Your comments about the bugged hotel reminded me of Sebastian Coe's story about the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Arriving with his room mates in their apartment in the Olympic village, they all figured the room had to be bugged, and tore it apart looking for suspicious devices. They found nothing and finally the one thing they hadn't yet looked at was the TV. So, concluding that's where the bug must be, they pulled the TV to pieces, and only when every component of the TV was strewn all across the floor, they concluded, "Okay. We were wrong. There are no bugs in this room." Then the phone rang. It was the receptionist who asked, very politely and in perfect English, "Would you like an engineer to put your television back together?"
@@evgeniyglebov Except it wasn't a joke. It is amusing that Russians would do such a thing though, and even more amusing that apparently they can't take jokes!
That looks like a well packed kit. More than what I received from some moderate-high end hotels in the US. What's more amusing is seeing a Noel who has enjoyed some of the country's beverage.
@@alexbraga6243 US is not that bad, can't say for myself there. However, in London the flats could be cleaner. Also US natives' say "Apartment"(s) and UK tend to say "flat" with the plurrel being less common yet, still being used.
Honestly these videos just make me extra sad about what is happening today.. Both Russia and Ukraine are countries I would love to visit, I just hope things can get settled and this part of the world will become safe to visit again soon.. Great video.
I actually agree with you, i really hope things will get settled and world will become safe again and i will able to see my friends again. I really miss my friends and it's been over 5 years since i saw them. I really hope that one day will see them again and play poker with them or do something interesting in city.
Noel, In Russia, caviar is served with pancakes, it is eaten with pancakes, and not separately😄 We sometimes have breakfast like that, pancakes with caviar and sweet coffee, very tasty.😀👍Thanks for another great and interesting report.👍👍👍
Salmon and caviar are the standard filling for Russian pancakes (although you can also eat pancakes with sweet fillings). But Noel ate caviar completely incorrectly, so the "strong taste" of caviar scared him!
I was born in Russia, my wife in a completely unusual place (for a Central European). Our life was quite unusual, we traveled a lot even during our childhood and without having anything to do with the Party. Such things were rare, but did exist. For me all these things (caviar, salmon) were part of the diet - and EVERYDAY diet! Not a typical thing for an average Soviet citizen: I was living near aerospace research institute (TSAGI) and there was a special food quota in our area even when other areas of USSR had severe food shortage. However, I used to eat caviar with bread, preferably black bread - and pancakes with fruit jam as a desert. All of this 100% perfect for breakfast. We also used to live on the West Coast, not far from SF. We had salmon quite often, see the selection at Trader's Joe.
Took the Red Arrow in 2018, and I was in first class (a shared bathroom) and took a chance I might have a roomate, but didn't. Still it's the nicest train and best service I have ever received in any kind of transportation. Woke up all rested and to an excellent breakfast served in my room and all for less than cost of a hotel. Best kept travel secret. A very cool train to a very beautiful city. 😁😁😁
What this suite DEMONSTRATES PERFECTLY is the fact that EVERY suite in every medium(plane, train, boat) must give the traveler the feeling of being in an actual room. That means it must fulfill all the qualities of: cozyness, comfort, safeness, privacy. This suite fulfills that 100%.The "luxury" factor is a plus!
It may sound strange but I've always felt most coziness in a 2nd floor bed of a 15$ 3rd class sleeper. "roommates" were always friendly (anyway nobody can't reach you if you don't want to climb down), they're mostly students, sometimes "rural" people (or our bicycle club mates when we take a train at friday to spend next holidays well slept at another 500 km away town), roommates don't have access to air conditioner settings (and the standard railroads company settings looks perfect for me). Being an active hiker and bike traveller, looks like I've tried all train classes and all types of jets multiple times.
Yes i can imagine there’s so something magical about waking up early dawn on a sleeper train, especially when you’ve past continents and time zones etc.
$200 for a super plush train ride across a country is a good deal. $200 on Amtrak in the US gets you jack schitt. The only thing included free is the lice.
kgot to love free bed bugs and fleas. 🤣🤣 In the UK $200 will get you a few stations up the the line. 👍👍 And probably take just as long to travel 200 miles.
I came with the intention of having a quick browse on the video, but I stayed for all 40 minutes of it and didn't regret it! Spasiba, tovarishch Nataly!
Great report, Noel! I haven't ridden a Red Arrow for 25 years. Previously, there was also the most modern train. But most of all I was struck by how you drank 200 grams of vodka without snacks. This is strong! A week ago, a friend and I drank a liter of vodka at the dacha, but we had 2 kilograms of shish kebab, one and a half kilograms of salad, a hot bath, 4 liters of kvass and a samovar with tea. Vodka does not like jokes and is good for a meat snack in the company of good friends.
How many people are commenting about your breakfast? The crepes are great with red caviar together. Not many eat caviar off a spoon, rather they spread thin on toast or crepes with either butter or cream cheese
В Питере баночка красной икры в "Пятёрочке" 70 Руб была, та самая что в MixMarkt (Германия) как минимум 15 Евро. Но молодец Ноель, был и в Вологде. Правда, там по неопытности пошёл в Дикси и купил пиво с чипсами. А в отеле на стене меню: охотничий салат, селёдка в шубе, солянка - всё за Евро (80 Руб) или меньше. Написано было правда только на одном языке. Но всё равно, молодец.
@@well-hiddenme5846 Всё правильно: в Вологде пьёт пиво с чипсами, в Красной Стреле - водка с икрой. Прогресс. All right: in Vologda he drinks beer with chips, in the Red Arrow he drinks vodka with caviar. Progress.
This is the best russian vlog I ever seen. A lot of people including Indian people have done russian vlog before, but all of them are cheap, and common. Without this vlog I would never thought a train like this exists in Russia. You are opposite of bald and bankrupt, which I like even more. Thank you once again. Keep it up excellent job you are doing. 👍👍life is short and live life like a king if you have an opportunity. FANTASTIC.
