Live Your Best Lives
Time flies, and the green train now seems to only appear in everyone's childhood memories. The clanging sound of the wheels rubbing against the rails, the noisy conversations of the crowd, and the hawking of beer, melon seeds, and mineral water still echo in our ears.
Have you ever thought about traveling abroad on a green train? Embark on this unique green train and cross the borders of our motherland, traversing the Gobi Desert and grasslands of Mongolia to the shores of Lake Baikal, where Li Jian sings his songs, and experience a different world.
Some of the images in this article are from: Zhou Yiyang/Zhengzhi Sashimi
K3 is a train operated by China Railway. It runs from Beijing to Moscow on June 4, 1959. It runs through the Eurasian continent, passing through China, Mongolia and Russia. The total distance is 7,692 kilometers, making it the longest passenger train in the history of China Railway.
The Beijing-Moscow train departs from Beijing Station every Wednesday, passes through Mongolia, takes 131 hours and 31 minutes, and arrives at Moscow Yaroslavl Station on Monday.
The Moscow-Beijing train departs from Moscow Yaroslavl Station every Tuesday, takes 129 hours and 40 minutes, and arrives at Beijing Station on Monday.
This historic train set has been in operation for half a century. At the beginning of its operation, it was a symbol of friendship between the two countries. Although there were some minor incidents between the two countries later, it has never stopped operating.
The K3 train uses European standard sockets. The voltage in the high-sleeping compartment is 220V, while the voltage on the hard sleeper compartment is only 46V. Although the voltage marked in the hard sleeper compartment is much lower than the current plug of 100-220V, except for the original Apple plug that cannot be charged, all other plugs can be used normally.
There is only one toilet in each hard sleeper car. Actually, there is a washroom, but it is usually closed except for the train attendants to wash their own vegetables. The toilet is large enough, so if you need to take a shower, there is a place...
window
The windows in the corridors and compartments of the hard sleeper cars can be opened, but in the soft sleeper cars and premium cars, only the corridor windows can be opened. Therefore, if you want to take photos along the way, the hard sleeper cars are more convenient.
Safety
There are permanent attendants in the carriages, so you can contact them if you have any questions. Each compartment door can be locked individually. It is best to bring a small bag with valuables. Computers and other items can be placed under the bed: the bed can be opened to store luggage.
The K3/4 international train from Beijing to Moscow, Russia passes through Jining, Erenhot, Zamyn-Uud, Ulaanbaatar, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and other stations.
[For train timetables, please refer to the following website: http://lxs.cncn.com/64870/n567646]
Departure: Departs from Beijing Station at 11:22 every Wednesday and arrives in Moscow at 13:58 on Monday
Train formation: high-class (two-person compartment), soft sleeper (four-person compartment), hard sleeper (four-person compartment)
One thing to note here is that starting from Ulan-Ude on Friday, the time is calculated according to Moscow time. Since Moscow time is five hours ahead of Beijing time, even though the timetable says it will arrive at 02:14, it actually arrives at around 7:00 in the morning. This is because places like Ulan-Ude and Irkutsk have no time difference with Beijing.
For example, on this trip, I got off the bus in Irkutsk. It was already past three in the afternoon when I got off the bus, and it was time for dinner when I arrived at the hotel, so I didn’t have much time to wander around the city. Other friends must pay attention and don’t make the wrong arrangements!
Ticket purchase process: Passport application → Russian visa → Train ticket → Mongolian visa
There are many procedures for applying for a passport on the Internet, so I will not go into details and start with applying for a visa.
You can apply for a Russian visa through various websites, or through Taobao. The price is about 688 yuan, and the visa will be issued in nine working days (note that these are working days). Expedited processing requires an additional 300 yuan, and the visa will be issued in 3-4 working days. If you apply for it yourself, you will need an invitation letter.
Required materials: original passport, two recent color photos (35mm*45mm) with a white background taken in the last six months, a copy of the ID card, and a personal information form.
Since you are entering the country by train, you need to calculate the entry time. The entry time is actually the arrival time, so you need to pay attention to it.
There is also the issue of invitation letters. You need an invitation letter if you go to the embassy to apply for it yourself. You can ask for the invitation letter from the hotel you have booked.
China International Travel Service International Railway Transport Center
Address: 1st Floor, Beijing International Hotel, No. 9 Jianguomennei Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Tel: 010-65120507
Fax: 010-65120503
Sina Weibo: China International Travel Railway Transport
Working hours:
Monday-Friday 09:00-12:00 13:30-17:00
Closed on Saturday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Closed all day on Sunday
About train tickets
The train ticket is a small booklet, not a single ticket.
Front of train ticket
From Beijing to Moscow, the price of a high-end package ticket is 5,604 yuan, a hard sleeper ticket is 3,496 yuan, a high-end package group ticket is 4,460 yuan, and a hard sleeper group ticket is 2,728 yuan. You can buy a group ticket if you have six people.
