World's longest ticket and cheapest fare record?

[gyuri_ft]

After MZA (Moscow rail agency) and ZS (Serbian Railways) re-did their web site and published new information I was able to create somewhat what I believe is the world's longest single-sheet train ticket. It should beat not just the mileage record but also the milege/price ratio. Because of phenomenal CITY-STAR family-oriented "prix fix" scheme the price is not distance or service dependent, just fixed. It's kind of a railpass with fixed routing.

Here is the routing:

Country: Montenegro and Serbia (combined):

Bar - Bijelo Polje(GR) = 201 km (Montenegro part)

Bijelo Polje(GR) - Dragacevo - Krusevac - Stalac = 349 km

Stalac - Beograd = 196 km

Beograd - Majdanpek = 199 km

Majdanpek - Zajecar - Dimitrovgrad(fr) = 337 km

Total (ex)-JZ = 1282 km

Country: Bulgaria:

Dimitrovgrad(Fr) - Sofia - Plovdiv = 213 km

Plovdiv - Karlovo - G.Orjahovica - Kaspican = 421 km

Kaspican - Ruse(Gr) = 151 km

Total BDZ = 785 km

Country: Romania:

Ruse(Gr) - Bucuresti Nord = 121 km

Bucuresti Nord - Rosiori - Craiova - Orsova - Timisoara Nord = 533 km

Timisoara Nord - Lugoj - Deva - Fogaras - Brasov = 450 km

Brasov - Sighisoara - Cluj - Oradea = 484 km

Oradea - Satu Mare = 133 km

Satu Mare - Dej - Suceava = 456 km

Suceava - Vicsani(Gr) = 42 km

Total CFR = 2219 km

Country: Ukraina:

Vicsani(Gr) - Chernovci - Mukachevo = 314 km

Mukachevo - Chop = 41 km

Chop - Ujgorod - Sambor - Lvov: 292 km

Lvov - Kotovsk - Odessa: 745 km

Odessa - Kolos - Herson: 287 km

Herson - Timkovo - Kiev: 642 km

Kiev - Poltava: 333 km

Poltava - Harkov - Topoli(gr): 330 km

Total UZ is 330+333+642+287+745+292+41+314 = 2984 km

And of course.... This is the icing on the "cake":

Country: Russia:

Topoli(gr) - Balashov - Saratov-1 : 815 km

Saratov-1 - Tambov - Moscow : 856 km

Moskau - Tver - St. Peterburg: 650 km

St. Peterburg - Cherepovec 1: 475 km

Cherepovec 1 - Iaroslavl - Riazan - Michurinsk - Voronej: 1147 km

Voronej - Penza - Samara - Cheljabinsk - Omsk: 2861 km

Omsk - Novosibirsk: 627 km

Novosibirsk - Tumangan(gr): 6105 km

Total RZhD is a "mere" 6105+627+2861+1147+475+650+856+815 = 13536 km

Grand Total: 13536+2984+2219+785+1282 = 20806 km.

However, it's a CITY-STAR ticket - thus it's always a round-trip.

Hence we have: 20806 * 2 = 41612 km on a single sheet of paper

The price is roughly 300 USD

Now here comes the best part. I did mention this to my wife and expected to get a slap in the face and kick in the butt. She told me: "hmmm?!!!?? Intresting"

I mentioned once more. She said even the word "maybe"

I posted this to a German and a Russian forum. Their opinion was the same: "wives are known to say the word NO!!! for such things at any time, so 'maybe' does not mean much" :unsure:

Hence the question: what is the best way to gently influence the wanted proper decision?

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Find, and then casually mention, some special place to shop at two or three of those spots where you have a SHORT time to visit between legs..................

 

[amymaree]

i would find allof the really female interesting places along the way that she could go to shop also places that would interest her and make her a part of the trip as the opposite of it being your trip. if you make it about you then there is no interest for her which lessens your chances of taking this really cool trip. also make sure you plan all of the things that need to be done while away so she does not have to. if you make it sound like it is for only your interest then your chances decrease incredibly fast.

also give her the opportunity to look at hte website of the places you will be going to so she can become a part of the planning.

until i read again,

amy

 

[caravanman]

I am sure there must be a joke there about a short visit between legs.. I just can't quite think it out..

Ed.

 

[AmtrakCrescent20]

I am sure there must be a joke there about a short visit between legs.. I just can't quite think it out..Ed.

I think he meant a short layover for shopping or whatever between parts or sections of the trip-hence legs

 

[Guest_MontanaJim_*]

i went from mongolia to moscow, a trip that takes 5 and a half days, with a sleeping berth, for 80 US dollars. Pretty sweet deal!

 

[gyuri_ft]

i went from mongolia to moscow, a trip that takes 5 and a half days, with a sleeping berth, for 80 US dollars. Pretty sweet deal!

