India to Russia overland

Rob McManus

Hi everyone,

I am looking at traveling from India to Novosibirsk in Russia. Flights seem to be really expensive so I was wondering if anyone has any experience in traveling this route overland. Seems like the best route is through Pakistan and Kazikistan or through China.

Any info or advice appreciated.

Rgds,
Rob.

Mickey S

If you're only doing this because flights are so expensive, then forget it. You will spend more on travel, accommodation and food by going overland than a flight would cost you.

The cheapest way would (probably) be to fly to Moscow (with Air India or Aeroflot) and then take a train to Novosibirsk. Information about booking trains in Russia can be found at www.seat61.com.

machadinha

Friends have done it, roughly following the route you mention yes (although you may want to make up your mind about Tajikistan or Kazakhstan )

I think from Pakistan you cross over into China first anyway (unless you were to brave Afghanistan at the moment), then it basically depends where you want to head from there (and what countries are currently visitor-friendly I suppose). They did it the other way around and barring Russia btw, but you'd think you can just push on to there.

Their Central Asia trip (late nineties or thereabouts, and I don't remember the exact route) was pretty straightforward (and fun and interesting) I believe, but you'll want to carefully check the current situation in any of the countries and regions you'll be traversing of course. Like Mickey says, a money-saver it's unlikely to be, but if it's the journey you're after, it could be an attractive proposition. Long trip no doubt.

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singsub

or you can hitch-hike the moscow to novosibrisk bit

Rob McManus

Thanks guys for all the info. Just seemed crazy to me to fly all the way up to Moscow and then back to Novosibirsk. Seems like Pakistan into China could be a good option didn't realise you could enter China from Pak. Will look into it.

Thanks again,

Rob.

steven_ber

The visas will cost a fair bit, and just one more thing, getting a China visa at the moment (before the olympics) won't be easy and will be restrictive, the Chinese have already banned any extensions to visas, and seem to be tightening up.

Would be a great journey though.

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Train information.

machadinha

<cross-posted with Steve>

Y'r welcome; I didn't mean to suggest a trip like this should be undertaken lightly by the way. It could be a long and taxing and arduous route, and would best be considered an entire journey/trip/holiday of its own I guess. Apart from safety concerns along the way, you'll need to check visa stipulations, transport conditions, deal with cultural and language and food issues (esp. China some seem to love while it seems to be very hard on many other visitors, for instance), etc. and so on.

But if you're game for it I'm sure it could be worth it. It occurred to me that it may interest some readers to know those friends I mentioned were three young white women, they ran into no trouble that I know of (although one of them later went on solo to cross over Tibet from Pakistan towards Beijing & after endless clunky bus and train rides ended up sick as a dog and robbed of everything in a Hong Kong hospital, thanks to a police officer who was kind enough to escort her there. Hey, stuff happens I guess, and she seems none the worse for it. In short, neither their good fortune before nor her misfortune later proves much of anything of course. Needless to say, their Central Asia trip they had planned well for quite a while btw.)

Making a detour flight like that would seem counter-intuitive to me as well, but I guess that's the modern world for you, and if it's just about the getting there, it may save you a lot of trouble (and costs) indeed.

That Seat61 site Mickey pointed you to is excellent for travel planning in many parts of the world btw, even though it focuses on train travel, but it can give you a good overall grasp of a place.

btw I'm sure some of the usual suspect travel guidebooks will have some regional titles for you that you will find useful, Central Asia on a Shoestring and stuff like that.

Shiver me Timbers

Hi! The routes mentioned above are the way to go - from Pakistan you'll get to Kashgar in West China, via the Karakorum Highway, and from there you'll have a couple of options to get to Russia - north to Urumchi and on to Kazakhstan, or west to Kyrygzstan and on to Kazakhstan. Alternatively, you could head east through Xinjiang and loop around to go through Mongolia.

For visas and stuff, check out StanTours or RealRussia(very useful company) for information - some of these visas can be tricky, although the trickiest in Central Asia are Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, neither of which are on your route.

I'd say if you have the time and money, go for it, you won't regret it, northern Pakistan is a treat, and I've heard only positive things about the mountains of Kyrygzstan and Xinjiang as well. Good luck!

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