Application fee:
A single transit visa costs RMB 250, and an expedited visa costs RMB 315 (prices are adjusted up or down according to exchange rate fluctuations)
Visas are issued within 3 working days. Please note: visa processing time is only in the morning, and visa collection time is only in the afternoon.
Mongolian visas are valid for three months from the date of issuance, with a maximum stay of ten days.
Address:
No. 2 Xiushui North Street, Jianguomenwai, Beijing, China (Get off at Yong'anli, Metro Line 1)
Documents required for a transit visa:
Russian visa and visa copy, original passport and copy, train ticket copy (only the first page of the ticket is sufficient), a two-inch photo with a white background and an application form (the application form will be given to you at the embassy).
Application process:
Prepare all the required documents listed above. It's recommended to print a spare copy. Then, go to the embassy in the morning to apply (no appointment is required). Upon arriving at the embassy entrance, you'll find an office with two windows: the left window for payment and the right window for document submission. At the right window, the staff will give you an application form. Fill it out and hand it in along with your other documents. Once they've confirmed it's OK, proceed to the left window to pay the fee (only bank cards are accepted; the transit visa fee is 226). After successfully paying, they'll give you a receipt with a pickup date. Bring that receipt with you to pick up your visa on your next visit.
Bring some sustenance, such as instant noodles, ham, and salted eggs. You can buy groceries at major train stations in Ulaanbaatar and Russia, so don't worry about running out of options. Many domestic foods can also be purchased at duty-free shops in Erenhot.
The peak season for K3 is from July to August. You should also bring a thin cotton jacket and scarf when departing at this time, mainly to prevent the train from encountering rain in the Ural Mountains.
Original ID card and passport valid for more than 6 months from the end of the trip. It is recommended to scan or take photos of important documents and upload them to your email for future reference.
You should bring enough rubles for your stay in Russia, as well as UnionPay and Visa. UnionPay is accepted in many places in Russia, so it's a good idea to bring it with you.
Another thing to note about Mongolian tuk is that after leaving China, you'll spend one day in Mongolia, so the dining car will be replaced by a Mongolian one. If you want to try the Mongolian tuk, you'll need to pay Mongolian tuk to order food. You can exchange Mongolian tuk before departure, or at the shop across the street from the train station after arriving in Erenhot. About 100 RMB per person is enough.
You can exchange Mongolian Tugu and Rubles at the Bank of China. The exchange rate between the Bank of China Ruble and the RMB is around 7.5:1. ATM withdrawals are at 7.8. Once you enter Russia, you'll see an exchange rate of 8-8.2 for cash withdrawals and card payments. You can also exchange RMB for Mongolian Tugu at local banks along the way.
Very few devices accept UnionPay, so it's recommended to bring a VISA or MASTER card. If you only have UnionPay cards, remember the following logos and use them to withdraw cash.
I recommend buying a Russian phone card; MTC offers excellent signal. The first day, you'll have good internet access within China, but once you enter Mongolia, the signal will be gone. If you need internet access, you can opt for a 30-yuan roaming plan. On the third day, when you arrive in Russia, you can plug in your previously purchased phone card.
When buying medicine at a Russian pharmacy, you must have a prescription from a local, reputable doctor. Medical expenses are high, so it's recommended to carry some common medications, such as motion sickness medication, cold remedies, quick-acting heart pills, insulin (for diabetes), and berberine (for diarrhea caused by acclimatization). If you absolutely need to bring certain medications due to a medical condition, you must obtain a prescription from your doctor, along with the medication's foreign-language instructions and purchase receipt.
Maps: Yandex Map (most accurate and clear), 2GIS (most accurate for public transportation), Google Maps (most comprehensive and versatile)
Utilities: Google Translate (real-time translation of internet connections), imoney (currency conversion), Yahoo Weather (weather query)
Information: China-TravelNote, TripAdvisor, Dianping, etc.
Beijing Railway Station
Ticket checking starts half an hour in advance. The first thing everyone does is of course to take a photo in front of the license plate of Beijing=Ulaanbaatar=Moscow. Some carriages have the license plate of Beijing=Eren, and these carriages will be unloaded in Erenhot.
Erenhot
Arrival Time:
At around nine o'clock in the evening, the train arrived in Erlianhot on time, and the "Athletes' March" was played at the station when it arrived.
The train stays in Erenhot for a long time. After arriving at the station, the carriages are towed one by one to the garage for wheel replacement.
1) Those who want to watch the wheel change can stay in the car, but because it was too hot in the car that day, few people were willing to stay in the car.
2) Passengers who do not want to watch the wheel change can get off the train and move around freely. Erenhot is very small, and it is even quieter at 10 pm.
