HOW TO travel KAZAKHSTAN BY TRAIN

Last updated 2/2/2020 | February 2nd, 2020

Kazakhstan is a country I’ve always wished to visit. In fact, I’ve always wished to go to all the “Stans”. It’s the region of the world I most likely want to see the most. After having resided in Kazakhstan for 8 years, Doug fears understands a thing or two about the country as well as exactly how to navigate it. In this guest post, Doug offers some in-depth advice about exactly how to travel around Kazakhstan by train!

Night spilled across the Kazakh steppe. The train’s steel wheels clickety-clacked below, carefully prompting me to point toward a bowl of plastic-wrapped apples. Suddenly, my drunken dining cars and truck buddy began gesticulating wildly while repeating his favorite, as well as perhaps only, English-language phrase, “No problem!” With a shake of the head as well as wave of the hand, this newfound good friend seemed to reject all other apples as second-rate. Apples originated from Kazakhstan, after all, as well as we had just departed the city of Almaty, “the father of apples.” I just had to try one. (זה היה טעים.)

Taking the train with Kazakhstan, the world’s ninth largest country, provides a altering cultural tapestry every time. envision a vast land, when secretive as well as closed to outsiders, where travelers can now experience an eclectic blend of Silk road culture, offbeat Soviet-era history, as well as wide-open areas spiced with warm Kazakh hospitality.

I’ve shared cabins with young soldiers, border police, language professors as well as martial artists, just to name a few. My preferred memories are the meals as well as card games enjoyed with these folks, even when I didn’t have a typical language.

So fail to remember whatever about the movie Borat, as well as climb aboard as you search ancient bazaars, trip the rails, as well as trip to pristine mountain lakes.

Planning Your Route

I suggest the complying with itinerary: flying into the capital, Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) (airport code TSE), heading north to close-by Lake Burabay, taking a quick train back south to Karaganda, then an overnight traditional train to Almaty in the southeast, with a possible extension to Turkistan (a city as well as region in the south of the country).

If you want to continue on in central Asia, you can quickly prolong your trip from Almaty to see the gorgeous mountain vistas of close-by Kyrgyzstan or continue by train from Turkistan south to Uzbekistan.

The finest time to go is between may as well as October, as northern Kazakhstan is blanketed in snow from November with April, with typical temps in the minus-20 range. Those wanting to snow ski or experience the enjoyment of new Year’s, the country’s biggest holiday, however, should think about a winter season trip.

Visas are no longer needed for most visitors to Kazakhstan (for 30 days) as well as Kyrgyzstan (for 60 days), though advance visas are needed for Uzbekistan, Russia, as well as China.

Buying Train Tickets

There are three kinds of trains: the quick business-class Talgo, routine long-distance trains, as well as regional electrics. budget plan travelers should opt for routine trains for most trips. regional electrics are generally sluggish as well as will be of restricted use.

On routine trains — extremely suggested for the very best cultural experience — the two primary classes are kupe (a four-person closed compartment with two upper as well as lower bunks) as well as platzkar (an open rolling dormitory holding 54 travelers on two-level bunks). The kupe is quieter as well as more private, however single women may want to select the somewhat safer open platzkar, as they might be in a locked cabin with three guy (no gender distinctions are made when making reservations). likewise recognize that not all trains run daily.

The new Kazakhstan e-ticket website is not simple to use: while there is an English menu, it needs you to go into destination cities utilizing a Russian keyboard! Some foreign bankcards won’t work for payment, as well as even successful ticket purchases are commonly blocked by spam filters. However, there is an choice to chat on the internet with an English-language consultant who can assist you discover as well as purchase tickets.

My tip is to utilize this site as a recommendation to discover train timetables as well as to purchase long-distance train tickets that are more likely to be offered out. You can utilize the practical site genuine Russia for worldwide train ticket purchases (especially for traveling from Moscow to central Asia).

Then go to a train station or train ticket office in the city, as some have kiosk machines that you can try. one more choice is to compose your destination as well as date on a piece of paper as well as present it to a ticket agent at a station or train office for help.