When it was? Normally there is no deal - only the regular non-discounted everyday price. Now it is actually more, you'll pay 222.12 Swiss Franc in Russian sleeper and maybe less in Mongolian one (will need to calculate if have time):

http://www.mza.ru/content/view/143/31

It may happen the Mogolian currency has double-exachange rate: discounted (tourist) and non-discounted (commerical), than you can can get a sweet deal.

The "other way" (i.e. from Europe till Mongolia, China or Korea) it's much easier to get a good deal because of fixed-price CITY-STAR tickets independent on distance.

 

[Guest]

i travelled in october 2003--purchased a ticket 4 days in advance at the advance ticket sales building in Ulaan Baatar.

 

[Guest_MontanaJim_*]

that last post was by me, MontanaJim.

 

[caravanman]

One of the issues for me about a Trans Siberian trip is the percieved unreliability of Russian "booking/travel agents"

Is there a reliable way to book travel inside Russia and China?

I emphasise that this is my perception only!

Ed B)

 

[amymaree]

okay guys

his question was how to convince his wife to go for this trip, so give him some advice on your views. i gave him my female mommy view so he probably needs more things to convince her that this a trip about her too.

i am only saying this out of my careing sole so do not get mad at me..........

until i read again,

amy

 

[gyuri_ft]

One of the issues for me about a Trans Siberian trip is the percieved unreliability of Russian "booking/travel agents"Is there a reliable way to book travel inside Russia and China?

I emphasise that this is my perception only!

Ed B)

We normally booked simply via railroad. The agents are completely useless at the moment you need a real railfan ticket. They glad to sell basic stuff, but once you need better things or you know what you are asking they never even respond to you.

There are some quirks with the reservation but doing it in advance is easier going from west to east than the other way.

Sometimes all you can do is to gamble looking up how full is the train.

For instance I do see now, the North Korean car departing 25th of April has not a single passenger booked yet. The look-up is possible via Russian internet portal, but it "talks" Russian only. There will be some passengers, but it's unlikely all 7 compartments will be sold. So if I would go now I would not hesitate to gamble on that car. If I lose the gambling, there are still many other trains going the direction I need, so it's not a big tragedy. Speaking Russian is very useful.

I can look up most trains (NOT the Chinese number 4 unfortunately - it's a constant bug in the Russian reservation that the Korean can be looked up, but not the Chinese). I complained a few times but perhaps not to the right place. So if someone needs a look-up on a random tran I can tell what is currently available.

But this is not a major stress. It is known that if you are seriously in deep trouble, usually you will be helped. In the worst case the Chief Conductor has all power to help as much as he is willing. If the train is international with mixed sleepers, each team has own Chief Conductor who will become the Superior God on his own railway, on other railways he is "just" Second to Superior God. On all "good" trains these are very experienced men and very proud of their rank. Like on Amtrak, provoking the anger of Domestic Superior God or Superior God of Connecting Railway is a sign of very bad luck.

If you could not get the bed supplement (usually green sheet) for the day yo wanted but you already have the couch ticket (usually pink sheet) it's a good idea to ask for the Chief Conductor - he usually helps.

Say, you want to go from Beijing to Moscow but "MECT HET" (= "mest niet" = beds sold out) on both No. 3 and No. 19. Your first job is to get a couch through ticket. Even as there is no "couch class" on the through trains, there are local ones. You can ask for instance for a Beijing-Moscow ticket with bed reservation in an unrelated train (say, Beijing-Datong) on a relatively short distance. Your goal is to get the "pink" Beijing-Moscow sheet with the cheapest "throw away" green sheet cosing only few Dollars. You go to the departure of the international train and beg the Chief Conductor. If there is nothing, he my let you go in the domestic sleeper till Chinese/Monglilan border and let you in in a spare room after over the border. Afterwards he will inform the Chief Conductor of Mongolain domestic service, there is some trouble and some wizardy is needed - and so on. Ultimately you most likely will reach the destination in the same train but you might rely on Chinese, Mongolian and Russian Chief Conductor's improvisation and sometimes change cars.

 

[gyuri_ft]

okay guys
his question was how to convince his wife to go for this trip, so give him some advice on your views. i gave him my female mommy view so he probably needs more things to convince her that this a trip about her too.

i am only saying this out of my careing sole so do not get mad at me..........

until i read again,

amy

She was in most of these places, but despite her very experienced and very much man-like attidude the shopping bug can hit her everywhere. Rural Russia can offer some surprising things but East Asia is by far the "worst" for the wallet :lol:

I never buy any stupid things, only model trains and camera lens. That reminds me, Bachman China has some very good passenger cars they can be re-worked to make Russian cars out of them. Some of the corrugated-side American-prototype Streamliners are also good. Time to look up on fee-Bay but why is she angry about that? Can't I have toys B)