We traveled from St. P to Moscow and our room was like some grandmas living room. We had to use a hallway toilet which just was open to the tracks below. We were told not to open our door to anyone but room service who brought a simple basket of food.
@@henrysehgal658 Yes. Extremely expensive for the service provided. We've never had the time to do either, but The Wife's relatives took The Ghan one way (of course), and were less than overwhelmed by the train, amenities, and standard of service. Their comment was that the TGV services offered better everything, for a far more reasonable price.
@@phils4634 I've yet to take a train outside Western Europe, Canada or contiguous US but hope to one day travel outside Canada (my country of residence, citizenship and birth) again. Maybe one of those countries will be Russia but given what is going on over there likely only after Putin's presidency has ended.
1:01 This building was actually not built by Stalin or his son or whoever. It was reconstructed to its current state in 1952. Before that, it used to house the famous Yar restaurant (which was closed several times, but is still there as a part of the hotel), which once was the center of Gypsy music in Moscow. And the building also houses the Romen theater which is also the Gypsy theater in Moscow.
Thank you! I was debating whether or not to destroy some of the magic Noel built about the rather bland, but well-marketed hotel. Now you did it first and that's good... Note: for the sake of political correctness they now expect us to say "Roma" or "Romani" instead of "gypsy" - the word you and I use without any negative context... Thank you!!!
@@Chronograph71 Which is silly, because Roma/Romani implies that they have some connection to Italy/Rome, when they don’t. They are travelers, who got around. They don’t have a good reputation for good reason. Screw PC words. I even cringed that he traveled for fun when everywhere was forcing mask-wearing. I’d never support companies that forced that shit on me.
Most foreigners would always say Na zdorovie when it comes to toast, but it doesn’t sound natural for us, Russians. Actually, when you propose a toast to someone’s health, you should say: Vashe zdorovie, which means To your health.
Drinking alone is an old Russian tradition when you don't have an HDMI plug on your TV in order to connect your smartphone to watch a movie before moving furniture around.
The topper for me is the car attendant waiting for him AS SOON AS he got off the train. That makes you feel like somebody. Such efficiency and for such a reasonable price. My hat is off to you Russia.
My wife and I took the same train in 2000. All the cabins were taken so the conductor sold us his cabin for something like $50. Breakfast not included. He told us not to wander around too much but I took a walk and saw another conductor sitting with passengers. She was very attractive and throwing down vodka like a professional. LOL!
It’s a bargain compared to our train prices in the U.K that are insanely expensive. I recently brought a ticket from Bournemouth,];a station on the south coast to Birmingham in the midlands, 3 hour journey one way cost me 120 pounds about 150 dollars. Complete rip off!!
The price has gone up a bit. Now it’s somewhere around $270. For Russians, of course, the amount is large, considering that you can fly from Moscow to St. Petersburg in 1.5 hours for $20 (without luggage)
Maybe for Western tourists its truly "insanely cheap ", but for Russian average citizen it's insanely expensive for just one riding from Moscow to Petersburg
It is considering a ticket i brought from Bournemouth to birmingham one way last week cost me 120 pound standard class. First class was 268 pound one way. Robbing sods. I could of hired a car and drove back cheaper in my own comfort, and then not have to pay 26 quid to get a taxi home from Birmingham New st station. So cost me 146 pound to get home where as a euro car i could of hired a fiat 500 for 30 for day, and probably got back in that little car on about 30 pounds worth of petrol had i watched my fuel consumption and stuck to 65/70mph. Grrrr
For me, Italian, it's still quite expensive. This trains costs the double of a deluxe accomodation between Milan and Palermo (the longest route on Italian railway network) 1000 kilometers apart
@@Dmitrii-r1s 700 средняя ) не вводите людей в заблуждение ) у нас в Сибири значительно больше ) у меня зарплата инженера в Сибири 1.300 долларов ) но прожить месяц в Сибири дешевле в 3 раза чем в Европе ) я жил в Чехии и Италии ) и то что в России жить дешевле начинается с утра когда покупаешь в Италии пачку сигарет 😂
@@ИС-3-у5э Не забывай - что твоя ЗП компенсируется идиотскими наценками на продукты, уж без обид. Твои Сибирские ЗП - хороши ток вахтерам может быть, мол накопить деньжат у вас - и снова в Питер жить. Ну учитывая цены на хавку - не-е-е-е, спасибо, я уж лучше в Питере поживу. Хотя ЗП интригует и вправду - как и надбавки к ней.
We always welcome our guests. You can fly to Russia with one transfer in Serbia, Turkey, Armenia or in the Middle East. You can also get to Russia via Belarus, Finland, the Baltic States by bus. Of course, it's more expensive and longer than before, but that's life. And you can check that nothing has changed in Russia: shops are full of products, restaurants, museums, hotels, transport are working normally. The police do not catch everyone, everything is completely safe).
@@EvgenPashkin 👋👋😄, thank you so much for reminding many people around the world, that beautiful Russia is a great place to travel and enjoy. Your country seems to be one of the sanest spots on earth to be right now. Best wishes and greetings to you from Oceania 🤠🦘🥃
In the 70s I travelled on the Red Star train from Leningrad to Moscow in the middle of winter. It was like watching the movie Dr Zhivago, it made a big impression on my 16 year old self.
My boy Noel was a bit tipsy lol. Honestly I love your videos. I love that you always stay very humble and you continue to give us the perspective of an actual traveler, unlike The sellout Sam Chui.
I lived in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) for three months in 1973 from November to January 1974. And boy was it different then. I will never forget the cold.
Thank you so much for this wonderful, detailed report. I live in Russia, but I have never traveled this route. (I had no need for this, because I live in a completely different region of our huge country). And thanks to your amazing video, it was like I myself was a passenger on this route! 😄
When I took the train from Moscow to Leningrad in 1978, I had a cabin with 3 other teenage boys and I swear the lavatory had a hole cut in the floor with footprints painted on either side. You could see the rail ties and everything. I was told that was why the grass was so green along the tracks.
