TRANSIBERIAN!
Option 1: BUY TICKET IN PERSON AT THE TICKET OFFICE IN MOSCOW
You can walk up to the ticket office at any main station and buy a ticket or tickets for any journey in Russia, including the Trans-Siberian. This is the cheapest way to book because you pay the real Russian Railways price without paying commission to anyone. It is usually not too difficult to get a place for internal Russian journeys a day or two before departure, for example Moscow-Ekaterinberg, Moscow-Irkutsk or even Moscow-Vladivostok, especially if you can be flexible about your exact departure date or class of travel. The daily Irkutsk-Ulan Bator train is not too difficult to book at the ticket office, either. To avoid language problems, it's a good idea to learn the Russian alphabet so you can write down your requirements to show to the ticket office staff - when writing dates, use roman numerals for the month, or example 3 VI 2006 for 3 June 2006. Many main stations have a 'servis tsentr' (service centre) where you pay a small fee (about 100 rubles) to book your ticket in a relaxed air-conditioned environment. The extra 100 rubles can be well worth it..!
However, the weekly Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Manchurian trains direct from Moscow to Beijing, and the weekly Moscow-Ulan Bator train (train numbers 4, 6 & 20) usually get fully booked weeks or even a month or more in advance, especially Trans-Mongolian train number 4. 1st class deluxe 2-berth on this train can sell out almost immediately bookings open. If you have limited time and need to be sure of travelling on a particular train on a particular day, then you should book in advance through an agency - see options 2 or 3 below. Although Russian train reservations open to the public just 45 days before departure, agencies often keep their own waiting lists and buy up tickets the moment bookings open, so contact a booking agency as far ahead as you can. The two direct weekly Ulan Bator to Beijing trains can also get fully booked weeks ahead.
You can check how many berths in each class are still available on any train on any date within the next 45 days using the Russian Railways website, www.rzd.ru/e3/index.php. This is in Russian, but with a little ingenuity you can use it to check availability even if you don't speak Russian - a translation website such as
http://world.altavista.com may help. If you're planning to take pot luck buying your ticket at the ticket office in Moscow, this will give you an idea of how quickly trains get fully booked. Why not look to see how many berths are still available on tomorrow's 'Baikal' train 10 from Moscow to Irkutsk, or this week's two Moscow-Beijing trains, from the comfort of your own home..?
Russian railway reservations are computerised, so you can arrange any journey from any station, as long as the journey starts in Russia. For information on buying train tickets at the station in Ulan Bator (Mongolia), see below.
Option 2: BUY TICKET FROM A LOCAL RUSSIAN AGENCY
Unless you're on a six-month sabbatical with time no object, you'll probably want to arrange your Trans-Siberian tickets in advance before you leave home. A good option is to buy tickets over the internet through a local Russian travel agency. Naturally, these agencies charge more than you'd pay at the ticket office, but usually not that much more. Prices vary enormously, so shop around. Make sure that any quote you get is inclusive of any credit card fees, and that you know whether it's for a slow low-quality train (3-digit train numbers) or one of the fast quality trains such as the 'Baikal' or 'Rossiya' (one or two-digit train numbers). Here are some reputable agencies to try:
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Svezhy Veter (www.sv-agency.udm.ru/svfiles/trains.htm)
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Real Russia (www.realrussia.co.uk)
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G&R International (www.hostels.ru)
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Way to Russia (www.waytorussia.net/Services/TrainTickets.html also known as www.trainline.ru)
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All-Russia Travel Service (www.rusrailtravel.ru)
estcapade@voila.fr they speak french! On parle français!! efficace
Svezhy Veter, Real Russia & G&R International have all been recommended by Seat61 correspondents, but further feedback is always welcome. Tickets can be picked up at their offices in Moscow or sent to you for a courier fee of about $40. You may be asked to fax them a photocopy of your credit card and/or passport - this may sound dodgy, but it's quite normal for Russia. Be prepared for a 7%-12% credit card fee, but this is still a safer way to buy tickets than using a money transfer. These Russian agencies can also book hotels in Moscow and other Russian cities, and they can arrange a visa support letter for Russia (if you're not using the inclusive visa service at www.realrussia.co.uk).
Remember that Russian Railways opens its reservation system 45 days before departure, so no-one can 101% officially confirm your train reservation until then. However, travel agencies will still take your booking (and money) several months ahead as they keep their own internal waiting lists for the most popular trains such as the Moscow-Beijing Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Manchurian trains. They will make your reservation with Russian Railways the moment bookings open, immediately before tickets go on sale to the public. Usually there's no problem at all, but very occasionally there are more tourists wanting berths than there are berths, even before public bookings start, especially for the deluxe 2-berth 1st class on Trans-Mongolian trains 3/4 as this is very popular with rich shower-loving westerners..! If you're trying for the deluxe 1st class, tell your agency in advance that you'll accept a 1st or 2nd class 4-berth ticket if the deluxe is sold out.
