Buying Trans-Siberian Train Tickets in Beijing

5 comments // Written by Stephen on April 02 2012 in Asia, Tips & Travel Hacks

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Beginning my Adventure on the Trans-Siberian.

So, here I am setting forth on my epic voyage across Russia, the biggest, wildest, country in the world. Quite Literally I’m crossing the biggest continent by land, which in blunt honesty feels badass. Still you gotta start somewhere and before you can hop the train you have to buy the ticket. So, let me show you how I did it.

I’m starting my adventure in Beijing, China, catching the train here, heading to Mongolia and then on through to Russia. So really I’m going Trans-Mongolian before I go Trans-Siberian. First thing you have to do is find a place that sells the tickets. A good thing to know is that the Beijing Railway Station DOES NOT sell tickets to Mongolia. The place you are going to want to go is called CITS International Train Ticket Center.  CITS is located in the Beijing International Hotel in the West Lobby, which is a hard to miss giant curved white classy building.

 

To get to Beijing International Hotel you are going to want to take the subway to the Jiangoumen station stop. When you get to the station you will head out of Exit A and hang a right. You will walk about 150-200 meters and you can’t miss it. Head on into the main lobby turn left into a small hallway and you will see the CITS office through the first doorway on the right.

Now, I’ve got you to the counter, but you are going too need cash and your passport number. Also, a good note is if you are buying a ticket for your buddy like I did, he doesn’t have to be there, but you have to have his passport number. Once you give them your passport number then they are going to want your cash as they often do. I bought the 3^rd class hard sleeper from Beijing, China to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, which was 1,430 RMB.  Chances are you probably don’t carry 1,500 RMB around with you, no worries, outside the ticket office to the left about 10 meters is an ATM. If that ATM is out of order like it was when I was there, there is a Beijing Merchant Bank located directly across the street with ATMs.

I bought my tickets to travel in early April, 2012 which is awesome because my two buddies and I ended up being the only people in our entire train carriage since it is the low tourism season. It will be cold as hell, but hey, I’m going to Siberia man, so might as well get the full experience.

Well, now I got my tickets and you know how to, so enough writing for now, let’s get on the train and head north!

 

 

 

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