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ruthanna · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 2 Location: st petesburg

Has anyone travelled to China from Russia? Are the visa requirements the same as travelling from the US? I'm an American who's considering travelling there over New Years. But I guess my plans hinge on whether or not it's possible to get the Chinese visa while I'm in Russia. Any thoughts?

mdk · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 425

I was looking into it several years ago, but didn't go. I was living in Tomsk.

You should check the lonely planet guide for the trans-siberian. It spoke of the visa requirements. They didn't seem onerous.

You need to decide whether you want to take the short cut thru mongolia or leave the trans-siberian in - I think it's Khabarovsk.

There is also a ferry out of Vladivostok to the northern Japanese island.

Red and white · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 63

I did the Trans-Mongolian railway a couple of years ago. Visas for crossing the land borders are just the same, and you'll need to apply in advance. If there's a Chinese consulate in St P then you're laughing - it's a form fill, wait a week, pick up the new sticker in your passport (or that's how it went in London, anyway). If not you may have problems unless you fancy a trip to Moscow and a long queue!

I'm not sure New Year is the best time for the trip, though. Very cold, pretty dark and lots of Russians travelling to/from home making the trains busier (and more drunken) than usual.

That said, it was a great experience in the summer, and I'd love to go back to see Baikal under ice. The Mongolian leg was interesting too, but if you skip it you'll stay in Russia as far as Chita.

Border controls are dreary. On the Trans-Mong you get stuck hours in Naushki, which is the back of beyond, then repeat the whole dull process in Sukhbaatur, which is similar. And it's hard changing money on the Chinese border, so I arrived there effectively penniless and desperate for water but couldn't do much about it until Beijing. Schoolboy error, I'm afraid!

The paperwork is a bit big, but not impossible. You're in Russia, any other visa has to be less hassle!

waxwing · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 719 Location: China

waxwing · Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 719 Location: China

Red and white · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 63

Could be that nobody wants Mongolian togrog (a shame, they're quite pretty as bank notes go). Could have been that we got to the border in the middle of the night.

Could just be that I was too dim to find anyone to help me Embarassed

The Russia-Mongolia border was fine, if you don't mind getting shoddy rates for your roubles, but there was nothing at Erlian and the local stores wouldn't accept other currencies (not even the mighty dollar).