Getting to Mongolia

AIR
If flying, it goes without saying that you need to buy your tickets as soon as possible. From the US west coast, round trip airfare is going to run around $1800 in summer. For US travelers, you'll get a better fare with a Mongolia-based travel agency called Air Bridge. They have an office in Denver but the agency is based in Ulaanbaatar. Be warned that while their prices are low this is a one person operation so their customer service is lacking. The accept payment through paypal, but make sure to use your credit card rather than a direct paypal payment. Air Bridge sells tickets for United and MIAT only.

Connections through from the US are usually through Seoul or Beijing. If there is an evening flight to UB from one of these cities you can make the trip in one long day. If there is no evening flight you’ll have to overnight and return to the airport in the morning. If you need to connect the next day out of Beijing you DO NOT need a visa. You can stay in Beijing for up to 24 hours without a visa as long as you have an onward ticket. Most western nationals won’t need a visa for South Korea. Alas, there is no connection via Pyongyang.

From Australia, flights also go via Beijing or Seoul. You can expect to spend around A$2000 for a return ticket.

From mainland Europe, most flights go via Berlin or Moscow. From Berlin it’s around US$1000 return. If you are flying from London, you can get a flight to Moscow on Aeroflot and continue to Ulaanbaatar. A ticket is UK#360.

Airlines that fly to Ulaanbaatar include: Air China, MIAT, Aeroflot, Korea Air. In summer, MIAT flies daily between UB and Beijing. The schedule is more limited in winter but when there is no MIAT flight the route is covered by Air China.

Check the following sites for timetables:
MIAT
AeroMongolia
Air China
Korean Air
Aeroflot

If you plan on including China in your tour, there is the option of buying a round trip ticket to/from Beijing and then heading to Mongolia by train one way, returning to Beijing by air.

The current train timetable includes the following options:

From Beijing
Train 23 departs on Tuesday at 7.40am.
Train 3 departs on Thursday at 1.50am.

From Moscow
Train 6 departs Wednesday and Thursday at 9pm
Train 4 departs Sunday at 7.55pm

It is also possible to travel between Mongolia and China by local train, which is both slower and cheaper than the direct train service. Catch trains from anywhere in China to Datong and then onto Erlian, where you can cross the border by jeep. From the Mongolian border town Zamyn Uud you can continue to Ulaanbaatar by road.

There is also a twice weekly train from Hohhot to Ulaanbaatar.

FROM CHINA
The only land route open is at Erlian-Zamyn Uud, the same place where the train crosses. There are lots of Mongolian jeeps that ferry passengers back and forth all day. In Erlian you catch them at the bus station and in Zamyn Uud you get them at the lot in front of the train station. A ride in either direction costs around 12,000 tugrik (US$10), you also need to pay a 5 yuan border tax. The border is open every day except holidays. From Zamyn Uud you need to hang around for the train to UB or Sainshand, usually departing around 5pm. From Erlian you can plunge into China by bus or train (buses are more frequent).

FROM RUSSIA
There are four open land borders (three road borders and one train border). The road borders include western Mongolia (Tsagaanuur-Tashanta), northern Mongolia (Altanbulag-Khyakhta) and eastern Mongolia (Erentsav-Solovyesk). The train border connects Russia with the town of Sukhbaatar.

For overlanders with their own vehicle, the western Mongolia route is a good entry or exit point because it brings you right in the Altai Mountains. The northern entry at Altanbulag is easily connected to Ulaanbaatar (about a six hour drive). This border is a three hour drive south of Ulan Ude. Here you need to cross in a vehicle so as you approach the gate just jump into next car that is heading across the border (probably a Mongolian trader), they will charge you around 150 rubles (US$7) to get you across.

The eastern Mongolia border crossing at Erentsav is pretty remote and as far as I know nobody has used it. (send me an email if you have!). The crossings are open 9-noon and 2-6pm daily except holidays.

AIRLINE BAGGAGE RESTRICTIONS
MIAT won’t let you check in more than 30kg. Fortunately, you only need to heed the luggage restrictions of the which you board in your original departure city. So if you leave from the US on United you can bring 100 lbs (two suitcases 50 lbs each) and MIAT can’t do a damn thing about it. The luggage will be checked all the way through without problems. However, if you spend a few days in Beijing on the way there, and then catch a flight to UB you’ll have to re-check your luggage and you’ll have to succumb to MIATs luggage restrictions.

TO/FROM KAZAKHSTAN
If happen to be in Central Asia, or want to get there from Mongolia, there is a little used flight from Almaty to Bayan Olgii, stopping at Ust Kamenogorsk en route. The airline is Olgii Trans and a one way ticket is a pricey $260 from Olgii to Almaty (cheaper to Ust Kamenogorsk). In Almaty ask about tickets from local tour operators.