Soviet and russian railways had had old types of passenger carriages built in GDR, Poland and USSR. They all had gravitational toilets, where every one could watch rails and ties during flush. In winter in the northern regions and Siberia attendants often had to fix the problem of frozen toilet outlet pipe. They would pour boiling water into the toilet or even use heated up crowbar. Nowadays most of carriages in Russia have vacuum toilets with tank.
Amazing Trip! That must be one of the best sleeper trains ever. I couldn’t believe the price you paid too. I expected it to be a lot more, but then remembered it was Russia, but definitely good value for money. Love private en-suite and shower, certainly better than other sleepers.
Really enjoyed this episode. Especially to find out that someone else in the world eats pork pie on Christmas morning. I thought I was the only one. My wife thinks I'm mad. Maybe but no longer alone!!!!!
I took Krasnaya Strela many many times in the 80-s and it didn’t look like that at all. It’s all new. It has nothing to do with ‘communist oligarchs’ :)
Hi Noel! Great work as always! As a Russian, I really enjoy watching your videos from this part of the world! Just a remark/comment: I believe there are more luxurious trains running the same route, Grand Express being the one that immediately comes to mind; the Krasnaya Strela is a historic brand, and the quality is generally good though. Another decent option would be 1st class on the Sapsan (that is a high-speed train though, so it's not really comparable).
Hello Sir, I have been to Russia 4 times and visited 16 cities so far! Just love your country so much and will be back again sometime next year. Red Arrow is definitely on my list!
Wow i thought it would have been a lot more expensive than what you paid, me and my wife have always said we would love to go to Russia, now I'm more determined to go and travel on the Red Arrow.
@@nottoday3817 *Amazing nonsense, the train is specifically made in order to wait until you arrive from your island when you finally begin to smarter in the West and you will have any kind of logical thinking?*
I've been on a travel video binge these days and I find that I keep coming back here because your videos put me in any seat you sit in. I just mean you're a real kind of guy who gets excited by these beautiful places just as I would. Other videos have so much of the vlogger staring off into the distance while sipping a cappuccino. The critiques sre are mainly food and aesthetics. Boring. At least here you get a little history and anecdotes, a little aviation education and you show the good and bad of every aspect of your trips. It's extremely well done, kudos to you!
День Железнодорожника отмечают не конкретно 1 августа, а первое воскресение августа. После Дня железнодорожника лично я начинаю есть арбузы и дыни, потому что они продаются уже без нитратов и прочей отравы.)))
Thanks!!! In Russia, caviar is eaten with pancakes, the sweetness and softness of the pancakes overlaps the salty taste of caviar. Balance. Everything is delicious with pancakes, including salmon.
@Юрий & Ко о том и речь! Вы добавляете соль в сладкую выпечку, чтобы сбалансировать ее вкус. А сахаром балансируете вкус томатной пасты для борща. Здесь сахар уравновешивает соль в рыбе или икре. И вы его не замечаете, ощущая общую гармонию сочетания икры/рыбы с масляным блином😉☝️
Those weren't pancakes. Those were tasteless crepes onto which the caviar was supposed to go on lol. And eating a bowl full of caviar straight like that probably would be a little too much for most everyone. Now you know for next time haha.
@@alicek.4714 They’re not pancakes and they never were pancakes lol. They are tasteless crepes. They’re meant to be topped with things or stuffed similar to a small burrito.
A bit of advice for your salmon/caviar breakfast, Noel: those little crepes/blini 'pancakes' are meant to schmear with your caviar and sourc ream and/or lemon... they're not intended to be eaten seperately, alone fyi Neithe is the caviar. Always have blini/pancakes or 'toast points with your caviar and the aformentioned accompaniments. Just some gustatory advice... but then again your salmon and pork pie for brekkie on Christmas sounds yum too, though I prefer yer Full English, mate! Happy Christmastide to you also!
Trains and buses are the best way to travel. Cheap as chips and you can see everything! I got the bus from Middle of Finland, down to Helsinki, ferry to Estonia, Latvia Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, back to Poland and then all the way to Amsterdam over a month and it cost me less than two hundred quid!
This was fun to watch. I used to escort trips from the U.S. to Russia in the mid 1980s. The trains didn't have food, t.v., or wifi (not a thing then) but were just as comfy. The tea was always black tea but was wonderful. Thank you for the memory.
At that time it was perhaps the only train in the USSR with good service. The rest were simply terrible torture, especially in the summer in the 3rd grade (platzkart) where there is no air conditioning and many of the windows did not open. Now, of course, everything has changed. Service in Russia has surpassed many countries. People suffered so much with the service in the USSR that they decided to seriously fight it. But it was clearly not necessary to cut the country into 15 pieces for this.
Give yourself a pat on the back. That was a great 40+ minutes of nerd fun (speaking as a nerd and married to one). If I could I'd try to retrace your steps. Great fun.
That was £148 well spent - why not travel in style! Very interesting trip. Loved the tour of that rather splendid hotel too. I will watch Bald and Bankrupt to check out the secret rooms!
Thanks for clarification. I was certain the caviar was not to be eaten by itself and having had fancy caviar with toast points and assorted toppings, I assumed it would go in the crepes with the salmon. Beautiful train and what little we saw of the countryside and city was wonderful.
Hi Noel, One of your best videos my friend, great detail and some really interesting Russian history. The train journey has been put on my to do list. Looking forward to your next review. Stay safe. Kind regards DS
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Your comments about the bugged hotel reminded me of Sebastian Coe's story about the Moscow Olympics in 1980. Arriving with his room mates in their apartment in the Olympic village, they all figured the room had to be bugged, and tore it apart looking for suspicious devices. They found nothing and finally the one thing they hadn't yet looked at was the TV. So, concluding that's where the bug must be, they pulled the TV to pieces, and only when every component of the TV was strewn all across the floor, they concluded, "Okay. We were wrong. There are no bugs in this room."
