Way to Russia Talk Lounge

giobenelab · Just Starting Joined: 05 Apr 2007 Posts: 3

Hi everyone,
just a question (maybe a stupid one). I was looking into buying a ticket for transiberian (actually transmongolian) and the schedule I entered (stopovers in Irktursk and Ulaan Bator) gave me that from Ulaan bator to Beijing it take 6 hours, while in my LonelyPlanet guide it says it takes aaround 1 and half days. So are there different types of train with different speed or something like that? or which one is the real travelling time? is it just a matter of how many stops the train does?
and if so, how could you decide for one or the other when buying the ticket?
because I had a look in the timetables page and it gives out all the schedules and times except for when arriving to Beijing

thanks a lot for you help

giovanni

Gyuri_FT · Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 1:38 pm Post subject:

It is indeed 6 hours - provided you use the new spead-breakin French TGV train going over 500 km/h. This will ultimately happen but not in this decade.

Normally how it happens NOW, the choo-choo is arriving Irkutsk in the morning, takes entire day going around Baikal and via Ulan-Ude arriving pretty much in the dark at Naushki (border). It takes pretty long till it will make on the other side. You will reach Ulan Bator in the morning (so it's alrady over 24 hours). The train will meander slowly through Gobi and it will reach Zamyn Ude in the late evening. Than it will be pulled on the Chinese side (Erlian) and the wheels will be changed from 1520 mm to 1435 mm gauge.

It will depart Erlian after midnight. It will arrive Datong in the morning, from that time on you'll see Great Wall here and there. Also Datong is a pretty good place with large old Buddhist caves. But it's already 48 hours from Irkutsk. You will arrive Beijing in the afternoon, so it's close to fifty-somewhat hours.

saez · Just Starting Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 7

Giovanni,

Have you taken your trip yet? There's a website where you can plan a complex itinerary - http://www.transib.net/tourCreate. It gives the local times and all the schedules are real ones... like it would advise you if you have to stop in a city for an extra day because of train schedules etc. And then it actually lists all dates and times along the way, so it's much more straightforward. Hope it's not too late yet! Cool