Tout d'abord je tiens à préciser que j'ai fais de multiples recherches mais il me reste quelques questions à poser.
L'année prochaine j'aurais 18 ans et je souhaite réaliser mon rêve.
J'aimerais prendre le Transmongolien (Moscou-Pékin) en faisant 2 ou 3 arrêts.
Tout d'abord, étant donné les prix excessifs que demandent les agences et les sites internet je pense acheter mes billets à Moscou quelques jours avant le départ (Juillet 2012).
Pensez-vous que c'est une bonne idée? Admettons que je réserve un vol aller simple pour le 1er juillet pour Moscou et un vol aller simple retour le 1er aout à Pékin.
Est-il possible de trouver des billets à Moscou (passer quelques jours dans cette ville), faire la traversée en s'arrêtant quelques fois et rester aussi quelques jours en Chine?
Au niveau administratif, avoir 18 ans et voyager seul ne pose pas de problèmes dans ces pays là? J'aurais juste besoin d'avoir un visa russe pour partir et les visas mongoliens et chinois je peux les faire sur place ?
Admettons que je réserve un vol aller simple pour le 1er juillet pour Moscou et un vol aller simple retour le 1er aout à Pékin.
une suggestion personnelle : histoire d'aller 'jusqu'au bout ' (Paris - Pékin en train )quel dommage de ne pas faire également le trajet Paris - Moscou en train ;
vous n'êtes plus à 1 jour prés !!
Si j'ai tout compris tu souhaiterai prendre un aller pour Moscou de là prendre le Transmongolien, puis repartir de Pékin en avion le 1er aout? Lors de tes 18 ans.
Alors, pour la question de la formalité des 18 ans, cela ne pose pas de problème tu est majeur et possède ton propre passeport.
Pour les VISA, de mémoire (je ne suis jamais passé en Chine et en Mongolie), il est impossible de les obtenir à la frontière! (y compris l'aéroport), du moins pour la Russie, mais je suppose que cela doit être de même pour la Chine (c'est pas la fête :p). De même si c'était possible je te laisse deviner le prix! (sans parlé du fait que si c'est impossible on te débarquera du train à la frontière). De plus cela te coûtera moins cher de le faire de ton pays.
Je vois que tu est Belges, sache que la Russie, la Chine et la Mongolie tiennent ambassade à Bruxelles et que la Chine viens d'y ouvrir un centre de traitement de Visa.
Pour ce qui est du Transibérien, inutile de passer par des agences, qui vende à prix d'or. On peu désormais réserver ses billets (retirables uniquement en Fédération de Russie) sur le site des chemins de fer russe: http://rzd.ru/ (Malheureusement intégralement en Russe, mais si tu ne parle pas la Langue un peu de google Trad, peu faire bien des économies! reservable uniquement 45 jours à l'avance)
Ce qui permet d'ailleurs d'avoir les places en Platskart (Dortoire/3em Classe), au calcul du prix souvent simpliste mais efficasse: 1Km=1 rouble, lors de la période estivale.
Attention aux réservations, l'heure des trains de long-trajet est toujours à l'heures de Moscou et cela dans toute la Russie !
Sinon, tu pourra trouver sans trop de problème un billet à ton arrivé dans une gare, mais évidement, début Juillet, il y aura peut-être moins de places et moins de jour dispo ! =). D'autre part, dans les gares la connaissances du russe est aussi bien que non-indispensables (si on sait indiquer où on va etc...durant cette périodes, les agents sont habitué aux touristes...) largement préférable.. les employés ne parlant que Russe ! Ce qui devient plus compliqué pour préciser l'heur et la classe on s'en doute.
Il existe aussi des bornes automatiques (comme en France), mais je ne me rappelle plus si il existe des choix de langues (j'aurais tendance à dire que oui.. mais je ne veux pas m'avancer..)
: Pour les pauses en train. Il faut acheter plusieurs billets (comme chez, nous quoi...). Techniquement, on n'est même pas obligé de le déclarer Sur le Visa, ni de s'enregistrer si on y passe moins de 7 jours (et non plus trois- nouvelle loi de Mars 2011). Il faudra surement jouer d'un peu de ruse pour l'invitation, (je doute qu'un Visa de transit de 20 jour pour 7 jours de trains, puisse être obtenue)
A tu déja utiliser ce site ?
