montreal) !!! it was very unexpected for the entire car, that the foreigner was not going in the first class. She was a single traveler ! she did not speak Russian, only English and french. She compose by himself russian trip ( 2 weeks) Montreal->Paris->Moscow->Golden ring city ->Veliky Novgorod->St. Petersburg -> Paris->Montreal
Re: new double-decker train Moscow-SPB
Рersonally for me, travel in third-class car is not tiring, interesting to see how the changing nature of how during the many days trip.
Last year in August, I went from Moscow to Veliky Novgorod (only one night) in third-class car (platzcart) and my neighbor was a Canadian citizen ( from Montreal) !!!
it was very unexpected for the entire car, that the foreigner was not going in the first class. She was a single traveler ! she did not speak Russian, only English and french. She compose by himself russian trip ( 2 weeks)
Montreal->Paris->Moscow->Golden ring city ->Veliky Novgorod->St. Petersburg -> Paris->Montreal