Then the phone rang. It was the receptionist who asked, very politely and in perfect English, "Would you like an engineer to put your television back together?"
Какой глупый анекдот.
Ha! That's a great story.
@@evgeniyglebov Except it wasn't a joke. It is amusing that Russians would do such a thing though, and even more amusing that apparently they can't take jokes!
What a delightful train journey! Clearly, you enjoyed yourself on this excursion. Thanks for sharing. 💙
Hahaha ooops 🤭
That looks like a well packed kit. More than what I received from some moderate-high end hotels in the US.
What's more amusing is seeing a Noel who has enjoyed some of the country's beverage.
His entire room, on a train, is nicer than my entire flat 😂
Never mind the train having to go anywhere ,I would like to LIVE in it!
You probably live in US 😅
@@alexbraga6243 US is not that bad, can't say for myself there. However, in London the flats could be cleaner. Also US natives' say "Apartment"(s) and UK tend to say "flat" with the plurrel being less common yet, still being used.
Honestly these videos just make me extra sad about what is happening today.. Both Russia and Ukraine are countries I would love to visit, I just hope things can get settled and this part of the world will become safe to visit again soon.. Great video.
outside of 4 cities, russia is a swampy backwater bog
I've got no interest at all to visit russia EVER
I actually agree with you, i really hope things will get settled and world will become safe again and i will able to see my friends again. I really miss my friends and it's been over 5 years since i saw them. I really hope that one day will see them again and play poker with them or do something interesting in city.
@@9nxtTo be fair that describes most if not all countries lol
@@9nxt
Ever been to Canada?Just asking..
Noel, In Russia, caviar is served with pancakes, it is eaten with pancakes, and not separately😄 We sometimes have breakfast like that, pancakes with caviar and sweet coffee, very tasty.😀👍Thanks for another great and interesting report.👍👍👍
can you stop all the spam ive been getting for the last 2 weeks from ?.ru@yandex email addresses ? they are doin my head in
As a West-coast Canadian, I agree salmon perfectly acceptable for Breakfast. Very enjoyable video.
Salmon and caviar are the standard filling for Russian pancakes (although you can also eat pancakes with sweet fillings). But Noel ate caviar completely incorrectly, so the "strong taste" of caviar scared him!
Same in Britain! Salmon with scrambled eggs on toast is my go-to Xmas morning brekkie
I was born in Russia, my wife in a completely unusual place (for a Central European). Our life was quite unusual, we traveled a lot even during our childhood and without having anything to do with the Party. Such things were rare, but did exist.
For me all these things (caviar, salmon) were part of the diet - and EVERYDAY diet! Not a typical thing for an average Soviet citizen: I was living near aerospace research institute (TSAGI) and there was a special food quota in our area even when other areas of USSR had severe food shortage.
However, I used to eat caviar with bread, preferably black bread - and pancakes with fruit jam as a desert. All of this 100% perfect for breakfast.
We also used to live on the West Coast, not far from SF. We had salmon quite often, see the selection at Trader's Joe.
@@well-hiddenme5846 твой английский лучше моего русского! I don't know many words
Took the Red Arrow in 2018, and I was in first class (a shared bathroom) and took a chance I might have a roomate, but didn't. Still it's the nicest train and best service I have ever received in any kind of transportation. Woke up all rested and to an excellent breakfast served in my room and all for less than cost of a hotel. Best kept travel secret. A very cool train to a very beautiful city. 😁😁😁
What this suite DEMONSTRATES PERFECTLY is the fact that EVERY suite in every medium(plane, train, boat) must give the traveler the feeling of being in an actual room. That means it must fulfill all the qualities of: cozyness, comfort, safeness, privacy. This suite fulfills that 100%.The "luxury" factor is a plus!
It may sound strange but I've always felt most coziness in a 2nd floor bed of a 15$ 3rd class sleeper. "roommates" were always friendly (anyway nobody can't reach you if you don't want to climb down), they're mostly students, sometimes "rural" people (or our bicycle club mates when we take a train at friday to spend next holidays well slept at another 500 km away town), roommates don't have access to air conditioner settings (and the standard railroads company settings looks perfect for me). Being an active hiker and bike traveller, looks like I've tried all train classes and all types of jets multiple times.
I took this train trip in 1992. It was a fantastic journey, especially as the dawn rose over the mist as we headed to the Baltic Coast.
Yes i can imagine there’s so something magical about waking up early dawn on a sleeper train, especially when you’ve past continents and time zones etc.
$200 for a super plush train ride across a country is a good deal. $200 on Amtrak in the US gets you jack schitt. The only thing included free is the lice.
kgot to love free bed bugs and fleas. 🤣🤣 In the UK $200 will get you a few stations up the the line. 👍👍 And probably take just as long to travel 200 miles.
Hahaha 😂
They also make an average of about $100/week in Russia to put in perspective.
@@manden7510 this is not true also... in the bigger citys its like 400 a week
@@manden7510 maybe in your dreams ))) 4/5000 USD is average
When I lived in Sankt Peter, I used to ride that very train to Moscow and back quite often. Brings back memories.
I came with the intention of having a quick browse on the video, but I stayed for all 40 minutes of it and didn't regret it! Spasiba, tovarishch Nataly!
I love that you played the national anthem at the beginning of the video. Great tribute to Russia! 🇷🇺
Agreed, the Russian national anthem is a great piece of music along with the French national anthem to get the patriotic juices going.:)
He must've been watching Bald and Bankrupt
It' s not a national anthem. It's a St.Petersburg anthem by composer R. Gliyer.
@@yuliawexler В начале ролика всё же действительно звучит гимн России.
@@yuliawexler Там на самом деле звучит Гимн России, сестрюнь. При отправке.
Гимн города - вроде ток при отправке Сапсана, или "Невского Экспресса".
Thank you for taking us on the trip. You feel happy like a little boy in candy shop, it makes us happy too...