Je peux donc réserver plusieurs billets et les retirer en gare à Moscou si j'ai bien compris?
Deuxième chose, qu'est ce qu'une 'invitation' ? Il ne me suffit pas d'obtenir un visa pour 25j et un autre pour quelques jours en Mongolie et en Chine ?
Oui, je l'ai déjà utilisé comme pour un certain nombre de site pour acheter il faut se créer un compte (ya un forum, tu peu mettre l'adresse de ton blog, ton avatar etc... quoi de plus normal pour le site d'une compagnie de chemin de fer ! (sic) :-p). Tu peu en effet réserver plusieurs billets et les retirer en gare en Fédération de Russie, y compris à une borne (jamais testé). Voir il semble exister une options pour un billet éléctronique, où le/la provodnik à déjà ton enregistrement et il suffit d'avoir ses papier d'identités (enfin, je crois, j'ai pas très bien compris alors j'ai évité ce mode là ^^).
Tu obtiens une preuve d'achat avec un code (et un code bare pour l'employé), ce code te sert à récupérer tes billets à Moscou (ou autres gares) qui sont tous nominatif (tu a renseigné ton nom, prénom, et numéro de passeport!).
L'invitation:
Ou le "voucher" est en fait un sésame indispensable à toute entré en Russie (comme chez nous, en Scheingen d'ailleurs). Car il justifie l'obtention du Visa. Il s'agit de l’hôtel, l'institution ou l'individu etc... qui t'invite à venir en Russie. En effet venir "à la roots" ne marche pas trop surtout pour une première venue en Russie :). Elle fera donc partie de tes formalités pour avoir le Visa.
On peu obtenir un Visa de transit pour la Mongolie et la Chine sans trop de problème, mais n'ayant jamais testé (il faudrait que tu te renseigne à l'ambassade) je doute qu'il puisse faire 25 jours ! (alors que tu peu à priori traverser la Russie en moins de 12 jours pour les autorités). Pour cela il te faudra obtenir une invitation en bonne et dû forme d'une vingtaine (25) jours ! Rassure-toi cela devrais-être possible via des auberge de Jeunesses (certaines sont très volontaristes!) d'obtenir l'invitation. Par ailleurs, certaine société russe, vende les fameux voucher ! ("tu paye et on t'invite, après tu fait ta vie!").
En ce qui concerne la Mongolie, à ce que l'on ma dit le Visa de transit peu être assez large (dans le droit et en nombre de jours), et les autorité ne sont pas trop regardante, un peu comme en Biélorussie ! :-)
(Nb: en Biélorussie, si tu n'a pas de Visa de transit et qu'on t'intercepte sur le territoire Biélorusse, on t'oblige à allez en récupérer un à Minsk!, et donc on t’empêche juste de quitter la Bielorussie !! -pas d'expulsion ou d’amende xD-)
Pour la CHine, si tu reserve ton auberge à l'avance, elle pourra te fournir sans problème le Voucher (la Chine est très "réglementariste" mais l'entré sur son territoire n'est pas contraignant).
Si je comprends bien, il me suffit de réserver une auberge de jeunesse et ils vont m'envoyer l'invitation et avec cela je peux demander mon Visa ?
Autre question, dans quel sens est-il le plus judicieux (moins de touristes et plus de locaux) de faire le voyage. Pékin-Moscou est peut être mieux non ?
Je vous conseille, avant tout, de lire les pages "transsibérien" du site www.seat61.com .
Et attention, je ne suis pas sur du tout que le système de billets électroniques des chemins de fer russes
couvre aussi les billets internationaux. Donc au mieux vous pourrez utiliser ce système pour
aller jusqu'au lac Baïkal, mais pour plus loin, il faudra acheter le billet au guichet. Ou via
une agence, mais ce sera plus cher...
Je souhaite moi aussi me lancer dans l'aventure du légendaire transsibérien. Je souhaite faire un trajet sans escale Moscou -- Vladivostok pour ensuite prendre…
Cet été je vais en Mongolie. J'aimerais prendre le transsibérien de la Russie. Seulement d'après ce que j'ai lu les billets de transsibérien sont beaucoup…
A Irkoutsk, si vous vous souhaitez acheter des billets pour le transsibérien, ou pour les autres trains russes, sans avoir a vous rendre a la gare et batailler…
Mi-septembre je pars de Paris et vais à Vladivostok. Entre mille autres choses, j'ai besoin d'un billet Cologne-Moscou...or, le bureau de la DB à Paris demande…
Je voudrais acheter des billets pour mon voyage de Pekin à Moscou en transsibérien. Toutes les suggestions d'agences que j'ai vues sur le forum de discussion…
Hi! I’d like to make stops across France, starting from Reims, and travel by train using the Intercités. I want to discover the landscapes and picturesque villages, and make some stops along the way. Could you give me some tips? Thanks!
