Tips for Irkutsk

There are few hostels in Irkutsk but the best one (for me) and the most convenient is Downtown hostel. The price is 500 Rubles, 12.6 Euros (depending on the exchange rate) with breakfast included. It’s really cozy, the staff is nice, helpful, and it feels like home. You don’t have to go out every night for dinner, you can just buy all you need and cook it at the hostel. The only thing you could complain about is that there is only one shower. But hey, organize yourself and you should be fine. Try to book in advance because there are not many beds, it gets full very quickly.
To get to the hostel from the train station it’s really easy. Take the tramway number 1 just in front of the station. Buy the tickets at the front of the tram (10 rubles). At the second stop just after the bridge, get out. On your right you will see the bridge, on your left a shop and in front of you 2 buildings. Go on your left toward the shop. Once you are getting close to the shop you will see number 12 on the second building. Go around it and the second door will be the entrance of the hostel.

If you want to go to Lake Baikal, there are several options. The first one, the easiest one but not the cheapest one, is to book a tour from your hostel. The second one is to go to the bus station and buy the tickets yourself. Since not many Russian can speak English, the best is to ask one of the staff at the hostel to write down on a piece of paper what is your destination.
To get to the bus station it’s really easy. Take the tramway number 1 and stop at Torgovy Complex or central market and walk down the street until you see the station (you should see it easily).