Travel from London to Beijing by Train

Traveling from London to Beijing by train can be the trip of a lifetime. With careful planning, you can reach Beijing in as little as eight days. You will need to travel to Moscow to board the Trans-Siberian railway, which will take you from Moscow to Beijing. Since there are no direct trains between London and Moscow, you will first need to travel from London to a European city that has direct connections to Moscow, like Paris or Berlin.

Steps

Planning Your Trip

  1. Figure out how much time you have. You can travel from London to Moscow a number of ways. Some routes take longer than others. You will need at least two days to make the journey. If you want to stop and visit other cities along the way, set aside additional time.[1]
  2. Plan your route. You will first have to travel from London to a European city that has direct trains to Moscow. You will then travel from that city to Moscow. In Moscow, you will board the Trans-Siberian railway and travel to Beijing via one of two routes.[1]
    • European cities with direct connections to both Moscow and London include Paris and Berlin.
    • You will travel from Moscow to Beijing via Manchuria or via Mongolia.
  3. Explore train options. There are multiple options for trains between European cities. Once you decide where you will board the train to Moscow, you can begin researching specific trains and routes. Things to take into consideration include cost, length of trip, and available class compartments.[2]
  4. Apply for the necessary visas. You may need visas to visit the countries along your journey, depending on your nationality and the route you travel. Once you plan your route, research each country’s visa requirements online. Then, apply for the visas well in advance of your trip. You will likely need the following visas:[3]
    • You will need a transit visa in Belarus, where most trains pass through on their way from Moscow to Beijing.
    • Unless you are a Russian citizen, you will need to obtain a Russian tourist visa.
    • If you are not a Chinese citizen, you will need a Chinese tourist visa.
  5. Obtain a passport. You will need a valid passport to travel from London to Beijing. If you already have a passport, make sure it is still valid and does not expire before the end of your trip. If necessary, renew your passport. If you do not currently have a passport, apply for one at least six months before your trip.[4]
  6. Book your train tickets. Reservations are required on the trains between Moscow and Beijing. While some train types for the other legs of your journey may not require reservations, it is usually a good idea to book ahead of time to guarantee a seat. For example, trains like the Eurostar and Thalys, do require reservations and are quite popular.[5]

Traveling from London to Beijing

  1. Take a train to a European city with a direct connection to Moscow. There is not a direct train between London and Moscow. You will first need to travel from London to a European city that has a direct train to Moscow. Good choices with direction connections include Paris and Berlin.[6]
  2. Take a train from your first destination to Moscow. After you travel from London to your first European destination, you will need to switch trains. You can try booking back-to-back trains, so that you will not have a layover. You can also stop for a day or two and enjoy the destination before boarding a train to Moscow.
  3. Travel from Moscow to Beijing via Manchuria. This route takes six nights and covers 5,623 miles or 8,986 kilometers. There is one train per week. The route features a landscape of rolling steppes and passes through the Great Wall of China at Shanhaiguan.[7]
    • There is one train per week that travels from Moscow to Beijing via Manchuria.
  4. Travel from Moscow to Beijing via Mongolia. This route takes six nights, and covers 4,735 miles or 7,621 kilometers. There is one train per week, and it takes six days to reach Beijing. The route crosses Mongolia by way of the Gobi Desert. This train has only first and second class compartments.[7]

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.expresstorussia.com/moscow-berlin-train.html#
  2. ↑ https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains
  3. ↑ https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/china.html
  4. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/british-passport-eligibility
  5. ↑ https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/reservations
  6. ↑ https://www.expresstorussia.com/moscow-berlin-train.html#
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/rail-journeys/Trans-Siberian-Great-Train-Journeys/
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