Girlstravelclub customer Katherine got in touch with us after her safe return from travelling the Trans-Mongolian railroute solo, and very kindly sent us some top tips about her experiences. Enjoy!
"I want to write this mainly so other women out there know that anything is possible! That through a little etermination, hard work and meticulous planning one can have the trip of a life time, and moree importantly that one can travel through 4 countries in the space of a month with only two pairs of pants! Ha!
Ladies, welcome! I feel the need to impress upon you the need for correct under garments before commencing your journeying wherever it may take you! I undertook a lot of walking in my “Tilley Coolmax Extreme Briefs” (in black ) and a lot of sitting, sleeping and the odd bit of stretching. This by all means is not a plug for the above mentioned briefs (…ahem) but an insight as to what I did in my briefs.
I planned a trip, that would be just me and the world. This took me through from London to Beijing and back again by plane. The epic Trans-Mongolian! First discovered as a child having grown up surrounded by nature videos about Russian steppes, the taiga and wildlife I thought now was the time to attempt it! (I am 28 this April). Coupled with a freakish fascination and romanticised with trains I sat one day at work and schemed in my little head a notion that I couldn’t shake off.
Albeit not your normal holiday adventure – this is one where I wanted to rough it, prove something to myself and put paid to any fears I may have about travelling on my own. If I could do this, anything was possible! This was October 2009 and I thought if I was careful with money and planning, I could go in September 2010. My first step was too plot my route and the most important parts were Moscow (how could I not?), Siberia , Mongolia ( for cashmere ) and Beijing ( silk and pearls ).Clearly my priorities were forefront in my head. Starting by plane was cheating so this is the route I followed entirely by train until my flight home from Beijing….
London St Pancras – Cologne – Warsaw – Moscow – Siberia (Tomsk) – Siberia (Irkutsk) – Mongolia – Beijing – London.
These are all the places I stopped, however when I add all the extra countries that I passed through (Brussels, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Minsk, Belarus ) although not particularly in that order the list is long! I woke myself up in some of the countries just to take pictures of their stations as we weren’t allowed off! Sad!
So I planned through a company called “Real Russia” who after learning of my route booked all the individual tickets as you cannot “hop on and off” the Trans-Mongolian train! It took me 9 months of hard saving and a lot of work to get the funds together. Due to meticulous planning my budget was spot on and sufficient for my entire journey! My flight home was the first thing I booked then I worked backward with how long I wanted to stay in each country! I booked all my hotels on my own and nothing was done as a “package” which steals the authenticity of roughing it! Visa’s cost me about £400. Including a Russian, Chinese and Mongolian visa I needed a transit visa for Belarus as I was transiting through.
I was in Moscow long enough for a day trip over night to St Petersburg choosing the one day that EVERYTHING is shut to visit! Boo! Siberia was not as cold as you would think however Russia “squat” toilets took a bit of getting used too! I travelled entirely on my own – I was never hassled by men or anyone wanting to “rip off” the tourist and found the whole experience in Russia beautiful. The longest time I spent on the train though was about 2.5 days and that was a struggle. You communicate with your cabin mates with gestures to spell your name, share tea and cucumbers and explain where you are going. Most of the time people kept to themselves. Each train I shared with a different person – sometimes men as well. Everyone is very considerate of each other’s space despite the tight conditions ; - )
Mongolia was short and only 4 days – enough to spend £250 on cashmere and take in the landscape with a trip to the country and horse-riding! I managed to stay with friends of friends here which made things a little more personal to have a guide although accommodation is very easy to find out there. It is weird though to see traditional Ger’s (Mongolian tent like structures) with cars outside them! Onto Beijing and what hit me most was the change in terrain from Russia, to Siberia, to Mongolia and then Beijing. I met a few people that were on previous trains and like you see in pictures of people crowded into ones persons cabin for drinks and laughs that’s exactly how it was. Everyone travelling for their own reason and in various directions with different destinations! It was fascinating hearing their stories as well.
I hardly spoke to anyone within my first two weeks –then there was an influx of English speaking tourists that I couldn’t get rid of until Beijing. Even then I ran into people that I met on the train. It’s a small world girls, even in China!
I am happy to answer any questions that any of you may have about this – this is a small glimpse as to the epic adventure I had. I use the term epic too much I think but it truly was. Getting equipment together including clothing that would keep me warm but equally cool in case of weather changes was no easy feat. I bought items like hiking boots to wear every day, horrid granny-esque sandals for very warm days, a few tops, a jacket and only one other change of clothing! Everything had to fit in a rucksack of about 65 litres. I saw people with multiple bags that you would take to the shops which clearly hindered them. My pants were important as they dry very quickly, sometimes sooner than overnight and are comfortable. I bought two pairs and alternated them –simples!
With visa’s, flight home, train tickets, etc. I had about £5500 put away and came back with change. The tickets themselves only cost about £750. I spent too much money on cashmere from Mongolia, pearls from Beijing and FOOD! I am a vegetarian and some of the food I discovered was simply amazing, then again in other places – not so good!
So there you go – enjoy the pictures! I am a 27 year old female, travelled on my own(much to the disdain of my boyfriend) and paid for this thing all by myself. If I can do it – you can too!
Muchos love girlies…"
Kat's Essential Travel Items.
- The Tilly Travel knickers in black were a must. You need to travel light if you are doing this on your own, as no one else will be carrying your bags for you. You don’t need 30 pairs as you carry GTC soap leaves and Tilly dry very quickly. I brought two pairs of knickers just in case.
- I brought a Papaya Notebook as there would be lots of down time whilst on the train and I especially like Papaya as there are ruled pages and plain pages for doodling and writing.
- A “Light my Fire” outdoor meal kit came with me as it folded down pretty small, contained everything I needed and was hardy in case I dropped it.
- A “Constellation” giant soft fibre towel was purchased also. Most hotels and places you stay will lend you one but a big one is a good idea.
