Hi
I am planning to do trans-siberian journey this end of May, I have already planned all the train schedule and airplane from to Moscow, I just found one problem :
According to http://www.poezda.net/en/web train schedule there will be no train from Ulan-Bator to Beijing (train no.4) after May 27 until October. Is this true?
What other option could i have?
and also does anyone know what would be the cheapest way to get a russian visa from US?
many thanks,
Erwin
The Russians reassess the train schedule in May. Perhaps they intend to add another train for summer.
If you are traveling direct from Moscow to Beijing, do NOT plan to obtain this ticket in May.
Generally speaking you cannot board the #4 in Ulan Bator. You need to take the #24 which operates on different days. Tickets for the #4 are generally not available.
There is NO cheap way to get a Russian visa. The visa will cost you 131 USD for the visa plus about 30 USD for the visa support documents if you plan to stay in a hostel. See this thread for more information: New RU Sticky.
Ruth
Hi,
Thanx for the quick response. Just have one more question. I was using the timetable at poezda.net/en/web to figure which train to hop on but I wasn't aware that there are certain trains that won't take people along the way. So what are the trains that won't take passenger on their way?
Thanx once again, i appreciate your help
Erwin
It would be simpler if you just posted your plans for me and others to critique than to try to explain all the possibilities.
Ruth
There are currently two trains but in the summer there are three trains - the #24 operates twice a week and the #4 operates once a week. The #4 is almost always fully booked with travelers from Russia where it originates.
Ruth
ok, so this is my current schedule (please give comment and critics) :
Tuesday, May 20 2008
#010 Moscow - Sverdlovsk 23.25-01.51
Thusday, May 22 3008
spend all day in Sverdlovsk
#006 Sverdlovsk - Novosibirsk 23.15-19.13 (+1 day)
Friday, May 23 2008
arrive in Novosibirsk
spend a night in a hostel
all day in novosibirsk
#002 Novosibirsk - Krasnoyack 19.57-07.56
Saturday, May 24 2008
#010 Krasnoyack - Irkustk pas 10.08 - 04.16
Tuesday, May 27 2008
#002 Irkustk - Ulan Ude 02.20 - 09.09
spend a day
#362 Ulan Ude - Ulan Bator 15.45-07.05
Thursday, May 29 2008
Haven't found train to Beijing...
so that's my train schedules
btw, i checked out train #024 from the poezda.net website but no moskva iaroslavskaia - pekin...
thank for the help guys,
erwin
There is a high likelihood that you will NOT be able to get tickets for any of the trains that you mention. I am not sure that tickets are sold for the #10 to disembark in Sverdlovsk. This is a very popular long distance train and is usually reserved for much longer distance travel.
In addition all these trains are VERY popular and likely to book up way in advance and you are not boarding at the point of origination. Tickets for these trains may not be available until 72 hours prior to departure when it is better known how many berths will be available. Also tickets will more likely be available at the station of departure than elsewhere.
For the #6 train, this is an international train. There may be a car attached to disembark allow passengers to within Russia but I would not guarantee it.
The #24 train from UB to Beijing will operation only on Thursdays. You won't find it on the poezda.net site because it does not originate in Russia but in Mongolia. There is NO Mongolian train website so you will just have to take my word that the train exists and operates on this day.
Bottom line, if you are planning to travel independently then you cannot be guaranteed that you will be able to take any of these trains on the days that you plan. I am not sure that a travel agency will be able to do this program either.
There are NO hostels in Novosibirsk and the hotels there are VERY expensive. Even homestays are expensive. In addition unless you are interested in Soviet architecture, the ballet or opera or need a fix at an Irish pub in the middle of Russia, I would not recommend stopping there.
Spend more time in Krasnoyarsk. Get out of town and visit Stolbi, Dvinogorsk dam, the ethnography museum, etc. Contact Anatoliy Brewhanov, the SibTourGuide for some assistance and ideas of what to do.
Ruth
Hi
Ok, so the domestic train will not be to hard and there will be train within every russian cities everyday right?
For the international train (ulan-ude-UB and UB-Beijing), should i booked in advance? if yes, where would be a good place to buy?
for visa, do you have any suggestion for agent that can take care my chinese and mongolian visa (since i can't go myself to the consulate in NYC)?
for russia i already bought the supporting documents from waytorussia.com and appying by myself (by mail) should be fine right?
thanx, you have been really helpful to me,
Erwin
What is your passport? If you hold a US passport, you don't need a Mongolian visa. I suggest using an agency. There is a recent thread here on the TT about agencies for Chinese visas in NYC. Try searching for it.
For the Russian visa you can mail it yourself. No problems. Include a self addressed stamped envelope for them to mail it back to you.
If you are willing to take chances, there is a daily train from Ikurtsk stopping in Ulan Ude and then passing through to Ulan Bator. There is only one car that crosses the border but reportedly the stop at the border is long enough so that it is possible to take the train to the border, cross and then take the train on the other side. Another option for this border, is a daily bus from UU to UB. (Try searching the TT for discussions about both options from last summer.)
The real choke point is the UB to Beijing option. During the summer there are only two or three trains per week between UB and Beijing and another two that cross the border but head to Hohhot.
I would try contacting the guesthouse at which you plan to stay or a UB based travel agency such as Passport Travel, Selena Travel, Legend Tour or Ocean Travel. The later is primarily located in Beijing but last summer established an office in UB.
Your other option is to spend another day traveling and take the local train to the border, cross the border by jeep and catch a local train to Beijing. This is cheaper but somewhat iffy as you can't be sure that you will catch the first local train from Erlian to Beijing. Search this branch for some posts by a TT user named manulike. He wrote about both border towns.
Tickets for travel within Russia should not be a problem unless you insist upon traveling on a specific train on a specific date in a specific class of travel. If you can be flexible, then you should not have a problem. I suggest buying tickets for each city when you arrive in that city with the possible exception of the Irkutsk to UB piece which I would try to purchase at the first station as this is the ticket which is least flexible and mot likely to be a problem unless you are willing to consider the alternatives I outlined above.
Ruth
