Ulaanbaatar Getting there & around

Getting around

Car & motorcycle

Car

Sixt Mongolia (310 075; www.sixt.mn; Bodi Tower 101, Sükhbaatar Sq 3; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri), which has a second office on Undsen Khuulin Gudamj, hires out Toyota Landcruisers for US$125 per day and Scodas for US$54 per day with the driver. Prices decrease if you rent for multiple days. If that still sounds like too much, you could hire a taxi by the day (most hotels can organise this), and pay the usual rate of T300 per kilometre. Driving your own car is wrought with pitfalls. A simple fender bender, whether or not it was your fault, can land you in jail with a steep fine to pay. If you rent, check the insurance policy carefully.

Drive Mongolia (312 277, 9911 8257; www.drivemongolia.com) offers driving tours of Mongolia, allowing you to drive the car with a backup support vehicle.

^ Back to top

Local transport

Taxi

In Ulaanbaatar, there are official and unofficial taxis; in fact, just about every vehicle is a potential taxi. All charge a standard T300 per kilometre, though you’ll need to check the current rate as this will increase regularly. Don’t agree to a set daily price because you will always pay more than if you pay the standard rate per kilometre. Nowadays, all taxis and even some private cars have meters.

Taxi drivers will definitely try to take advantage of you if you are new to the city and don’t know your way around. The more confident you appear the better chance you have of getting a fair deal. Know generally where you are going before you get in the cab so you don’t get ‘taken for a ride’. Always remember to have the driver reset the odometer to zero and agree on per kilometre rate before setting off.

Getting a taxi is just a matter of standing by the side of a main street and holding your arm out in the street with your fingers down. Alternatively, you can find them at designated taxi stands near the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts, outside the train station, in Liberty Sq and near the State Department Store. After dark, women should generally avoid using a private car, and stick to an official taxi.

The most visible official taxi company is City Taxi (300 000), which runs a fleet of modern, yellow Hyundai Accents.

The Safe Taxi Company (9979 8185; www.safetaxi.mn) is a British-Australian run venture, established to provide safe and reliable transport around the city and to nearby sites such as Terelj and Mandshir Khiid. Airport transfers are also planned. There will be no cash transactions with the driver: flat-fee fares are paid for at hotels and restaurants around the city. You get a chit with the destination printed on it that you show to the driver. Expats and Mongolians can buy a pre-paid account and summon a taxi by text message.

^ Back to top

Bicycle

Mongolian drivers are downright dangerous so riding a bike around town can be hazardous to your health. There are no bike lanes and you should never expect to have right of way. Seven Summits rents mountain bikes for US$16 per day. Korean-made bikes are sold opposite the State Department Store, they cost around US$100 and are a good investment if you plan to cycle for a week or more. They can probably be re-sold when you’re done with it.

^ Back to top