Way to Russia Talk Lounge

rastyazhka

Hi.
Natively from america, I'm a student at moscows state university for the humanities. After school gets out this year, I'm planning on taking the trans-mongolian train from moscow to ulaan baatar (possibly farther?), hopefully stopping in irkutsk and other towns along the way.

So may questions are......

I know this has been mentioned before, but do you think it will be safe for me to travel alone into mongolia with no knowledge of the language (I speak only russian and english), as a 21 year old female (who looks rather young at that)?

I'm also going to be on a tight budget, so this rules out any little comforts invovling money to keep me 'safer' along the way.

It will literally be me, and a backpack with food an nessesities.

any ideas?

tuller · Talk Show Host Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 238

Just a dad's point of view...I would want my daughter to have a trusting travel partner...and the traveling partner to know the language...you'll be a long way from home and friends security.

Good Luck and Enjoy*****

Tuller

rastyazhka · Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 6:51 am Post subject:

I wonder how well known the russian language is in mongolia?
Since I'm competant in russian....

vadim · Posted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 8:56 am Post subject:

To my knowledge, Russian is spoken by all educated people in Mongolia. If you won't go deep into the province, you don't have to bother about learning Mongolian Cool

UsualSuspect · Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2004 5:01 am Post subject: Travelling alone

Hi,
Since no-one has directly replied...I know of four female members of this forum who have gone alone on their various travel solo and all lived to tell the tale. Further they had a hell of a lot less Russian than you do! Anyway, Russia had a heavy prescence in Mongolia and there are a lot of shuttle traders on the Russian trains out that way so I think you'll be OK. Just be sensible and keep your wits and $$$'s close and you'll be fine.

PM me if you want some specifics.

Regards
UsualSuspect

ssmaman · Just Starting Joined: 25 Mar 2005 Posts: 3

maybe it's just to re-assure you. Everyone's experience is different, but I know that I was feeling very nervous when I put my baby sister on the Trans-Mongolian to Beijing last year with a load of food and 30 litres of water (!). No contact from her for about TWo weeks, but then she phoned from China, and then Cambodia, ending up back in London six months later. She said she had the time of her life, and that life on the train was relaxed and friendly. She was befriended first by three bikers from Denmark, and then by three gay hairdressers from Scandinavia (!!) and felt safe the whole way through. she is almost as young as you, spoke only English, and was on a budget too.
hope this helps, even if it's just a reassurance...

inga · Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:11 pm Post subject: Hmm... will I be safe??

After this talk I started to wonder if I'll be safe. Me and my friend are planning on going St.Petersburg-Beijing but the problem is we don't speak Russian, we only speak English. Will we make it?

rainuchka · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 9:50 am Post subject:

gonzock · Lounge Lizard Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Posts: 101

I wouldnt worry about knowing any mongolian since if you go to Gobi desert you would need a guide and they all speak english. About whether they know russian or not, they know just a little.