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VISAS
All Western visitors to Russia, Mongolia and China require visas. If you are in based in the UK, GOBUS will handle the visa processing for you so once you book with us we will supply you with all the information you need to make your application. Generally all the visas can be procured within a 5-week timeframe but this is never guaranteed. Make sure you book with us at least 6-8 weeks prior to your anticipated departure date and we can advise you from there.
Click here for instructions on how to complete all of the visa applications.
To download Russian visa form, choose your nationality and then complete an online form at www.rusemblon.org
To complete the online Mongolian visa form at www.consuls.net
To download the China visa form click on this link.
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voltage
Russia and Mongolia
Standard voltage is 220V, 50Hz AC. Sockets require a Continental or European plug with two round pins.
China
Standard voltage is 220V, 50Hz AC. Chinese plugs come in at least 4 designs: 3-pronged angle pins as used in Australia; 3-pronged round pins as used in Hong Kong; 2-pronged flat pins as used in the USA; or 2 round narrow pins as used in Europe.
You need to pack a worldwide traveller adapter which will then cover you for all destinations en route.
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health advice
You need to contact your GP or a travel clinic for up to date information regarding vaccinations. It is recommended that you be vaccinated for Diphtheria, Polio and Tetanus. Food and waterborne diseases are more common than in the UK, so Typhoid and Hepatitis A are recommended. Drink bottled waters only, pack some anti-diarrhoea medication and mosquito repellent and sun cream if visiting in summer.
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climate
Russia
In European Russia, summer days from late May to early September are warm and very long, the average temperatures range from 18-25 C. Autumn is brief and by the end of October, winter sets in, bringing with it lots of snow and extremely low temperatures which can be as low as -15 celsius. Spring arrives with a vengeance, heralding the great thaw, in late March and April
Mongolia
As Mongolia is located in the northern hemisphere, temperatures are not unlike those in Russia and northern China (see below). Summer in Mongolia (June to August) is short but bright. expect temperatures in the mid 20 celsius. Winter (November to February) is especially cold, expect temperatures as low as -18 celsius, so it is important to wear suitably warm clothing and shoes capable of coping with snowy conditions.
China
Beijing has very cold but dry winters and very hot and humid summers. January is the coldest month and July is the warmest. Winter usually begins towards the end of October. The summer months, June to August, are wet and hot with about 40% of the annual precipitation. China has incredibly diverse weather conditions owing to its size so the information above does not necessarily relate to other areas of the country but will prepare you for Beijing. Remember to pack very warm clothing for the winter.
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time
The Trans-Siberian crosses up to 10 times zones, so it is not surprising that one of the most disorienting aspects of the trip is working out what time it really is! All long-distance trains run on Moskovskaya Vremya or Moscow Time in Russia, the abbreviation for which is MB in Cyrillic or MV in English. It has to be this way in a country that has 11 time zones! All timetables, station clocks, train clocks and announcements are on Moscow Time. Mongolia has 2 time zones, though you'll only pass through one, and China has 3 time zones, though only Beijing Time is used for all trains.
MV = Moscow Time.
London 12:00 GMT Moscow, St Pete's 15:00 GMT+3
Perm 17:00 GMT+5 MV+2 Yekaterinburg 17:00 GMT+5 MV+2
Novosibirsk 18:00 GMT+6 MV+3 Krasnoyarsk 19:00 GMT+7 MV+4
Irkutsk 20:00 GMT+8 MV+5 Ulaan Baatar 20:00 GMT+8
Beijing 20:00 GMT+8
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money
Russian Rouble (py). 1 Rouble = 100 Kopeks.
GBP £1 = 46.3 Rouble / USD $1 = 23.1 Rouble / EUR 1 = 36.9 Rouble
Mongolian Tugrik(or Togrog) (MNT). 1 Tugrik = 100 Mongo
GBP £1 = 2317 Tugrik / USD $1 = 1156 Tugrik / EUR 1 = 1510 Tugrik
Chinese Yuan (RMB or CNY). 1 Yuan = 10 Jiao
1 USD = 6.82 Yuan 1 GBP = 13.69 Yuan 1 EUR = 10.90 Yuan
The Rouble, the Tugrik and the Yuan are non-exportable and available only in their respective countries. The Tugrik is readily available for exchange in Mongolia and sometimes at frontier border points. Bring clean, unmarked cash in US Dollars (not $100 bills as they’re hard to exchange) for your Trans-Sib adventure. Money changing facilities are available at better hotels, forex bureaux or banks in Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk and Ulan Ude and Ulaan Baatar (Mongolia). When changing money, ID is required. Ensure you have all the cash you anticipate you will need, so do your budget well and if in doubt over-budget!
Take a mixture of debit/credit cards for ATM usage. Credit cards are becoming more widely accepted, though cash is still the norm in a vast array of establishments.
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