So nice of you
Stayed in the exact room you were in just yesterday! Absolutely incredible experience, a personal shower on the train is incredible!
Next time put the caviar on the pancakes before you eat them, that's what they were there for ;)
yes, i was waiting to see if someone would tell him to do that
Aren't you supposed to eat pickles and drink vodka with them as well?
Eating caviar with a fork, priceless!
Как с языка сняла. Икра с блинами, ну как не понять то?
they are called 'blinis'.
Oh, man, pancakes are great with red caviar, you just need to eat them together, not one after another ;-)
He messed up cause you cant eat cavier with metal. It makes the metal melt and gets in the food.
Thé noise as the lone smoked salmon went into the hatch nearly made me vom. I don’t know how you could eat that without carbs. The texture is horrific
Haha yeah that was painful to watch lol...
I wouldn't touch caviar with a ten foot trout.
@@HansDelbruck53 People who like it probably eat sperm whales.
My middle daughter lived in St. Petersburg and taught ELS for a year.....and speaks Russian....she loved your train review too!
middle daughter? sounds funny
@@mrp5764 LMAO!
ESL
what? ur daughter is in the middle of what? Russia? lmao
Looks fantastic very comfortable. I could happily stay in that lovely room and partake of the high class service 😂
This train is enough reason to visit Russia. Just beautiful.
Great report, Noel! I haven't ridden a Red Arrow for 25 years. Previously, there was also the most modern train. But most of all I was struck by how you drank 200 grams of vodka without snacks. This is strong! A week ago, a friend and I drank a liter of vodka at the dacha, but we had 2 kilograms of shish kebab, one and a half kilograms of salad, a hot bath, 4 liters of kvass and a samovar with tea. Vodka does not like jokes and is good for a meat snack in the company of good friends.
Can I hang out with you? You sound as if you know how to live well! Cheers
@@PJL7095 Только если вы говорите по-русски. 😉
@@chaosdemonwolf1 yea sorry mate. I don’t speak russian
@@PJL7095 No worries guv. I studied in Russia for a couple of years in the mid 2000's. And what I typed was ''Only if you speak Russian. 🤪
@@chaosdemonwolf1 seriously. That’s sorta funny b/c I said ‘I don’t speak Russian’ but would love to go there to learn
How many people are commenting about your breakfast? The crepes are great with red caviar together. Not many eat caviar off a spoon, rather they spread thin on toast or crepes with either butter or cream cheese
Red caviar is inexpensive, you can eat it with a spoon.))
For such a short journey, this train is very luxurious. I'm very impressed.
I did travel on this train from Moscow and it is unforgettable day in my life.
Блины надо было с икрой да с красной рыбкой есть. В другой раз получится. И водочку бы надо закусить. Молодец, что приехал!
В Питере баночка красной икры в "Пятёрочке" 70 Руб была, та самая что в MixMarkt (Германия) как минимум 15 Евро.
Но молодец Ноель, был и в Вологде. Правда, там по неопытности пошёл в Дикси и купил пиво с чипсами.
А в отеле на стене меню: охотничий салат, селёдка в шубе, солянка - всё за Евро (80 Руб) или меньше.
Написано было правда только на одном языке. Но всё равно, молодец.
@@well-hiddenme5846 Всё правильно: в Вологде пьёт пиво с чипсами, в Красной Стреле - водка с икрой. Прогресс.
All right: in Vologda he drinks beer with chips, in the Red Arrow he drinks vodka with caviar. Progress.
обидно за него: такой классный завтрак не прочувствовал((
menu podushek is actually ‘Pillow menu’. love your content
Watching Noel knocking back the vodka and then trying to carry on stringing a video together is highly entertaining.
....slept backwards in bed....funny.
This is the best russian vlog I ever seen. A lot of people including Indian people have done russian vlog before, but all of them are cheap, and common. Without this vlog I would never thought a train like this exists in Russia. You are opposite of bald and bankrupt, which I like even more. Thank you once again. Keep it up excellent job you are doing. 👍👍life is short and live life like a king if you have an opportunity. FANTASTIC.
We traveled from St. P to Moscow and our room was like some grandmas living room. We had to use a hallway toilet which just was open to the tracks below. We were told not to open our door to anyone but room service who brought a simple basket of food.
Когда это было?
I am so jealous that you can travel as frequently as you do and to all where you travel! I wish I could afford to travel like you!
Amazing. Australia's transcontinental Indian Pacific and Ghan trains could learn a lot from this.
Yes, at their prices, they should learn how to cut costs and assist passengers and crew families to enjoy the Aussie life.
@@henrysehgal658 Yes. Extremely expensive for the service provided. We've never had the time to do either, but The Wife's relatives took The Ghan one way (of course), and were less than overwhelmed by the train, amenities, and standard of service. Their comment was that the TGV services offered better everything, for a far more reasonable price.
@@phils4634 I've yet to take a train outside Western Europe, Canada or contiguous US but hope to one day travel outside Canada (my country of residence, citizenship and birth) again. Maybe one of those countries will be Russia but given what is going on over there likely only after Putin's presidency has ended.
1:01 This building was actually not built by Stalin or his son or whoever. It was reconstructed to its current state in 1952. Before that, it used to house the famous Yar restaurant (which was closed several times, but is still there as a part of the hotel), which once was the center of Gypsy music in Moscow. And the building also houses the Romen theater which is also the Gypsy theater in Moscow.
Thank you! I was debating whether or not to destroy some of the magic Noel built about the rather bland, but well-marketed hotel. Now you did it first and that's good... Note: for the sake of political correctness they now expect us to say "Roma" or "Romani" instead of "gypsy" - the word you and I use without any negative context...
Thank you!!!
Sonia Timofeevna probably performed there. ua-cam.com/video/l-8lShZH3XI/v-deo.html
@@Chronograph71 yes we in the U.K. not others who live in other countries that haven’t been wrecked by P.C
@@Chronograph71
Which is silly, because Roma/Romani implies that they have some connection to Italy/Rome, when they don’t. They are travelers, who got around. They don’t have a good reputation for good reason. Screw PC words. I even cringed that he traveled for fun when everywhere was forcing mask-wearing. I’d never support companies that forced that shit on me.
