Expert: Victoria Hamilton - 4/3/2009

Question
QUESTION: My wife and I want to travel from Beijing to Kashgar and return by train and/or bus. Can you give us any hints on how this can be done (the useful transport hubs and booking procedures or contacts) and any worthwhile stops along the way.

Thanks in anticipation

Phil

ANSWER: Hello Phil,

I have not been along the Silk Road so do not have any personal information on how to get there or what to experience when you arrive, but I am more than happy to do some research and ask friends who have been...I hope you don't mind waiting for a while. When are you thinking of flying to China to start your trip?

Victoria.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your offer. I am more than happy to wait for whatever information you can find. We're leaving Australia at the end of April but travelling to China overland via Malaysia, Thailand and Laos. We plan to be in Beijing about the middle of June.

Answer
Hello Phil,

I have found some websites which should give you good ideas of the usual trail people take when travelling from Beijing to Kashgar. As I mentioned before, I have not taken this route so do not know of any personal tourguides nor can I recommend any particular hotel/hostel to stay in (I do have a great guide in Xi'an however if you wanted to see the Terracotta Warriors along the way).

Booking flights are fairly easy. www.yoee.com is a very useful site. Top right hand corner is the button for english. You can book online using a credit card but there have been complications so I suggest you have them delivered to your hotel or free..just call them up. Flights and train tickets are all best to be bought within China as theyre cheaper than being bought abroad.

Travel companies and typical routes to take:

http://www.adventures.com.sg/18d-gap-acsr-silkroad/

http://muztagh.com/chinatour/silk-road/beijing-kashgar.htm

http://www.gotobus.com/cs/c1129/frombeijing/beijing_urumqi_kashgar_turpan_dunhua

http://www.chinatravelkey.com/silkroad/silk-road-tour/sr1-beijing-urumqi-kashgar

All of the above REALLY seem to offer great tours and although I do not suggest you book through them necessarily as they seem pricey, I do recommend you use their tours for ideas.

Flight from Beijing to Kashgar is 4 hours to Urumqi and then 1.5hrs to Kashgar.

Lovely detailed information on Kashgar:

http://www.beijing-visitor.com/index.php?cID=433&pID=1220

Details of train timetable from Beijing to Kashgar..very good:

http://www.summitclimb.com/new/mustagata/travel2.pdf

Hope this is all of some help for you.

Victoria.