Thorn Tree travel forum

visa and train info

Travelling on a Dutch passport, though I don't think it matters because notes at the embassy http://i.e. Mongolian embassy in Beijing lists rates etc for 'foreigners'. Allowing of course for those nationalities that don't need visa's.
As others have reported, the visa costs 495 yuan not 270 yuan as is listed outside and you have to pay this at the branch of Bank of China a few blocks away. The Bank of China is saving for a new goofy building and so you have to pay 10 yuan for their service. This all was for 5 workingdays but I applied friday and was asked to collect it on tuesday. Don't know if saturday and sunday are workingdays in Mongolia!? However, from experience I can tell that embassy staff normally count the day of application as the first working day. I didn't see a express fee for the single entry and exit! visa but it seems that if you show a ticket trainticket of airticket presumably that proves you need it faster, you can get it the same day. When I saw that an Irish girl could collect her visa that same afternoon and still only paid 495 yuan, I asked the gentleman always be polite to the guy with the stamp if I could get the same express treatment. He demanded 'ticket!' and I replied that my 'ticket' was at the hotel. He changed my receipt anyway so I could collect it that same afternoon http://at 16.00. Application office closes at 11.00 It seems that you get pretty much what you ask for so be generous with your dates of entry and exit.
Getting a trainticket was easy. I first went to the trainstation Beijing Zhan but the Foreigners Ticket section above the soft seat waiting room is apparently dismantled. After several counters where personnel was supposed to speak English, a guy told me I had to go to a 'white building across the road'. This proved to be the 'International Hotel' which is situated about 200 m north of the station. On the second floor is where CITS resides and with a minimum of fuss they provided me with a ticket to UB. It's train number K23 http://tue 07.45. Hard sleeper was 595 yuan the price of 545 yuan on the ticket suggests CITS might end up in an even fancier building than the Bank of China. CITS didn't even ask for my passport or visa, but you need your passportnumber!
Note of warning: this is as of november 2007, which is low season, in summer it might be a bit more difficult.