Also in this section

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
(‘it’s all in the info-pack’ cried the Monkeys!)

Once you have booked a trip with us we will send you a detailed infopack 100+ pages for you to check everything you need to do before setting off. There are also hidden pages of this website only available once you have booked. Do you want to sign-in?

Here are some questions you may have about the pre-booking process

VISAS

TRAINS

BOOKING

 

VISAS

1- Are visa costs included in the package price?

No, because some nationalities are subject to consular fees at the Russian Embassy, and because both the Russian and Mongolian visas differ in price depending on how far in advance you apply, we deal with visas separately and on an individual basis. ^

2- Can you get our Russian visa if we book our own accommodation?

With regard to the Russian visa situation you are free to make your own arrangements in Russia if you do not require us to provide a Russian visa invitation (necessary to obtain a Russian tourist visa).

The Russian Visa Support we supply is based on a pre-booked itinerary in Russia with fixed entry and exit dates. If you arrange your own accommodation (in St Petersburg for example) you will need to send us the hotel reservation voucher issued by the hotel in Moscow or St Petersburg. We will then be able to add these dates on to our Russian Visa Support. Please note that the Russian Embassy in Beijing wants the original visa invitation.

Some hostels will only register visas issued by their agency, which means you will have to register the visa yourself at the OVIR or at an official hotel.

If you want us to provide the Russian Visa Support you will need to book your entire time in Russia with us. If you have another agent providing the visa support you are free to make your own arrangements, but you will still have to contact our local partners along the way to collect train tickets for onward travel. ^

3- Can we travel in China without our passport?

As far as travel in China without your original copy of your passport is concerned the rule is that you need it to travel. However, in practice, providing you have a good copy of your passport details as well as your valid Chinese visa WITH the entry stamp it is unlikely you will have any problems travelling overland - NOTE that you do need your original passport to fly, or to visit border areas such as Tibet.

Only twice have we heard of people having problems and the result was basically some inconvenience and a 'fine' of a few hundred RMB from an overzealous official. One thing to note though is that it is difficult to check into hotels in Beijing without your original passport - the rest of the country doesn't seem to make an issue of this though.

If you plan to travel from China to Hong Kong and then back to China you will need a double entry Chinese visa. ^

TRAINS

1- Will I get bored?

As with so many things, this depends entirely on you, and your approach! Usually you will be travelling with other Monkey Business passengers, which means that you have a small ready-made group of new people to talk to. Most of the other passengers, however, are still ordinary Chinese, Mongolian and Russian people, so you have plenty of opportunity to mix with other cultures and share a drop or two of vodka if you want. By all means take a good book, but you'll be surprised at how easily the time passes just watching the countryside slide past. Most of our travellers don't even find time to read our infopack and only realize later, when back home, that it contains loads of useful info. ^

2- Do we have to decide our Moscow and St Petersburg accommodation when we book the rest of our trip?

Yes! If you are travelling on a Tourist visa (essential for stays in Moscow longer than 1 night and trips to Irkutsk and St Petersburg), your pre-booked accommodation determines the length of your visa. Therefore you must have a fixed itinerary before applying for the Russian visa.
Most people book the accommodation in Moscow and St Petersburg with us as well. If you arrange your own accommodation (in St Petersburg for example) you will need to send us the hotel confirmation voucher issued by the hotel in Moscow or St Petersburg. We will then be able to add these dates on to our Russian Visa Support. ^

3- Why can't we use the train #3 Beijing to Ulaanbaatar?

All departures up to Mongolia are on the train #23 which terminates in Ulaanbaatar. Train #3 from Beijing to Irkutsk or Moscow departs every Wednesday morning. You can not board train #3 for the relatively 'short' trip to Ulanbaatar. ^

4- Will I starve?

In Short - no. Variety and quality have increased in the last few years - some people even know what a vegetarian is these days.

On the trains plenty of food is available on the platforms and, apart from the train between Ulaanbaatar and Irkutsk, the dining cars are usually well stocked and don't run out of food contrary to popular belief.

Fruit is available most of the year and bottled water is as common as vodka. If you thought you were leaving behind noodles when you head west you're wrong - they can be bought along the whole route so no need to carry a couple of weeks supply when you leave Beijing.

