If you have been on the trans-siberian railway, what was it like?

Question

Best/worst experiences
Any tips for someone who would like to go
Stories - places to stop and check things out..
Etc.

Answer 1

I travelled by plane from Beijing to St.Petersburg, stopping at Mongolia, Irkutsk and Omsk, to meet up with my friends who decided to do it first class on the train. They said they had a great time, and first class was really good. However, I was able to stay longer in places to sample the expat bars and chat up the girls, and it cost me less to fly, albeit, on some of the oldest jets I've ever seen.
I strongly recommend a visit to Lake Baikal and Irkutsk, apart from spending a week in Ulan Bataar, which is dirty but exotic, and easy to get out of by hired jeep.

Answer 2

BORING. It's incredible how being on a train that long can get to be boring. It should have been the experience of a lifetime (it cost like one), but riding in a train is very monotonous. The food was not good. I guess I pictured something like while table-clothed tables with 5-start cuisine instead of the microwaved pre-packaged stuff.