3) After walking away from the train station, I found that there were no shops open except the small shop opposite the train station. In addition to replenishing food and drinks, you can also exchange some Mongolian dollars. I remember the exchange rate was 1:340, which was acceptable.
If you want to eat at the dining car or buy something before arriving in Ulaanbaatar the next day, it's best to exchange your currency here. Using RMB in Mongolian dining cars is a big loss. There were even some elderly women dancing in the square in front, and everyone was either relaxing in the square or in the waiting room.
Zamyn-Uud
Mongolian border inspection personnel got on the bus to check and collect passports, and the passports were returned very quickly, which was very efficient.
Ulaanbaatar
The train stops in Ulaanbaatar. Inside the main building, there's a currency exchange, a deli, and a small shop. You can also buy postcards to send back home, which is a unique experience. It's recommended to spend 20 minutes strolling around before returning to the train, as the conductor won't call you back once the train is moving.
commemorative motorcycle
Carrying on the tradition of Russian railways, Mongolia's major stations all have their own commemorative locomotives. These locomotives may have made outstanding contributions to the city. It is recommended to take a photo with the commemorative locomotives at Ulaanbaatar Station.
Naushki
Russia's border inspection is much stricter than Mongolia's. Mongolia's border inspection is just a quick look as a formality, while Russia's inspection requires unpacking the boxes.
Notes:
Unlike China and Mongolia, Russian customs have portable instruments, and border inspection personnel conduct passport checks and stamps directly on the train. An immigration card will be issued on the train before entry. The immigration card is divided into two halves, "arrival" and "departure". The information that needs to be filled in is the same. Like other countries that require filling out an entry card, the border inspection will take away the arrival half upon entry, and the other half should not be left lying around and should be clipped in the passport until it is taken away when leaving the country. The departure card and visa must be presented together when checking in at the hotel.
PS: From this section, you can see Lake Baikal at dawn, which is about 9 am to noon. You can have a 3-4 hour lakeside tour. Remember to take the time to take pictures.
The train ride is framed by mountains on one side and the lake on the other. The beauty is beyond words. The best vantage point at this time is the dining car: you can see both sides! Plus, it's already lunchtime, so everyone should head to the dining car for something hot! (Don't worry, this view is fleeting; you have the entire morning to enjoy the beauty of Lake Baikal!)
Lonely Planet described it as an "overly luxurious little station".
The small station, built of granite in 1904, is very gorgeous, and the platform is also covered with flowers and grass. The stop is only ten minutes, and the architectural style of the train station is obviously different.
Irkutsk, affectionately called "Irkutsk" by train attendants, is a major city in Central Siberia. The station is large and the train stops for 25 minutes, where most people get off. Here, you can visit the city's most beautiful church, Kazan Cathedral. You can also embark on a Lake Baikal trip from here, with the small town of Listvyanka and Olkhon Island both worth visiting.
Kazan Cathedral
Olkhon Island
The train stopped for 30 minutes. Novosibirsk is the capital of Siberia and Russia's third-largest city! The station is a gorgeous, pale green palace, and even the underground entrance is classic. Outside, there's a beautiful glass house housing an old locomotive.
Yekaterinburg is the capital of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the third largest city in Russia after Moscow and St. Petersburg.
You might not know Yekaterinburg when you visit Russia, but you absolutely must know Catherine. The book "The Rise of Great Powers," which I read before the trip, detailed this tsar's story. She is generally considered the greatest tsarist leader since Peter the Great. This beautiful city is named after her.
After passing Yekaterinburg, there will be a Europe-Asia boundary marker approximately after kilometer marker 1779.
It's a kilometer sign like this, with numbers from big to small, in reverse. When it reaches 1800, you have to be ready. A white building will suddenly appear in the woods. It is the boundary marker between Europe and Asia.
The end of the red journey
During the day in China, there were two free meals provided on the dining car. Each meal had one meat and one vegetable, enough for a girl to eat.
Please note that starting from the second day, there will be a charge for the provision of the dining car.
The train has a Mongolian dining car in Mongolia and changes to a Russian dining car when it reaches Russia. The waiters on the dining cars are also from their respective countries, so passengers can see the decorative styles of various countries.
The dining cars in Mongolia can accept Mongolian rubles, US dollars, or RMB, but the RMB exchange rate is relatively poor, about a quarter higher, so it is recommended to exchange some Mongolian rubles in Erenhot.
The menu in the Russian dining car is in Russian and English but has no pictures. You can only pay in rubles, so it is best to exchange some rubles in China. The prices in the dining car are acceptable and the dishes are well presented.
Shopping at train stations along the way in Mongolia and Russia is very cheap. The prices of milk, bread, fruit, etc. converted into RMB are more cost-effective than buying them in domestic supermarkets.
Take the train to Moscow. This has been the dream of train fans for many years. It is also the romantic journey that young people yearn for. Throw away your hesitation, take a book, and embark on this five-day and six-night journey.