The dining cars on the train have fairly standard food, and are run by the country they are travelling through and so you experience the local food and menu of each country. In Russia the service is contracted out to catering companies and so the standard of food and service can vary between trains. In Mongolia, there is a strong emphasis on tourism and the dining car has decent service standards and consistent quality, but also reports of high prices and over charging on the tourist menu occasionally. There is a huge train infrastructure in China and dining cars provide cheap and consistent average Chinese fare. This is the same on the international trains you will take from the Chinese border to Beijing.

The menu in the dining car remains pretty much the same through the day and so eating once or twice a day in the dining car tends to be enough. Simple local food can be purchased on the platforms, but it is a good idea to stock up on extra supplies so you can prepare a picnic style lunch, with bread, smoked ham and cheese, mustard, fruit, snacks and chocolate, etc. Beer, bottled water, pot noodles and the like can be easily bought along the whole route. You can restock fresh bread and smoked meats at markets at each stop-over and often on the platform kiosks as well. You can also buy more interesting produce such as caviar, smoked herring and fresh salad at local markets in Ulanbaatar and Irkutsk. A visit to the Eliseeevsky delicatessen on Tverskaya ul in Moscow is a great source for goodies as well as a remarkable sight itself as one of the oldest shops in Moscow. You should bring your own foreign alcohol or wine or else try the hundreds of local Russian or Mongolian vodkas ranging from US$2 to US$50 a bottle.

^

4a - Is food and drink included in the price?

Food is not included on the train.  A meal in the dining car will cost around US$10.  Cheaper food is available from the larger platforms along the way.  So you can eat quite cheaply unless you start buying Caviar and Champagne through Russia!  At the stop-overs all meals are included when on tour or in the countryside, however when staying in the City (Ulanbaatar, Irkutsk, Moscow, etc) only breakfast is included.

^

5- Is it safe for a lone female traveller?

In short yes, we believe it is safe. We have many single young women taking the trip throughout the year (In 2005, 46% of our travellers were female!). In reality you are never on your own as there is always a fair number of other travellers on the train. The trains used to have a bad reputation back in the early 90s and this is hard to shed. In reality it is rare that we have anyone telling us that they found safety and issue. There are two conductors to each carriage who are responsible for the well being of the passengers. If you are taking the stopovers en route then you have a local guide (almost always female) who is looking after you and have a local office in each destination with emergency contact details. ^

6- Do the guides carry flags!?

NO! You travel semi-independently on our trips. On the organised stopovers you have a guide but we encourage you to think of the guide as more like a friend of a friend who is showing you around their city and it's environs - nice and informal. So, no flags, no megaphones! Note that there is no guide accompanying you on the train journeys, although other customers booked with us are likely to be travelling in the same compartment as you. ^

7- What's the difference between first and second class?

Standard second class has four comfortable berths per cabin, with 36 people in each carriage. There are communal toilets and wash-basin at both ends of each carriage. In first class there are just two berths per cabin and only 18 beds in each carriage, the toilet facilities are the same. On train #3 and Chinese train #23 out of Beijing there is also a first class deluxe carriage, with a shower room shared between two cabins. Second class tends to be very social with cabin doors left open during the day and people chatting in the corridors, whereas in first class there is a little more space in the cabin and so you tend to keep the door closed. The advantage of first class apart from the extra privacy if you are travelling as a couple, will be less queues for the toilet in the morning and you are closer to the dining car! ^

8-Will I be able to wash on the train?

Zarya Hotel, Moscow, twin bedroomAll the carriages on the trains have a similar set-up, whether in first or second class.  There are toilets and washrooms at the end of each carriage with western style toilets and a sink with hot and cold water.  If the water is not cold there is a samovar with boiling water on each carriage so you can use this to have a proper wash.  In First class these toilets are shared with nine cabins (so possibly 18 people) and in second class there are nine cabins with a possible thirty six people.

Chinese train #23 and train #3 in dekluxe class have a different look. There are two bunk beds on one side, a sofa on the other and a shower cabin you share with another compartment. There is more space available than in the other classes.

A relatively new development on some Russian trains such as #9/10 and #1/7 is a special carriage that has shower facilities and some computers for Internet access. We have heard mixed reports about these facilities ranging from “yes they do exist but don’t work” to “searched the train from end to end and couldn’t find them.” The showers have to be paid for and the water pressure is low. ^

9- How much money will I need and of what currency?

As a rough guide people spend an average of US$10 to US$15 a day on the train and on the organized stopovers we offer in Mongolia, Irkutsk and Ekaterinburg. The main factor is likely to be your level of consumption of alcohol and souvenirs.