I never had any drive to see Russia, but since enjoying your video, I definitely do now.
Most foreigners would always say Na zdorovie when it comes to toast, but it doesn’t sound natural for us, Russians. Actually, when you propose a toast to someone’s health, you should say: Vashe zdorovie, which means To your health.
THANKS !!
MAGNIFICIENT RUSSIA AND ITS WONDERFUL PEOPLE GREAT VIDEO .
Funny, i actually stop at that KFC on Leningradsky terminal every now and then for takeaway, and there's always some dude with a camera filming))
I have done the train to St.Petersburg from Moscow over night, great memories. 👍😊
We need more videos of Noel after 200ml of Vodka. ‘I did a thing!’ ‘Rach I made a bed!’ 😂😂
Wasn’t the Harwich-Hoek ferry video like that?
@@erik_griswold not sure! think I’ll need to go back and watch that one!
🤣 I was thinking the same!
That’s some good Russian vodka 😂
@@emu168 I think this dose will send him into a deep knockout! We'll lose him for at least a couple of days!
Drinking alone is an old Russian tradition when you don't have an HDMI plug on your TV in order to connect your smartphone to watch a movie before moving furniture around.
The topper for me is the car attendant waiting for him AS SOON AS he got off the train. That makes you feel like somebody. Such efficiency and for such a reasonable price. My hat is off to you Russia.
My wife and I took the same train in 2000. All the cabins were taken so the conductor sold us his cabin for something like $50. Breakfast not included. He told us not to wander around too much but I took a walk and saw another conductor sitting with passengers. She was very attractive and throwing down vodka like a professional. LOL!
Russians...
good times! 😁👍
@Юрий & Ко he said it was 2000
Russia in 2000 and now are two different countries.
@@kerr6204 now is better
Another great video! $200 for a luxury train ride does sound like a great bargain. Thank you for sharing this with all of us!
It’s a bargain compared to our train prices in the U.K that are insanely expensive. I recently brought a ticket from Bournemouth,];a station on the south coast to Birmingham in the midlands, 3 hour journey one way cost me 120 pounds about 150 dollars. Complete rip off!!
@@matty6848 Yeesh... that's a worse deal than even Amtrak here in the US, which is generally not known for having great prices.
The price has gone up a bit. Now it’s somewhere around $270. For Russians, of course, the amount is large, considering that you can fly from Moscow to St. Petersburg in 1.5 hours for $20 (without luggage)
£148 for all of that? That's insanely cheap. I'm almost tempted to do it myself. A great video
Maybe for Western tourists its truly "insanely cheap ", but for Russian average citizen it's insanely expensive for just one riding from Moscow to Petersburg
It is considering a ticket i brought from Bournemouth to birmingham one way last week cost me 120 pound standard class. First class was 268 pound one way. Robbing sods. I could of hired a car and drove back cheaper in my own comfort, and then not have to pay 26 quid to get a taxi home from Birmingham New st station. So cost me 146 pound to get home where as a euro car i could of hired a fiat 500 for 30 for day, and probably got back in that little car on about 30 pounds worth of petrol had i watched my fuel consumption and stuck to 65/70mph. Grrrr
For me, Italian, it's still quite expensive. This trains costs the double of a deluxe accomodation between Milan and Palermo (the longest route on Italian railway network) 1000 kilometers apart
@@Dmitrii-r1s 700 средняя ) не вводите людей в заблуждение ) у нас в Сибири значительно больше ) у меня зарплата инженера в Сибири 1.300 долларов ) но прожить месяц в Сибири дешевле в 3 раза чем в Европе ) я жил в Чехии и Италии ) и то что в России жить дешевле начинается с утра когда покупаешь в Италии пачку сигарет 😂
@@ИС-3-у5э Не забывай - что твоя ЗП компенсируется идиотскими наценками на продукты, уж без обид.
Твои Сибирские ЗП - хороши ток вахтерам может быть, мол накопить деньжат у вас - и снова в Питер жить. Ну учитывая цены на хавку - не-е-е-е, спасибо, я уж лучше в Питере поживу. Хотя ЗП интригует и вправду - как и надбавки к ней.
Too sad Russia's not on the travel list for a good while now. ☹ This train looks awesome.
We always welcome our guests. You can fly to Russia with one transfer in Serbia, Turkey, Armenia or in the Middle East. You can also get to Russia via Belarus, Finland, the Baltic States by bus. Of course, it's more expensive and longer than before, but that's life.
And you can check that nothing has changed in Russia: shops are full of products, restaurants, museums, hotels, transport are working normally. The police do not catch everyone, everything is completely safe).
@@EvgenPashkin 👋👋😄, thank you so much for reminding many people around the world, that beautiful Russia is a great place to travel and enjoy. Your country seems to be one of the sanest spots on earth to be right now. Best wishes and greetings to you from Oceania 🤠🦘🥃
@@dietmarwolf79 "Sane"?.. you mean it's sane to invade a peaceful country and kill women and children for no reason!! Disgusting comment.
@@dietmarwolf79 Russia is an increasingly totalitarian, fascist state currently brutalizing its neighbour on the backdrop of genocidal rhetoric.
@@EvgenPashkin "Nothing has changed". Yes it has. You have turned into a outright fascist state.
In the 70s I travelled on the Red Star train from Leningrad to Moscow in the middle of winter. It was like watching the movie Dr Zhivago, it made a big impression on my 16 year old self.
Loving the sequel to The ferry video
Should make Noel getting pissed on public transport a series
🤣🤣
My boy Noel was a bit tipsy lol. Honestly I love your videos. I love that you always stay very humble and you continue to give us the perspective of an actual traveler, unlike The sellout Sam Chui.
Based on my first person experiences, riding over-night trains, the key is always to get as drunk as possible.
