Train
Board the Trans-Mongolian train for Beijing. Train number 4 departs from Moscow every Tuesday to make the 7,621km trip. A 6-day marathon, train number 4 crosses Siberia before entering Mongolia, gradually heading southeast before arriving in Beijing. Scenery along this route is varied and includes a pass around the extremely deep Lake Baikal, a brief stop in Ulan Bator, Mongolia's capital, a jaunt through the wastelands of the Gobi Desert and, finally, crosses the Yanshan Mountains before arriving in Beijing. Though there are usually tourists on board, train number 4 stops often so expect to see a slew of Russians, Mongolians and Chinese along the way. This is one of the main reasons to take the train as interaction is more or less unavoidable.
Russian Tourist Office
70 Piccadilly
London W1J 8HP
United Kingdom
visitrussia.org.uk/
011 (+44) 0207 495 7570
Ferry
Set sail for China aboard the Su Zhou Hau. Departing weekly from Japan, this 154-meter ferry carries up to 272 passengers across the East China Sea on a 48-hour voyage. Originating in Osaka, passengers have the choice of plush, expensive VIP cabins with televisions, DVD players and private bathrooms, all the way down to a simple common room, separated according to gender, where mats and blankets are provided. Though not as fast as a flight, guests can climb to the top deck and view the open sea. Two restaurants, a Japanese style bath, ping pong tables, a duty free shop, majong and slot machine rooms as well as a small medical clinic are also available. Additionally, the ship offers comfy couches and cozy tables in the forward lounge.
The Shanghai Ferry Company
5F DAI Bldg, Midosuji
4-1-2 Minami Kyuhoji-cho
Chuo-ku
Osaka 541 0058
Japan
011(+81) 06 6243 6345
shanghai-ferry.co.jp/english/index.html
Plane
Fly the cheaper skies. Cheap flights can often be found by flying into a neighboring country first and then booking a flight with a smaller carrier onwards. For example, book a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam, and spend a night or two before flying to Hong Kong, Beijing or Taipei via the inexpensive Vietnam Airlines. Another option for those making multi-country stops is to make a reservation with a company specializing in international travel. This is sort of niche market in the United States and though there are not many of these companies around, big discounts can be had. Uniglobe Democracy Travel, based in Washington, D.C., is known as one of the first such companies. Lastly, travelers can fly into a major airport via an established airline and then continue into China via one of the many domestic airlines such as Shanghai Airlines.
Uniglobe Democracy Travel
Charlie Domina
4818 MacArthur Blvd. NW
Washington D.C. 20007
(888) 841-2733
Shanghai Airlines
shanghai-air.com/salnewweb/index.aspx
