Trans-Mongolian Express

Hi FiTe,
Whilst travelling in Mongolia, you can only buy your ticket to Ulaanbaatar (from Russia or China). If you get off anywhere else on route, you'll have to by a ticket again, so it's best travelling straight to UB and travelling in Mongolia from there. It's not really necessary to prebook anything in Mongolia, especially if you are travelling in October. In July however, it's advisable to prebook.
October in Mongolia is cold but not very cold. Expect temperatures to be around 5- to -10 at night, and 0 - 15 in the day. It will most likely be sunny, it's a pleasant time of year to travel. Bring warm clothes and you will be fine. The Mongolian harsh winter doesn't really start until Dec - Feb.
It is possible to book excursions from where ever you stay in UB. See my profile if you need more help.

Have a great trip!
Jennie. Reply to this

Hi FiTe

A few tips from our experience...

Take:
a few good books - you'll probably find you'll have plenty of time to read.
some photos of home - it's handy to have something to show your cabin mates if there is a language barrier!
a torch - each bed has it's own light but if you want to stay up later than your cabin mates it's nice to be considerate.

and some things to make sure you buy before you get on the train:
Toilet paper - there was none supplied at all in our carriage and it wasn't something that was easy to pick up along the way from the Babushkas on the platforms at each of the stops.
Cold medicine - everybody in our carriage ended up sick as someone got on with a cold and it spread like wild fire - I would have happily killed for a Lemsip or some throat lozenges!
Fruit - oranges seemed to keep pretty well and you will probably be desperate for something not freeze dried. You can pick up some lovely food from the Babushkas on the platforms along the way but fruit was something we didn't really find until we got to the Chinese border.

Another thing I would recommend is having some food and/or other stuff that you can share - it helps to make friends with your cabin mates/carriage attendants fast : )

Hope you enjoy your journey!
Vikki Reply to this

Hey Jennie, Vikki & Bob

I which I had this kind of information on my previous trips...
The you suggested Vikki just made the item list for shore.
I also plan to take a bag of little things like Belgian postcards, pen's, stuff like that,
to give to the local people or children, It never hurts to be friendly and generous.
About the cold, if you come in this situation again, try to wash your hands a lot and most
important try not to touch your face (mouth and nose area). The cold spread so fast because the bacteria
gets from their hands on everything the touch, you touch it too and bring it from your hands to your itchy nose...
You can avoid a lot of trouble by just washing your hands.

Jennie, that link is great, I kept it and will bring it up in our next trip meeting. The trouble about having to reserve these expeditions is we do have to get there...
you see we have a lose itinerary...

We take time to do what we want to do when we want to do it @ the location we want to do it.
And when we've done what we wanted to do, we go on to our next location where we want to do other things. :-)

Get it? ;-))))) But it's great to know what we can do. alright alright, see, experience...

I have only one negative point I wanted to share about Travelblog... from the day I discovered this site, I just wanted to start my adventure, and the longer I know this site the bigger the urge to leave...

Thanks 4 everything!!!!
Take good care...

FiTe
Reply to this

:-)))))

Dam* Germs...

Reply to this

Thanks 4 the advice Alta!

I'll make shore to follow your advice.

Take Care

FiTe Reply to this