Bike as luggage on Trans Siberian Railway

[Duncanrickelton]

I've heard from a few sources that it's possible to take my bike on the Trans-Siberian railway with me by checking it into the luggage car. (If anyone believes differently please let me know before I ride to Moscow!)

The thing is I really need to have a rough idea about how much it would cost to take my bike on the train from Moscow to Beijing. Does anybody have any idea?

Also, I'm wanting to stop off at Irkutsk and have a ride down by Lake Baikal to Olkhon Island. Does anyone know if it's possible for me to get the bike off the train at Irkutsk and then put it back on a train to Beijing a few days later?

Any information or sources would help! (I can't understand Russian....yet...)

[Camtracey]

Dude!!

Never been there myself, but almost everyone I speak to, on the road or on the hubb say that you can't get your bike into China! Not without a personal guide which is of course hideously expensive.
However, having said that, every story for every person is different, And just because no-one esle was able to get into Abkhasia doesn't mean I couldn't cross the border, and my goodness what a wonderfull...... area

Nonetheless, as I understand, the trans-siberian is not supposed to take bikes through Siberia but you can bribe your way on. But from Moscow to Siberia should be the same as any other western country, possible for the price.
Though, I do ask, why have a bike if your not going to ride it? Why catch a train when you can ride the bike????

[PaulM]

Hi Duncan - I'm exploring the same thread as you re the TSR.
Our task is simpler - get the bike on in Moscow and get it off at Novosibirsk.
I am waiting more info from a very helpful girl at Realrussia and have also posted a question using the Moscow HU community contact.
I'll keep you posted with any info I get.
Cheers
Paul.

[sijohnston]

is there any updated info on this? i'm wondering if it's possible to get me and bike from vladivostock back to moscow on the TSR?

[Duncanrickelton]

First, thanks (belatedly) Camtracey and PaulM for your replies. Actually I undertook the trip in August 2007 - quite a long time ago now I suppose! Basically this is how things worked out, as far as I can remember:

THE LONG VERSION (short version follows)

I went to the station in Moscow the day before departure, and found my way to the cargo office (it's up a side road behind the station). There a uniformed gent told me to bring the bike the next morning at 10am (the train was to leave in the evening). It seemed like it was going to be quite straightforward...

Not so. When I arrived the next morning with my interpreter (a really helpful receptionist from Godzilla's youth hostel - indispensable), I was greeted by less helpful uniformed gent, who seemed to conclude that I wouldn't be able to put my motorbike on the train.

The rest of the day was spent dashing from office to office trying to obtain some kind of clearance. I think the two main problems were a) it being a vehicle, b) it being too heavy (it's just a CB500). Oh and the torrential storms were relentless that day, just for the atmosphere.

Anyway, when I thought all hope was lost, we ended up, absolutely soaked, in the office of a man who looked less uniformed and more relaxed than the others. He seemed to think there should be no problem with me putting the bike on the train, and started talking into two phones simultaneously to arrange things. That was when I noticed a Harley Davidson mug on his desk. I'm sure he winked at me when we were leaving.

But the problems didn't end there. I returned to the cargo office to find a the cashier waving the weight regulations at me from behind her glass partition. Then she just started ignoring me. (It was at this point touch and go as to whether I'd actually catch the train myself).

I was just on the verge of losing faith in everything that is pure and good, when a phonecall came through from a head honcho in Russia trains. He instructed my obstructors to let me get my bike on the train. I still can't understand why, but they did.

It was by now too late to get it on the same train, so the motorbike had to follow me on the next train a couple of days later. It did actually arrive in Beijing - I saw it through the gate to the cargo warehouse. Unfortunately, the customs wouldn't let me take it out. It stayed there for about a year, accruing a small charge every day.

I've actually been in China most of the time since then. My bike is currently residing in San Francisco.


THE SHORT VERSION

It was hit or miss. I managed to get the bike on the train to Moscow, somehow. It probably cost me a couple of hundred Euros at most, although I can't remember the exact figure.

The bike even arrived in Beijing. Unfortunately, the customs wouldn't allow me to take it out of there. I don't think bribery was an option with this man.


Hope that helps sijohnston! Good luck!

[Tony P]

Originally Posted by sijohnston

is there any updated info on this? i'm wondering if it's possible to get me and bike from vladivostock back to moscow on the TSR?

Somehow, your searching of HUBB for information has missed this -http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...n-trains-46783
Lots of relevant info and fairly current.

[mascarponi]

hi every one
we are two cyclists, we are also keen to do the transiberian rout next year around the spring term,
is there anyone that can help us to figure out the best rout, period, and also how long does it takes.
we have a long experience in road biking, but not in a wild context such as mongolia seems to be.
thanks

[Donmanolo]

I'm sure that if you start your own thread, in the appropriate section, then you're likely to get some answers.....