Moscow and St Petersburg, if you only have accommodation with breakfast paid for in advance, are more expensive. A bare minimum would really be US$30 a day. In both these cities transport on the metro is cheap but the cost of getting into the sights as well as eating out aren't far off European / North American levels.

Crisp and new (post 1996) US dollar bills are still very much king. All destinations have ATMs these days and in Moscow and St. Petersburg credit cards acceptance is widespread.

It is always best to use the local currencies if you can. Mongolia has become a good place to both convert your excess Chinese money and get hold of some Roubles for Russia. Otherwise the borders have banks which will exchange your dollars at a reasonable rate. ^

10- Will I need a sleeping bag?

There is no need to bring your own sleeping bag unless you have booked the camping and trekking options at Lake Baikal. Some people prefer their own on the train as opposed to the bedding supplied by the conductors although you will be supplied with clean and fresh linen on the train. A small hand towel can be useful however. ^

11 - Is there electricity / Can I charge electrical appliances?

On the trains there is normally a plug on the corridor (so the provodnitsa can vacuum the carpet!) and in first class there may be a plug in your cabin. Electricity is 220 v AC voltage. You will need a European type power plug with two round pins (similar to the two pin round plug in China as well). Often the power on the train is switched off and we have heard of entrepreneurial conductors charging portable devices in their cabin overnight, for a price.^

12 - Do I need any injections for this trip?

There is a small chance of catching the tick-borne disease Encephalitis from May till mid-July when trekking Ekaterinburg. Vaccination is recommended for those on outdoor activities.  Other than this you consult a qualified medical practitioner for advice relevant specifically to you.

BOOKING

1- How far in advance do we need to book?

We generally recommend booking a minimum of 6 weeks in advance, even firther ahead during the peak summer months. Although we can arrange everything reasonably quickly, pre-booking means there is more chance of travelling on your preferred dates, gives us the time to do advance applications for your Russian visa, for you to transfer money if booking from overseas, and for us to work out exactly the package and extras to match your plans. We'll do everything we can to get you on the train if you book at short notice, but it's best to book well in advance, especially if you want to travel in 1st class. ^

2- Will there be beds available in peak season?

Another good reason to pre-book! The summer period from June to August is the busiest time on the Trans-Siberian for both locals and tourists and so the tickets can be difficult to obtain. We strongly recommend you book as early in advance as possible to ensure we can reserve your tickets. Thanks to years of experience and good contacts in the right places, we rarely have problems with availability up to one month before departure. Nothing is ever guaranteed, however, so if you want to be sure, get your name down and send us a deposit. ^

3- When is the best time to go?

There really is no 'best time.' The thaw is well underway by late April across Mongolia and Siberia with the ice breaking up on Lake Baikal at the beginning of May. This is when the local people issue a long sigh of relief that the winter is over and the countryside starts to come alive.

Summer is the peak season and the weather is warm and with a good deal of sunshine. There are never really hordes of tourists but insects can be a problem. The days are long and the locals make the most of this with life being very much outdoor orientated. Book well in advance for tickets at this time.

Autumn is a beautiful time, especially if you can catch all the colours around the end of September. The weather is great during the day but at night the first signs of winter can be felt as the thermometer plunges.

Winter is the least visited season but, many argue, the most beautiful. Siberia actually looks like people imagine it with the landscape blanketed in snow and by the New Year, lake Baikal and most rivers are frozen solid. However, the locals know how to keep warm and everything, from the inside of gers to the train cabins, is well heated.

So, take your pick! Of course, the Monkeys recommend one trip in the winter and one in the summer to get the best of both worlds!

Below are some links to weather conditions:
BEIJING
MONGOLIA
IRKUTSK
EKATERINBURG
MOSCOW
ST PETERSBURG ^

4- Is it worth travelling in the winter?

It is definitely worth travelling during the winter months as Siberia is looking its best and most typical with it's wonderland snows cape! Although it can reach minus 20° in Siberia, unless you spend a long time outside, this is not a real problem. The trains themselves are kept very warm and the locals know how to stay comfortable and keep you warm with lots of food, hot banyas (saunas), log fires and warm clothes!

We have excellent winter activities to choose from in Ekaterinburg and Lake Baikal (Dog sledging, ice fishing, skiing). It is also nice to spend a night or two in the solitude of the Elstei ger camp in the winter surrounded by snow and little else! ^

5- Don't you have cheaper Hotels to stay in Moscow?

