In October we are going to travel overland from Lanzhou to
Kathmandu (Xiahe, Xining, Golmud, Lhasa, etc.).
Does anyone have information about this route (train & bus)
and useful information about hotels. What is the price of
the bus-ticket from Golmud to Lhasa. There are rumours
that you can buy your bus-ticket already in the train from
Xining to Gomud. Does anyone know if this is true ? and what
about the travel permit for Tibet ?
All information about this route is useful. Thanks.
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Xiahe - Xining by bus, via Tongren is an interresant way.
(bus at about 8 o'clock in Xiahe, change at Tongren).
There was a special permit to take the bus Lanzhou-Xiahe,
(insurance, they say). You get it nobody knows where, easily
at bus station when I was there, impossible when another
came 2 hours later)
Never heard about bus tickets sent direct in the train.
I wonder that such a level of organisation exists in China,
especially in this part near the end of the universe.
I hope you speak fluent chinese if you want to ask that
to the control people in the train.
Hope this help.
I have just come overland from Dehli/Nepal/Tibet and am now
in Urumqi. My personal recommendation is for you to go the
other way from Kathmandu to Lanzhou. You will be doing
yourself a big favor. Regarding the bus permit, I did see a
number of travelers with a permit, but I never obtained one
and was never asked to show the permit at any of the bus
stations. Anyways, its only 28Y. Good Luck!!
I just headed through China and Tibet hte way you're going,
and though it's not a difficult trip, the Chineese are
putting a few obstacles in the way. I would be amazed if
anyone could sell you a bus ticket on the Xining train -
things aren't quite that well organized! The bus station
will probably refuse to sell you a ticket, sending you to
CITS at the Golmud Hotel. The guys there are friendly
enough, and speak ok English, but their job is basically to
rob you! The "foreigner price tickets" were about 1,400
yuan (!!!) in March, and I'm sure the price won't be going
down! The justification for this is that you get a three
day tour in Lhasa (which was actually quite good, but isn't
necessary and would be much cheaper bought in Lhasa) and the
'permit" - which you don't actually see!
They also gather foreigners into "groups" - not letting
anyone onto the bus until they have at least five tourists.
In summer this probably isn't a problem, but by October (as
in March) there won't be that many people heading that way
and you could wait for a few days. One of the people I
travelled in with had been waiting for 6 days in Golmud!
Send me an email if you have any other questoins, otherwise
have a great trip - its worth the hassle,
Mike