From Russia to Mongolia by bus, or how to reach the cities of Ulaan-Oude (Russia) and Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) by land.
Crossing a border is not always the easiest stage of a journey. As regards the crossing of the Russian-Mongolia border, everything begins at Ulan-Oude Although the city has no great tourist interest, it is a strategic point for travellers wishing to travel to Mongolia. Indeed it is here that many embark on board the Transmogolian (this is also possible from Irkutsk) to continue the adventure on the tracks. But for small budgets or in a hurry, there is a solution more economical and faster than the train.
In this practical article, we share you the summary testimony of our bus experience from Russia to Mongolia and our advice and Practical information So you can arrange your border crossing as best you can.
What you will find in this article:
→ A brief comparison between the train and the bus
→ How to get a bus ticket
→ Details of the route and the crossing of the Russian-Mongolia border
→ Practical information (duration, budget, change)
Train or bus? Brief comparative.
While the bus reaches the Mongolian capital in 10 to 12 hours for 1,800 rubles (23)€ in 2018), the Transmongolian will make the same journey in 15 to 20h, i.e. 5 to 8 hours more for 70 to 200€ more (depending on the class chosen). For our part, the length of the trip did not really matter (we had just spent 87 hours aboard the Trans-Siberian) and, being great lovers of life on the rails, we would have preferred to choose this option. It was the question of the budget that made us opt for the bus.
However, with one departure a day at 7:30 am from the bus station of Tsentral, 45 places are sold very fast. To the travelers, but also to the Mongolians who come to their country.
Why such a price / duration difference? Transmongolia does not have 3nd class, which raises its price quite significantly. Then the Transmongolia is stopped about 10 hours while crossing the border against about 2 hours for the bus.
Russia > Mongolia: How and where to get the bus ticket to Mongolia?
Reservation on the Internet is not possible for Ulan-Oude tickets > Ulan-Bator. Two options are available:
- Getting to the Bus station d-Ulan-Oude ( one or several days before the departure date (this is also possible on the same day – early morning – but this option is very risky in high season).
- Book via its hostel up to one month in advance: the option we have chosen.
Before crossing the border, we stayed two nights at UU Backpacker Hostel, a small inn in the heart of the city time to organize the continuation of our trip. In order to be sure to have tickets to leave the country (our Russian visa ending soon) we did not wait to be there to buy them: we sent an email to the hostel 3 days before our arrival with the copy of our passports, the desired departure date and paid our tickets upon arrival.
The accommodation offering this service will usually ask you for a fee on the price of the ticket, it can reach 5€ see a little more depending on the institutions.
The Ulaan-Oude route > Ulaan-Bator: testimony of our experience
- Trip time: 10h.
- Departure: 7:30 am.
- Appointment time: 7:00 a.m.
- We made this trip: 19 September 2018
- Place of appointment: Bus station d-Ulan-Oude (.
- Cost of journey: 1,800 rubles, 23€ (still valid in February 2020)
Arriving at the bus station, we find or signs in English neither person speaking this language. And why would we find one? We are at the end of the Bouriatia. By going around the bus drivers, we end up finding one that lifts us a big thumb when we see our tickets. We are happy that it is him: the others did not have such beautiful flying.
The 45 bus seats were all booked for several days.. From 7:30 a.m. precise the wheels start their first movement on a still fresh bitumen, we gradually leave the city towards the south of the country, where homes are becoming increasingly rare to leave room for steppes of autumnal colors. It cannot be said that our means of transport is the most comfortable in the world, but the place is sufficient and there are numerous supply stops / toilets.
Three hours later, first check before the border.
The minutes pass and the landscapes also. After 3 hours of road we meet the first Russian border crossings, the only shadow of life in the vicinity, which begin the passport check. No photographs are allowed at that time inside the bus and the presence of the Russian military leads to a silence of lead.
Kyakhta, last Russian city. Arrival at the border.
Once the city of Kyakhta past we arrive at the border, always on the Russian side. We're this time forced to go down and empty the holds of our bags : the luggage will all pass first verification. The entire procedure lasts 1h: After that 60 minutes all the bus was checked, passengers and luggage included. We all went through the Russian checkpoint in order to affix the exit stamp on our passport and it's time to leave this country to see what's behind these barriers: where yurts replace homes, where the tugrik replaces the ruble and where the vodka replaces the... Vodka.
But it'll all wait a bit. After passing the Russian post office and driving 50 minutes, we must go down again in order to passing the Mongolian posts. Bags on the back, 0° in the air, a new hour passes for everyone to get their new stamp.
Welcome to Mongolia.
Barely the past posts, we find ourselves in a soulless town where a handful of shops sell what fill some hungry stomachs – noodles –. It's an opportunity to make some provisions because we don't know what we'll find up to Ulaanbaatar.
It is also an opportunity to change our rubles against tugriks. No difficulty in getting the new currency: in the lobby at the exit of the controls, men waiting for us with notes full of pockets. We read that this black market exchange was much more interesting than waiting for banks and indeed: the rate they offer us is better than that of distributors.
We're going back to Ulan Bator for six more hours.
That's when the nomadic adventure begins. The steppes are emerging, the first yurts stand out on the horizon and... The flakes accompany this first vision.
Winter can be very early in Mongolia. It is not uncommon to have first snowfalls at the end of September/early October, when cold waves are increasing and temperatures may fall in the summer. more than 10° in one day.
We finally put 12 hours till Ulaanbaatar.
12 hours in total, from Ulaan-Oude to Ulaan-Bator. We had difficult traffic conditions due to heavy snow: the flakes went intensifying as we approached the capital. The bus takes us to Dragon Station, the large bus station of Ulan Bator. Taxis are eagerly waiting. We reached the city center with a Swiss traveller met during the trip, a woman and her son offer us 7,000 tugriks for the race, i.e. 2.40€ that we will divide into three. During the journey, we learn that they run a hostel and they offer to drop us off directly there, the system is well run! We decline because tonight we have to meet Tseegii, our host. couchsurfing who agreed to welcome two travellers who she did not know for their first days in her country. Our taxi drivers are polite and not too insistent.
In Ulaan Bator the rate is about 1,000 tugrik/kilometre. When the bus goes down, many taxis may offer more than double. Negotiations are part of the trip.
SUMMARY
→ Train or Bus to Mongolia ?
With its bunks the train offers a little more luxury than the bus, but it is 3 times more expensive and longer.
→ Where to get his bus ticket ?
- To Bus station d-Ulan-Oude ( at: Ulitsa Sovetskaya, 1, Ulan-Ude, Buryatiya Republits, Russia, 670000 or using the MapsMe application with the following coordinates: 51.830418, 107.576928.
- Directly via your accommodation (check out beforehand, not all offer this service).
→ How much is the trip?
1.800 rubles at the bus station or about 2.200 rubles via accommodation.
→ How long is the trip?
About 10 hours. Allow one, two or even three more hours depending on the conditions.
→ Where can I get tugriks?
Rubles can be exchanged at the border, rates are advantageous.
See you in the bus?
We hope that this story and these advice will help to better understand the Ulaan-Oude > Ulaan-Bator route, the crossing of the border by bus to Mongolia from the Russia. We lived among our best adventures Mongolia, we hope it will be the same for you.
You can ask us the questions that we would not have answered in comment, or simply tell us your thoughts, we always answer.
