Saratov Oblast (Russian: Сара́товская о́бласть suh-RAH-tuhf-skuh-yuh OH-bluhst') is a region in the Lower Volga, bordering Voronezh Oblast to the southwest, Tambov Oblast to the west, Penza Oblast to the northwest, Samara Oblast to the north, Ulyanovsk Oblast to the northeast, Orenburg Oblast to the east, Kazakhstan to the southeast, and Volgograd Oblast to the south.
Saratov Oblast was the center of Volga German culture, Germans who resettled in Russia in the 17th century enticed by offers of farmland, until World War II, when Stalin deported the Germans en masse to Siberia and Kazakhstan. Today, Saratov Oblast is a big center of industry along the Volga River.
Overnight trains from Moscow to Saratov take about 16 hours and are very affordable. Flights cost about twice as much (although they are still very reasonable) and will get you there in an hour and a half.