I’m planning our very first trip to mainland France in January 2027. There’ll be 2 adults and 2 kids, and we’ll mostly be traveling by train.
Here’s our itinerary:
Paris
Rouen (Normandy)
Lyon
Aix-les-Bains (with day trips to Annecy and Geneva)
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (with Chamonix and a day in Aosta)
Back to Paris
Do you think this itinerary is well-balanced? Any tips, must-see spots, or mistakes to avoid for a first-time visit?
I can’t seem to complete the payment for my trip on the IRCTC (Indian Railways) site. No matter which payment method I choose, my Visa card isn’t accepted.
Has anyone here managed to do it, and if so, could you share the method you used?
Thanks in advance!
Charlie
I’m planning a family trip in a year. Our goal: traveling to China (and maybe Hong Kong) by train.
I’m all set with the route up to eastern Turkey.
However, I’m just starting my research for the rest of the journey—namely the Caucasus (no trains as far as I know, so buses and/or ferries), then Central Asia and China.
So, I’d love to hear any info or tips (general and forward-looking at this stage) about the train route through Central Asia and China to reach the east coast.
I’m particularly interested in details on:
- How far in advance to book / any potential difficulties with reservations
- Whether there are PASS systems (or equivalent) between countries and/or if some tickets allow stopovers, meaning you can hop on and off as you please
- Day trains vs. night trains (the latter option lets you explore cities between two legs of the journey)
- A rough idea of ticket costs
...
A huge thank you to anyone who can share some info or experiences. It’s also a great opportunity to chat about adventure after (way too) many years away from this forum.
I’m planning a trip around Italy using only trains or public transport in October (hoping the weather stays nice!).
I’d obviously like to see some tourist destinations, but I also want to get off the beaten path a bit, and I’m hoping to find some help here? I don’t plan to linger too long in the cities.
Starting in the north, I’d like to visit Lake Como or Lake Orta, pass through the Cinque Terre for some hiking, spend a few days in Naples and Rome, then head down to Sicily.
Hi there,
I’ll be traveling to Japan this coming August. We’ve finalized our itinerary and booked our flight tickets. Now I’m at the stage of buying train tickets for the few segments we’ll need to cover:
Tokyo - Hakone
Hakone - Kyoto
Kyoto - Osaka
Osaka - Tokyo
Here are my questions:
a) Is it possible to buy train tickets for these segments from Canada?
b) If so, which website should I use to do this?
c) And if it is possible, will we be able to print our tickets from Canada?
d) If it’s not possible, where in Tokyo should I go to buy these tickets when I arrive?
Hi everyone, I wanted to take the Paris-Berlin overnight train with a sleeper berth, the new service operated by European Sleepers.
24/05/2026 17:45 Paris-Nord (actually 16:00 from Paris Bercy Seine) -> 25/05/2026 9:59 (actually 7:30 in Berlin)
05/06/2026 18:31 Berlin (actually 20:00) -> 06/06/2026 10:00 Paris Nord (actually 12:30)
Part of the journey was operated by bus instead of the promised overnight train.
For 2 people: 340 € round trip
A total disaster. Never again. I was really looking forward to taking the overnight train, but we faced last-minute changes and truly unpleasant travel conditions. Here are the details:
1) 2 days before departure: email announcing a change of departure station for the outbound trip—Bercy Seine bus station instead of Gare du Nord.
2) Change of schedule: 4:00 PM from Bercy instead of 5:45 PM from Gare du Nord.
3) Change of transport mode!! A bus from Paris to Brussels, then an overnight train from Brussels to Berlin. No functional toilets on the bus. No children under 4 allowed on the bus.
4) On the sleeper train at 9:30 PM: no functional toilets in our carriage, so we had to go to other carriages, even in the middle of the night, to find working ones.