Unfortunately not, the only alternative are our home stays. Moscow and St Petersburg are not as cheap as popular myth would have you believe! Inm fact Moscow has been voted as one of the most expensive cities to live in 2006. While we are aware that the hotels we use are more expensive than a lot of our passengers are used to, the Moscow Hotels we can book are excellent value for money and we have many good reasons for having chosen them and not a cheap crap place in a back alley.

- Hotels in the dead centre of town are all being classed as 4* hotels and charging more, even if they lack the facilities

- Our hotels and homestays are always close to the metro and around six stops from the centre of the City. They are also located in safe areas so the short walk from the metro is along a busy well-lit street so no negotiating dark side streets.

- Our Moscow Monkeys (MoMos) have a happy and well-established relationship with the Hotel staff, so you'll have no problem with surly floor attendants or finding out information.

Although there are a few well known 'cheapies' in Moscow, in our (and many of your fellow travellers') experience you are better off paying for a decent place and having no worries (or cockroaches & hookers) during your stay! As one traveller put it, "In St. Petersburg now. Staying at the Nord, but wish I wasn't. Not overly impressed with this place and it's meant to be one of the best in town! Ridiculous. The showers in the upper apartment haven't been working for a month and they've locked the toilets." ^

6- Will you book the China stuff for us?

We offer a few trips and accommodation within China, see our China section for more details. We only offer China Services to those of you also booking a trans-siberian trip with us. Bear in mind that China is a huge country and travelling from City to City takes time. Trains are the best to way get around and if you have flexible dates it is easy enough to book the train tickets as you go. For your convenience, our Beijing office can book an excellent value Hotel and a Youth Hotel in Beijing for you - just across from Beijing main station. ^

7- Do you arrange ticket only services?

Afraid not! We specialize in stop-over tours on the Trans-Siberian route. To book individual train tickets out of Beijing, Mongolia and Russia you need to contact the ticket office directly in the respective countries. For tickets out of Beijing that means contacting the CITS International Ticket Office. ^

8- What about leaving Russia?

It is important that you leave Russia before your visa expires. The days of cheap and easy extensions are long gone, and fines at the border can be very harsh for those who overstay (more than US$ 200!!). To be sure, pre-book your onward ticket out of Russia through us. We can provide train tickets or flights to a variety of destinations and the tickets are delivered to you at your hotel or home stay. ^

9- Can I get off the train anywhere else and re-join it later?

The trans-siberian route does not offer 'Euro-pass' style tickets. All reservations are made for specific train and dates. Our Packages are set trips which don't allow any kind of spontaneous side-trips! If you get off the train you forfeit the reservation for the second part of your ticket and our guides and services booked further along the route will be wasted. Your visa must be regsitered in each city (this is done automatically for you by our representatives). If you don't have the appropriate date stamps on your visa, to account for the time you've been in Russia, questions will be asked when you arrive elsewhere. ^

10- Who are typical Monkey Business passengers?

A good question. We've had everyone from babies to octogenarians on our trips! A typical passenger is in their twenties or thirties, probably travelled before and with more interest in foreign cultures than in white sandy beaches and cheap beers (although the beer won't be a problem!) Both Mongolia and Russia are struggling to catch up with Western standards of tourism, so you should be prepared for the unusual - no hot water, outside toilets, unidentifiable food etc. - and accept these things as part of the experience you're going for. There is a fairly equal balance between the sexes (single women shouldn't be unduly worried about travelling on the Trans-Zip - we can always change your departure date or package to make sure you're not alone), and while most of our passengers tend to be 'Westerners' there are very few nationalities who we can't accommodate. Trans-Zip romances aren't unheard of, either, and we’ve been invited to several marriages! As one person put it,
"Claire and I got on well. You should continue doing this 'travel matchmaking'!" ^

11- Why would we book with the Monkeys?

It’s your trip and your hard-earned money! You can check the following facts!

We guarantee that no other company:
has our expertise since 1988;
comes even close to the amount of passengers already put on the train (18,000+);
has offices in Hong Kong and Beijing, and partners in Mongolia and Russia;
arranges your visas faster;
gives out more or better information;
is as flexible to customize your trip;
was operating in Mongolia for Westerners before us;
or can beat our prices! ^