HOW TO BUY TICKETS IN UB, MONGOLIA…
You can buy tickets at the International Railway Ticketing Office on Zamchyd Gudamj, a couple of roads over from the railway station. The foreigners booking office is in room 212, open 08:00-20:00 Monday-Friday (at weekends use the normal booking window). International trains to Irkutsk, Moscow and Beijing can be booked up to 30 days in advance, except for berths on the Moscow-Beijing and Beijing-Moscow trains 3/4, which only become available the day before departure. To reserve trains starting in Ulan Bator from outside Mongolia, try contacting a hotel or guesthouse who may book the train for you, or try one of the Russian agencies as they may have contacts in Mongolia who can arrange tickets starting in Ulan Bator.
BUY TICKETS IN PERSON AT BEJING…
Unless you're willing to take pot luck, you need to do this some time in advance: Westbound trains are easier to get berths on than eastbound trains, but they are still busy. Train 3 to Moscow via Mongolia is often fully booked a week or two in advance especially in summer, although it can be easier to get a berth on train 19 via Manchuria. Clearly booking in person isn't a good option if you need to be on a specific train and won't be in Beijing until shortly before you need to leave. You can buy Trans-Siberian train tickets in person in Beijing at:
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the international train booking office on the ground floor of the Beijing International Hotel. This is about five minutes walk north of Beijing main station on Jianguo Men Nei Dajie, open 08:30-12:00 & 13:30-17:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-11:00 & 14:00-16:00 on weekends and holidays. The staff speak basic English and leaflets are available with international train times in English. See the section above for fares.
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Beijing main station (metro Bejingzhan), in the ticketing office for foreigners. This is on the north west corner of the 1st floor, accessed via the soft seat waiting room, open 05:30-07:30, 08:00-18:30, 19:00-23:00.
OCEAN TRAVEL AGENCY Richard Tian: richard@oceantravel.com.cn ou oceantravelcn@yahoo.com.cn
Tel: 67020288, 67016737, 67016738
Add:Room A533-A537 Beijing Business World,
No.56 DongXingLong Street, ChongWen District,
Beijing, P.R.China
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BTG Travel & Tours, on Fwai Dajie between the New Otani and Gloria Plaza Hotels, open 08:00-20:00. They have a desk for Trans-Siberian tickets, with information in English.
Option 2: BUY TICKETS BY PHONE OR EMAIL WITH CHINA TRAVEL SYSTEM (CITS)
CITS are the official Chinese state tourist agency. You can book trains from Beijing to Moscow, Irkutsk or Ulan Bator by email to support-en@cits.com.cn (check details on the CITS website, www.cits.net/travel/reservation/train.jsp) or by calling CITS on + 86 10 6512 0507 or + 86 10 6512 0503. CITS more or less charge the official ticket office price, so this is a good way to book. It was reported in 2005 that CITS had stopped taking email or phone bookings, but in March 2006 it's been reported that bookings by email have resumed. Further feedback on the CITS booking situation is very welcome, to help keep this page updated.
Option 3: BUY TICKETS THROUGHT AN AGENCY ON CHINA OR HONG
If you're in China or Japan and want an agency to arrange your westbound Trans-Siberian trip, try one of these agencies:
OCEAN TRAVEL AGENCY
Richard Tian: richard@oceantravel.com.cn ou oceantravelcn@yahoo.com.cn
Tel: 67020288, 67016737, 67016738
Add:Room A533-A537 Beijing Business World,
No.56 DongXingLong Street, ChongWen District,
Beijing, P.R.China
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Monkey Shrine (www.monkeyshrine.com). Monkey Shrine is an experienced China-based tour agency who can arrange a tailor-made itinerary with stop-overs and hotels along the way, plus help with visas. Monkeyshrine offer a good service, but are naturally more expensive than booking it all yourself via CITS.
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ChinaTripAdvisor (www.chinatripadvisor.com): If you just want the Trans-Siberian train ticket, a cheaper option is to buy it through www.chinatripadvisor.com. They charge $233 one-way in 4-berth 2nd class from Moscow to Beijing on Trans-Mongolian train 3, $325 in 1st class 4-berth and $395 in 1st class 2-berth. Fares for Trans-Manchurian train 19 are a bit higher.
MORE?
http://site.voila.fr/gengiskhan
http://xoomer.alice.it/gengiskhan
http://www.seat61.com/Trans-Siberian-timetable.htm
