Russian railroads have started running a tourist-focused train from Saint Petersburg to Norway, crossing big stretches of Russia’s Arctic regions in luxuriously-decorated retro coaches,
But there’s a catch: the train doesn’t quite make it to Norway. Instead, it terminates at Murmansk, where passengers switch to a bus for the final run across the border to Kirkenes. From there, they can continue by boat to Oslo, by air to Spitsbergen.
The train, which carries two restaurant cars, is called ‘Zarengold,’ meaning ‘The Tsar’s Gold.’ The trip takes 11 days, and is expected to appeal to people with a spirit of adventure. It will run twice next year, and four times the year after.
