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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Easter Clark
Joined: 18 Nov 2007
Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong
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 Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:40 am Post subject: |
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There is no one-stop shop in Korea where you can buy a package like that. No Korean travel agent can sell you domestic Russian rail tickets, and even if they could, it wouldn't be advisable. You will have to buy them individually.
Russian rail tickets
The cheapest way to buy domestic Russian rail tickets is to buy them at the Russian railway station yourself. That way, no over charging can occur. Vladivostok to Moscow is straightforward because there are direct trains daily and seats are always available. Buying them through an agency like monkeyshrine.com is good if you want peace of mind and a guaranteed seat, but you will pay a premium price for the service.
Air tickets
Check online at expedia.com, vladavia.ru and koreanair.com for the exact price. *Then* check travel agencies to see if they can do better. Sometimes they can, often they can't.
Moscow to Europe tickets
Straightforward to buy in Moscow station yourself, provided you don't want to go through Belarus. If you do want Belarus, go through an agency in Moscow. (There is a Belarus embassy in Korea, but it could be difficult to get a visa issued by them). The Finland/Helsinki route is a far easier border crossing than the others. |
Thanks! So, just to make sure I get you, if I flew into Vladivostok, I'd have to make my way to the station and buy tickets direct to Moscow, then once in Moscow, buy tickets to London? How easy is that to do, not knowing any Cyrillic?
Is it relatively easy to get a visa for this, assuming I fly Seoul-Vladivostok, then immediately to the train station? Or do I need to go through the hassle of getting a visa "sponsor" (aka hotel / travel agent) anyway? And what would be the easiest way to accomplish this?
Also, could anyone give me a ballpark figure on what the train tickets alone for this trip would cost?
Thanks so much!  |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:27 am Post subject: Russia |
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Here's the email address of Olesya, from Dalin Tourist in Vladivostok:
[email protected]
A one way ticket to Seoul, in August, 2007, was 9025 rubles. I actually booked a flight 2 weeks prior, by email, in Irkutsk, but when I arrived in Vladivostok, the ticket had been sold, & they, Dalin Tourist Office, had to book a fresh ticket for me, at a slightly higher price. Their office's address is: Fokina 8, tel 410 903, 222949 Vladivostok. There are only about 24 consonants to learn in cyrillic. It's not rocket science. |
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soviet_man
Joined: 23 Apr 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 11:21 am Post subject: |
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The thing you must know about Vladivostok, is that everything from taxis to hotels to the supply of apartments - is controlled by price fixing by the local organizatsiya.
The price for a ticket Vlad to Moscow in 2nd class sleeper is equal to US $270 one way bought direct at the railway station currently. If your destination written down on piece of paper in Russian you will be fine.
So if you buy through an agency, it will easily be 50% extra (and then some!) on top of that. |
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chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
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| Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:02 pm Post subject: TSR |
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| There's a whole page in the Lonely Planet Russia / TSR guidebooks, on how to decypher tickets. Note all departure / arrival times are Moscow time. |
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wawawawonder
Joined: 30 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:07 am Post subject: Beijing-Russia |
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For those who might be considering it, a word of warning just taken from seat61:
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Important: Travel to Beijing in June, July, Aug or Sept 2008
The Chinese government have reportedly blocked bookings on international Trans-Siberian trains 3/4, 19/20, 23/24 to and from Beijing for the whole period before, during and immediately after the Beijing Olympics. Booking agencies are telling travellers they cannot book trains to or from Beijing during this period. If you have any more feedback, please let me know!
Chinese visas are also now more difficult to obtain, due to Chinese policy changes in March 2008. 2008 might be the year to avoid China - the Chinese government appears to be enforcing the boycott! |
I intend to have a go at the trip when I leave in August, going Sokcho-Vlad-Moscow-Cologne-Brussels-London. I figure 14 days if I can me the right connections and take a couple of rest days en route. |
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