The main method of transport used throughout Russia, but certainly in Siberia, in winter was the sleigh. This was typically drawn by horse (rather than by reindeer, as in Finland) and carried a driver and one or two passengers. Sleighs were built strong, hence heavy, to withstand the pounding they received from the poor Russian roads. Passenger sleighs were fitted with hoods, similar to those found on a carriage, but which were wadded and quilted to provide some insulation and shock absorption. Temperature that might easily fall to 20 to 40 degrees below freezing ensured that Siberian snow was hard and had a significant load-bearing capacity.

Major routes operated much as did coaching routes in Europe, with stations spaced 10 to 20 miles apart where it was possible to change horses and drivers. Sleighs were pulled by between 2 and as many as 5 or 6 horses, depending on road conditions. Speeds of 10-13 miles an hour were achievable in good conditions.

The vastness of Siberia made travel quite a challenge, nonetheless. The Christian Pioneer for 1872 includes an account titled "A Siberian sleigh-ride" which mentions a journey that the author undertook by sleigh from Irkutsk to St Petersburg, a distance of 3600 miles from the Siberian city to the hearest railhead. This journey took a total of 40 days, travelling day and night. For the most part, the journey was made stopping only for meals and to change horses, but the writer added in 16 rest days in major towns. This account claims that

In Siberia, people frequently make sleigh-rides three or four thousand miles long, and do not think it anything wonderful. One day a gentleman in Siberia told me that he was going to visit a friend who lived, as he remarked, 'close by here.' I found, on inquiry, that 'close by here' was nearly 400 miles away. At another time, a lady asked me to visit a famous gold mine that belonged to the family... When I asked where it was, she said it was only 600 miles from there, and the road was very good with the exception of the last 200 miles...

For my journey, I had a suit of clothing made from a pair of blankets. On my feet I had my ordinary woollen socks, then a pair of squirrel skin socks, then some sheep skin stockings and came up to the knee, and then some boots of reindeer skin... Outside of my ordinary clothing, I had a sheepskin coat with the fur inside, buttoning tight around me. And outside of this was a deerskin coat that touched the ground when I stood erect, and was large enough inside for a man and a boy.... Then I had a sleigh robe seven feet square, made of sheep skins sewed upon a backing of heavy cloth.