Same works for ferries ⛴
Ditto,planes, trains or automobiles...as long as you aren't driving.
😂😂😂👍
Next time you may try to eat pancakes with caviar - it's one of Russian traditional combinations
I lived in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) for three months in 1973 from November to January 1974. And boy was it different then. I will never forget the cold.
Это при том, что в Петербурге, довольно теплая зима, по меркам России😅
Thank you so much for this wonderful, detailed report. I live in Russia, but I have never traveled this route. (I had no need for this, because I live in a completely different region of our huge country). And thanks to your amazing video, it was like I myself was a passenger on this route! 😄
I see MI-6 has recruited Noel to join Bald. I suspect they will meet up soon for a mission.
I'e like to see their collaboration with agents Petrov and Boshirov in Salisbury
Bald and Bankrupt vs. Bald and Brimming
@@souldoubt834 ahahaha!
When I took the train from Moscow to Leningrad in 1978, I had a cabin with 3 other teenage boys and I swear the lavatory had a hole cut in the floor with footprints painted on either side. You could see the rail ties and everything. I was told that was why the grass was so green along the tracks.
Soviet and russian railways had had old types of passenger carriages built in GDR, Poland and USSR. They all had gravitational toilets, where every one could watch rails and ties during flush. In winter in the northern regions and Siberia attendants often had to fix the problem of frozen toilet outlet pipe. They would pour boiling water into the toilet or even use heated up crowbar. Nowadays most of carriages in Russia have vacuum toilets with tank.
Good old days. I miss them.
last time I went on a train in India in 2012 the toilets were exactly like that.
@@joeking5679 i think, still we have holes 😂
😂😂😂😂
Amazing Trip! That must be one of the best sleeper trains ever. I couldn’t believe the price you paid too. I expected it to be a lot more, but then remembered it was Russia, but definitely good value for money. Love private en-suite and shower, certainly better than other sleepers.
Here we consider that it’s quite expensive :)
Agreed! I was expecting at least another zero on that price. You can't ride Amtrak overnight in coach for that kind of money!
glad you got that in before putin got angry, love the channel and stay safe mate
Putin didn’t get angry. He stopped the CIA from continuing their bioweapon labs and NATO from setting up bases on his border. This is US’s proxy war.
I love how excited you get! I would be that excited as well.
Really enjoyed this episode. Especially to find out that someone else in the world eats pork pie on Christmas morning. I thought I was the only one. My wife thinks I'm mad. Maybe but no longer alone!!!!!
Standard fairer for us on Xmas day. 😉
Thank you for filling in the role of Bald and Bankrupt!
I really, really enjoyed that. Quite surprising in many ways, so cosy and also professional. Good for Russia, good for you Noel! 🤗🤗🤗
I took this train overnight in 2017 with 3 friends. Good times had by all, loved my Russia trip/vacation! (From California, I am).
I like your positive mood! You talk well. Молодец!
Thank you! 😃
It's a real unique experience.
I've taken this train from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
I took Krasnaya Strela many many times in the 80-s and it didn’t look like that at all. It’s all new. It has nothing to do with ‘communist oligarchs’ :)
What a glamorous train and the price you paid was well worth it, I think. Keep it up.
Thanks Noel for some of us we shall never have a chance to visit such places so you uploading these vedios our souls at list have got a chance to vist
Between the tile in the bathroom, standard split A/C unit and car radio, I can't tell what I love most.
Hi Noel! Great work as always! As a Russian, I really enjoy watching your videos from this part of the world! Just a remark/comment: I believe there are more luxurious trains running the same route, Grand Express being the one that immediately comes to mind; the Krasnaya Strela is a historic brand, and the quality is generally good though. Another decent option would be 1st class on the Sapsan (that is a high-speed train though, so it's not really comparable).
there is no better accommodation of RZD as this one. That runs in several trains not only in the Red Arrow
Hello Sir, I have been to Russia 4 times and visited 16 cities so far! Just love your country so much and will be back again sometime next year. Red Arrow is definitely on my list!
"Мегаполис" - отличный поезд между Питером и Москвой!
Beautiful love 💕 it. Thank you 🙏 🇷🇺 amazing country ✨💫
This is not the most luxurious train in Russia. For example, class 1H (Grand Imperial Single) in the Grand Express is more luxurious.
Typical of westerners. Always wanting to undermine anything and anyone non-western
He's a poor man's bald n bankrupt
This is one of 3 most luxurious REGULAR trains. Grand Imperial and Golden Eagle are touristic 😎
You should drink champagne not juice with caviar
@@AzuraeLyonheart You are a nouveaux riche thats why you don't want to see and accept when other's say their opinion.Just accept or not idiot!
Wow i thought it would have been a lot more expensive than what you paid, me and my wife have always said we would love to go to Russia, now I'm more determined to go and travel on the Red Arrow.
I mean, what do you expect from a country who is still going through the throes of once being communist.
@@firelord1125 and USA is BECOMING communist 🤡🌐👍 i would rather go to Russia then 👍
@@firelord1125 You should be learning Chinese for your future.
It's bloody expensive for a Russian/Many in Eastern Europe. But for a Westerner, I don't think it's that expensive
@@nottoday3817 *Amazing nonsense, the train is specifically made in order to wait until you arrive from your island when you finally begin to smarter in the West and you will have any kind of logical thinking?*
I've been on a travel video binge these days and I find that I keep coming back here because your videos put me in any seat you sit in.
I just mean you're a real kind of guy who gets excited by these beautiful places just as I would.
Other videos have so much of the vlogger staring off into the distance while sipping a cappuccino. The critiques sre are mainly food and aesthetics. Boring.
At least here you get a little history and anecdotes, a little aviation education and you show the good and bad of every aspect of your trips.
It's extremely well done, kudos to you!
Thank you for the kind words, glad you enjoy them!
@@noelphilips very much so.
My favorite video as of yet! Awesome content !!!!