Once you have your ticket, the most important things to understand are the date as well as time of departure, as well as wagon number. inspect the published indications in the station to discover which platform number your train is on as well as walk toward that wagon — the conductor will inspect your ID as well as ticket as well as assist you board.

Kazakhstan Costs

Traveling by train is much safer as well as enjoyable than by bus, as well as an incredible value for the long distances traveled. A common overnight train ticket from Karaganda to Almaty will be about $9 USD for platzkar as well as $14 for kupe. By comparison, the business-class Talgo on the exact same path costs $25 in a four-berth kupe, however it does reduce travel time by six hours (and has much cleaner bathrooms!). A night train provides double value, serving as both bed as well as transport; they are cooler as well as more comfortable in the summertime travel season too!

Local city buses are cheap, about $0.20 per ride, regardless of distance.

Hotel spaces in the city centers of Nur-Sultan as well as Almaty variety from $30 to $50 per night with breakfast. full apartments ($25/night) or shared guest spaces ($10/night) can be booked on Airbnb.

Food is likewise fairly priced. I suggest discovering a hotel with breakfast included on booking.com, eating picnic-style meals on the train, as well as enjoying a streetside café for other meals (grilled shashlik skewers, bread, salad, as well as drink for about $4), though if you can’t peel it or cook it, it’s finest to fail to remember it. as well as make sure to try the regional apples!

Essential Kazakhstan travel Hacks

Do reserve an upper bunk if you like relaxing onboard (lower bunks are shared during the daytime as well as utilized for communal meals), however you requirement to be fairly in shape to climb the mini-ladder.

Do bring a comfortable modification of clothes to wear onboard (track suit, shorts, as well as T-shirt). It’s completely typical to ask others to step outside while you change.

Do bring additional food to share (tea/coffee, immediate noodles, sausage, cucumbers, bread, biscuits, apples, sweets). Note: there is always a steaming samovar of hot water in each cars and truck for making tea or noodles.

Do pack a little train set (mug, fork/spoon/knife, toilet paper, plate, wet wipes, plastic sandals, collapsible hand fan, deck of cards, bottled water).

Do take your street shoes off when entering a train compartment.

Do plan your bathroom visits, as the toilets are locked about 15 minutes before as well as after station stops (read the timetable published in each wagon).

Do take some little gifts from your house country (magnets, key rings) to share.

Don’t buy unsold seats from touts lurking around stations — I’ve been stuck sharing a four-berth kupe with six people plus a giant-screen TV!

Don’t get scolded for lying on a bare mattress, however don’t pay additional for sheets as well as towels in kupe class. They are now included in the kupe ticket fare, however be careful you may be awakened extremely early by the conductor collecting them on overnight trains!

Don’t be bullied by deliver authorities or immigration officials at borders — show your passport as well as ticket as well as nothing more.

Don’t miss your stop, get stranded on the platform buying ice cream, or, above all, be required to jump off a moving train!

Best Kazakhstan Train Routes

Because of the difficulties with the ticketing website, I’ve listed the most practical train routes for getting around. note that all of these run daily.

While northbound trains from Nur-Sultan stop at Borovoye/Shchuchinsk, it may be easier to take a shared van or minibus for the short 2.5-hour trip. just listen or request “Borovoye” at the Nur-Sultan-1 train station, where vans wait to fill up as well as leave throughout the day. You can do the exact same if heading directly south from Nur-Sultan to Karaganda, as a new tollway has opened, cutting the travel time between these two major cities to two hours, although all Nur-Sultan-to-Almaty trains likewise stop there. note that both Nur-Sultan as well as Almaty have two train stations in different parts of the city — make sure you go to the right one!

Train #031 from Almaty to Semey in the northeast traces the historical “TurkSib” path — from right here you can head east to check out the Altay Mountains or continue north into Russia to link with the legendary Trans-Siberian route.

מַסלוּל

Train No.

Departs

Arrives

עֲלוּת

Nur-Sultan-1 –Borovoye(Lake Burabay)

705 Talgo

07:56

10:04

$13(4p kupe)

Borovoye –Karaganda

706 Talgo

18:40