5) The onboard staff, though very friendly, were as lost as we were. In particular, they didn’t know how to handle the lower berths, so people using them had less space (armrests and backrests). Berth numbers weren’t respected, so some passengers had to move. The staff also didn’t know who was supposed to join the compartment during the journey.
6) Arrival at 7:30 AM in Berlin instead of 10:00 AM. No arrival announcement. Passengers had to search for staff to get breakfast and ended up with just a coffee (breakfast = 15 €, not bad for just a coffee).
7) Return trip: drastic schedule change announced by email on 26/05/2026—departure at 7:30 PM instead of 6:30 PM, with arrival between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM in Paris instead of 10:00 AM. No change in transport mode announced.
8) Change in transport mode announced by email on the same day (05/06/2026)!! Overnight train from Brussels to Berlin, then a bus from Paris to Brussels. No functional toilets on the bus. Children under 4 banned from the bus, and families in this situation were asked to find another way—after being notified the same day.
9) The overnight train arrived at Berlin station with a 30-minute delay on top of its initial delay (scheduled for 6:31 PM, then 7:30 PM, finally arriving at 8:00 PM). The heating was blasting in the compartment with no way to turn it off. No functional toilets in the carriage. From that point on, customer service stopped responding to my messages.
10) Woken up at 5:00 AM with an announcement in all carriages about arrival in Liège.
11) Woken up again at 6:00 AM to be told we’d arrive in Brussels at 7:00 AM.
12) Arrival in Brussels at 7:00 AM and a one-hour wait for the bus to Paris. No functional toilets on the bus.
13) Arrival at Paris Nord at 12:30 PM, so 2.5 hours late compared to the originally scheduled time.
14) The overnight trains used are very old—I recognized the carriages from 20 years ago!! No functional power outlets, no Wi-Fi, no air conditioning. Five people per compartment is a bit cramped, but I consider these conditions expected (especially the air conditioning), so I’m not complaining about that. There’s already plenty to gripe about with the travel conditions.
I have little hope of getting even a partial refund. Customer service emails acknowledge the discomfort but only offer to reimburse the cost of a coffee on board if we send them the receipt... a bit weak.
I’m sharing this experience in the hope it might help others.
Hi there,
I’d like to take the Train of the Clouds from Lima to Huancayo.
I’ve heard it only runs during certain periods.
Does anyone have info on this?
Thanks!
HuancayoHuancayo
As part of my professional thesis, I’m conducting a study on the evolution of long-distance rail transport in France, particularly since it opened up to competition.
I’ve put together a very quick (about 5-minute) and completely anonymous questionnaire. Your answers will help me better understand users' expectations regarding pricing, frequency, and environmental impact.
We’re planning a 15-day trip to Uzbekistan in March—classic independent itinerary: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. We’d like to take the train between each city, but I don’t want to lock down the whole trip before we leave.
So, my question is: is it absolutely necessary to book train tickets before departure, whether for the high-speed trains or the regional ones? Is booking really essential for the regional trains?
Hello,
We’re traveling as a family with two boys aged 10 and 12 to Cairo in February. During our trip, we’re planning to take an overnight train (with or without a sleeper) for the Cairo-Aswan route.
Do you know how I can book this remotely?
Also, I’m looking for:
- A local contact to sail the Nile by felucca for 3 days from Aswan
- A contact to guide us in Cairo
Looking forward to your tips, and thanks in advance!
Marie
Hi everyone,
I first traveled solo to Japan in 2019, exploring the Kyushu region (28 days), and I’m planning to return with my daughter (she’s an adult and it’ll be her first time in Asia) from April 25 to May 9.
I’m reaching out on this forum to ask for route ideas—this time north of Tokyo, but without heading to the Sapporo island (I’m saving that for a future trip).
I’d love to take advantage of the cherry blossom season and its festivities.
I’m looking to create a route that’s a little off the beaten path while staying within 5-6 hours by train from Tokyo to avoid spending too much time on transfers.
Thanks in advance for sharing your suggestions and experiences!
Michael
I'm heading to MEXICO IN NOVEMBER 2025. Since private guides and drivers are really expensive—over 300 € per day—I'm thinking of exploring the Yucatán by train. CAN YOU SHARE ANY INFO ON THIS? Thanks
Hi there!