The longest vlog I've watched from you so far! Really luxurious hotel BTW!
Хороший видос! Качество видео замечательное 👍
Happy railway workers day, which is celebrated in Russia on August 1st!
День Железнодорожника отмечают не конкретно 1 августа, а первое воскресение августа. После Дня железнодорожника лично я начинаю есть арбузы и дыни, потому что они продаются уже без нитратов и прочей отравы.)))
@@bvb6552 я в этом году ел арбузы с начала июня и вообще не обломался
@@crokocat не, я ем арбузы только с начала августа. До этого они безвкусные, как трава.
I'm watching back to back...nothing intimidates you! Wonderful facilities. What an experience! 😊
Thanks!!!
In Russia, caviar is eaten with pancakes, the sweetness and softness of the pancakes overlaps the salty taste of caviar. Balance.
Everything is delicious with pancakes, including salmon.
@Юрий & Ко Не "сладкими", а чуть сладковатыми, спросите у жены. И Сергей прав, такое сочетание вкусов идеально!
@Юрий & Ко о том и речь! Вы добавляете соль в сладкую выпечку, чтобы сбалансировать ее вкус. А сахаром балансируете вкус томатной пасты для борща.
Здесь сахар уравновешивает соль в рыбе или икре. И вы его не замечаете, ощущая общую гармонию сочетания икры/рыбы с масляным блином😉☝️
This was a great episode. My girlfriend and I loved watching it!
Those weren't pancakes. Those were tasteless crepes onto which the caviar was supposed to go on lol. And eating a bowl full of caviar straight like that probably would be a little too much for most everyone. Now you know for next time haha.
Yeah, made me cringe. He had a nice choices of fish and some caviar, all of which goes so well with crepes… He ruined his breakfast himself.
Молодой ишшо... научится...
What's wrong with those pancakes?) Apart from that they look cold
@@alicek.4714 They’re not pancakes and they never were pancakes lol. They are tasteless crepes. They’re meant to be topped with things or stuffed similar to a small burrito.
@@groosha6 what is the difference between crepes and pancakes?
A bit of advice for your salmon/caviar breakfast, Noel: those little crepes/blini 'pancakes' are meant to schmear with your caviar and sourc ream and/or lemon... they're not intended to be eaten seperately, alone fyi Neithe is the caviar. Always have blini/pancakes or 'toast points with your caviar and the aformentioned accompaniments. Just some gustatory advice... but then again your salmon and pork pie for brekkie on Christmas sounds yum too, though I prefer yer Full English, mate! Happy Christmastide to you also!
That is what I call travelling in style! Thanks for a great video.
Trains and buses are the best way to travel. Cheap as chips and you can see everything! I got the bus from Middle of Finland, down to Helsinki, ferry to Estonia, Latvia Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, back to Poland and then all the way to Amsterdam over a month and it cost me less than two hundred quid!
i look forward to the day we get to see a mr bald and noel philips crossover
Great video Noel.. enjoyed that. The train seems stunning and a great price.
Well worth it.
I've been on that train too. Was such an interesting experience to sleep on a train
This was fun to watch. I used to escort trips from the U.S. to Russia in the mid 1980s. The trains didn't have food, t.v., or wifi (not a thing then) but were just as comfy. The tea was always black tea but was wonderful.
Thank you for the memory.
At that time it was perhaps the only train in the USSR with good service. The rest were simply terrible torture, especially in the summer in the 3rd grade (platzkart) where there is no air conditioning and many of the windows did not open. Now, of course, everything has changed. Service in Russia has surpassed many countries. People suffered so much with the service in the USSR that they decided to seriously fight it. But it was clearly not necessary to cut the country into 15 pieces for this.
@@НиколайИванов-нl 40:48
Spasibo to mutch bilo interesno ... super zavtrak met caviar & schampanskoe ...
Give yourself a pat on the back. That was a great 40+ minutes of nerd fun (speaking as a nerd and married to one). If I could I'd try to retrace your steps. Great fun.
When I visit Russia, I totally gotta ride that beautiful train.
Но дедушка Байден может не разрешить.
Яценюк красава под иностранца закосил)
Ахахахаааа!
🤣🤣🤣
Загрустил в Майами!
Это точно.
А таксистом у него Порошенка подрабатывает? Похудел малость. :))
Thank you for this interesting upload.
I think this is truly the most comfortable and luxurious train so far . Nice job.
I absolutely loved this! Can’t wait to get out there again post COVID. THANKS Noel :)
do You believe this p L andemic will end in next few years, despite the big profits for big pharma?
This is brilliant - loved it 👍🏻
Did that journey with my wife, I loved it she hated it 🤣 Highly recommended.
That was £148 well spent - why not travel in style! Very interesting trip. Loved the tour of that rather splendid hotel too. I will watch Bald and Bankrupt to check out the secret rooms!
Awesome. These videos make me want to go to Russia
Oh, Noel, caviar/salmon is to put it inside a crepe and after this it eat all together. And that first menú was for pillows actually
Thanks for clarification. I was certain the caviar was not to be eaten by itself and having had fancy caviar with toast points and assorted toppings, I assumed it would go in the crepes with the salmon. Beautiful train and what little we saw of the countryside and city was wonderful.
Supper?
@@petemichael4512 В Москве блины мажут сливочным маслом и сверху икра или лосось.
When Noel gets home, Rachel expects him to make the beds daily...
And he has no excuses either.
Noel- “I can’t make the bed”
Rachel- “No you made a bed drunk on a train in Russia, you can do it here” lol
Yeah! Rach! (hic!) I made a (hic!) bed! Frickin' did it, yeah! Stalin taught me, (hic!) I did a thing, yeah! (hic!) 😋
Hi Noel,
One of your best videos my friend, great detail and some really interesting Russian history. The train journey has been put on my to do list.
Looking forward to your next review.
Stay safe.
Kind regards
DS
This man's an absolute baller... First class all around the world.
Noel, you were so excited, like a child waiting on Santa! Another great video!