[sbardolf]

My husband and I have court next Friday 8/14, and we are adopting from Rostov on Don. We most likely will be traveling on 8/25 to Moscow. We can decide if we take the 17 hour overnight train or the 1 1/2 hr plane ride. I absolutely hate flying. I have heard Aeroflot and S7 are our options, but I have not heard anything positive about these airlines. I don't want to scare the daylights out of our new son, who will be 3, but a 17 hour train may also be a drag. Does anyone have some good advise for us? Susan

[votemom]

90 min plane ride vs. 17 hour on a russian train? i've taken the trans siberian railroad and with all the stopping and going it is very difficult to sleep if that is what you are hoping for.

i also found it to be very claustorphobic with very little air flow. i thot the journey would never end!

all that to say - i would definitely take the plane. the 90 minutes will be over before you know it. especially as you are entertaining and being entertained by a 3 yr old.

the trip home is exhausting and one you won't want to soon repeat, but everyone survives it and it is great fodder for stories to tell for years to come. i hope that doesn't depress you too much!

congrats on almost being to the finish line!

[angelkisses0102]

Plane...hands down. We have flown to Tomsk...4 hours, overnight and then early morning with DD returning to Moscow. Not great but certainly not 17 hours. With DS we flew 90 minutes to Samara and back...simply can't imagine choosing a 17 hour train ride with a newly adopted toddler. Ninety minutes and four hours were tough enough with newly adopted infants.

Good luck and congrats! You'll survive either way...

[beckyww]

Plane. We did the overnight train from St. Pete to Moscow. Scenic? Sure. Interesting? You bet? Once-in-a-time? Of course.

And miserably hot. Windows nailed shut. Reeked of smoke (if you're old enough to walk in Russia, you're old enough to smoke.) Very small compartment (DH is 6'5" and I am 5'10").

We did, however, get this shot of Julia sleeping in the top bunk. She crashed. Keith and I, however, we're up almost all night.

To quote Tattoo: "Boss, boss, da plane, da plane."

Becky
This Reminds Me

[Ebadge90]

We flew 4 hours to Kemerovo, and although it was not the least bit comfortable, August with no AC on the plane, I agree with the others. With a new child, 17 hours would be an eternity. Neither one will be like travel in the US, so limit it to 90 minutes versus 17 hours.

[momm2be]

I actually enjoyed the train from St Pete's to Moscow. It wasn't 17 hours... but I liked having the space, the privacy, the quiet.

We all slept like babies. Reminds me of sleeping on a boat - the rocking/bumpin was very soothing.

It's definitely worth the money to get a nicer cabin.

[waiter]

We didn't have an option and we traveled by train. It was about 1/2 the length of your ride. It was overnight and it was difficult for me to sleep but I'm not a good sleeper anywhere but in my own bed. For us it was nice to have a private compartment and the privacy. There are also no "security" check points for luggage or weight restrictions. 17 hours would be a long time but it would depend on how much you "really" don't like to fly and the cost difference. IF you do the train make sure you request your own car.

[cindyc]

We took Aeroflot. It has actually kinda cozy, and they still serve meals on flights! (What a concept.) We felt perfectly safe.

We were also ready to get home as soon as possible at that point. I love trains, but.......

[russianadoption]

I am with you on the "not liking flying." We flew from Moscow to St. Petersburg twice, and once the reverse direction. We took the overnight train twice from St. Pete to Moscow. I really enjoyed the train. It was a decent compartment and we slept ok-not great as it is noisy and bumpy, but it was a neat way to travel and see sights. Again, I don't like to fly so this was a great option for me. Once we picked up our son in St. Pete, our agency made our reservations for us to fly back to Moscow. I would have rather taken the train, but my husband and the other couple and child we traveled with wanted to fly, so I went along. It was ok.

Once we were back in Moscow, I was glad to have flown vs. an 8-hour train ride overnight with a toddler. And if it were 17-hours? I would say plane, but if you are not comfortable, I think the train may be enjoyable and an experience for you.

For what it's worth, friends of our took a 12 hour train ride (their only option) to Moscow with their son, and they had a fine time and everything worked out.

Congrats and Good luck! So exciting.

[bryanskmom2b]

Take the flight!!!!!

We took the 17-hour overnight train four times (coming & going) for our 1st adoption and then twice an 18-hour overnight (coming & going) for our 2nd adoption. We did not have an air choice. I was so thrilled that adoption #3 was in Moscow... no train!

Despite buying our own "room" for all trips, the train is HOT (even in the dead of winter) and very, very smokey. If you don't smoke, you'll hate the train.

On the positive side, our son slept very well on the train b/c of the rocking motion. We stacked our suitcases all around him to make a makeshift crib and he slept all night long. And, with the jetlag, you can catch up on some sleep (if you can sleep... I couldn't on the first trip but slept pretty well on #2 & #3).

Did I mention the bathrooms...... Gross!!!!! Take the plane !

The most important thing, of course, is your new son. CONGRATS!!!!!!! Wishing you the very best no matter how you travel !

[nhjosh]

We've done both.. in fact, we're in Russia as I type this and we just took S7 airlines last night. We liked S7.. we equate them to the "Southwest Airlines of Russia". They are sort of no frills, but we felt quite safe and no less comfortable than a delta, American Airlines, or whatever... and yes, the flight is very quick... ours was 70 minutes and felt like nothing.

We also took the train on a 12 hour ride.. we lucked out and got a brand new train,... but even still, my wife and I just couldn't sleep very well since it was on a train!

I recommend the plane too.. the train was kinda fun once... but it REALLY added to the travel fatigue and we wouldn't do it again....it just added another 12 hours onto our LONG travel time.

Best of luck!

[MamaChinch]

Everyone I know that traveled on the train with their new children said they should have flown.
I would choose the plane, 90 miuntes is nothing!

[k8c]

While I like to travel by train, and regularly choose it over flying, I'd say FLY if it's 17 hours. For me, six hours is long on the train. And I'm much older than three. ;>

I have flown Aeroflot several times and had no problems. Some flights (international ones) were fantastic! The domestic ones were less fantastic...but it's still only 90 minutes.

I've had the same experience that Cyndi has--everyone I know who took the train with a newly adopted child wishes they'd flown.