We’re planning to visit Serbia (1 week) and then Montenegro (2nd week) with our kids from April 18 to May 4. We’d prefer to travel by train (overnight if possible), but we’re not sure which platform to book on or when to do it (is it too early?). If anyone has any tips, I’m all ears!!
I wanted to know if it’s possible to go from Tashkent to Almaty by train without passing through Kyrgyzstan. I’ve heard the border is often closed 😕 between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Thanks in advance!
Olivier
Hi there!
We’re planning to head back to Istanbul next year—obviously by plane—and then take the train from Istanbul to Antalya. Has anyone here already made this trip by train with TCDD?
I’d love any tips or info that could be useful for us!
I'd like to go to Montserrat on my own from Barcelona. Share your suggestions with me.
Which train should I take, where to get off, what to see once I arrive, etc.
I need to take a sleeper train from Bangkok to Vientiane in January.
I found some ticket options on 12Go Asia, but booking doesn’t seem possible at the moment. I’ve tried simulations for several dates, but no luck.
I’m wondering if it’s already fully booked, if they’ve stopped selling tickets… yet 12Go still features it every day 😕
Has anyone else run into this issue?
Can I find tickets on another site? (I tried Baolau, but no sleepers left for January 8th.)
Hi there,
I’m a bit late to be worrying about this, but hopefully someone can help me before I leave.
Tomorrow afternoon, I arrive at Lyon Part-Dieu on the TGV at 5:50 PM and take the TER to Mâcon at 6:16 PM. Is a 26-minute transfer doable? Are the TGV and TER on the same departure board? And are they on the same platforms too?
I’ve been to Lyon before but never had to make a connection after arriving.
Thanks
Starting November 15th, I’ll be arriving in Thailand, and during my stay, I plan to visit the north, around the Chiang Mai area, then head south to the Krabi region.
After Krabi, I’m planning to take an overnight train to Bangkok. I was wondering if there’s a train that leaves from Krabi or Trang, or if I absolutely have to go to Surat Thani?
Also, which official website can I use to book my ticket?
Next, since I’ll be arriving at dawn in Bangkok, I’ve planned to spend 2 days in Kanchanaburi. What’s the most convenient way to get there—bus or train? And if you know any companies or websites, that’d be great.
Hi there,
Does anyone know if there’s a bus from Luang Namtha to Boten to catch the train coming from China to Vientiane? If so, what’s the name of the company? Also, how long does the bus take to cover that distance? What’s the condition of the road like?
Thanks for your help!
Tom
I just realized there’s only one payment method accepted for booking the Mombasa-Nairobi express train ticket online: M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer service used in Africa. Would it be impossible to book as a European?
I’d love to know if any of you have recently eaten on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
We’ve always ordered food on the train, and it was really good (and super convenient).
But in 2022, we ended up feeling like total idiots (with our 4-year-old daughter...) when we boarded the train only to find out that this service was no longer available... (It was the first time we’d traveled right after COVID.)
That’s also when we saw once again how kind Thai people are—they all offered to share their food with us, even though we were mortified. In the end, we managed to buy some instant noodles, which was better than nothing. Anyway, that’s the little story behind it.
In the following years, we’ve always brought our own meals.
I’ve read online that meal trays are back in service (could you confirm this, please?), but that the quality is really poor. I’ve also seen multiple reports that, even though you can eat well everywhere in Thailand, the train meal was the worst food travelers had during their trip...
Could you give me a recent opinion on this?
We’ll be departing from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station—do you know if there’s anywhere to buy a meal there before boarding the train?
Thanks so much for your help,
and have a great Sunday!
We’re heading to Thailand in February 2026 and we’d like to take the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Can we book two first-class tickets? I’m only seeing second-class options.
Hi everyone,
For traveling in Rajasthan by train and bus, could you give me some info: where to buy tickets, cost, purchase locations, websites, etc.?
Any tips you have would be super helpful.
Thanks
We’re traveling to Java on October 23, just the two of us.
I’ve read that it’s best to book train tickets in advance on tiket.com.
Is that true, and how far ahead do you recommend?
Are the tickets changeable?
Hi everyone,
I’m planning to travel from Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk by train this summer but I’m a bit worried about crossing the borders. How does it work? Could anyone share their experience? (I’ve found quite a few accounts of people going *from* Russia *to* Mongolia, but entering a country is never the same as leaving it—especially in this context!)
