Alternate routes Almaty to Novosibirsk
Yikes. Just been to the train station here in Almaty. There are no trains going to Astana or Novosibirsk (I want Novosibirsk but tried Astana as well) for today, tomorrow or the next day - well the trains are running, but are all full(!).
Any suggestions for alternate routes to Novosibirsk that isn't too expensive? I'm not sure I could handle the whole way in a mashrutka, but if it's the only option....
Best Answer
As I write, Real Russia is still offering train 326? departing 2011-07-29 at 15:36 and train 385? departing 2011-07-29 at 16:27 , for a 37 to 39-hour journey via Semipalatinsk (Semey) and Altayskaya. (Poezda finds these trains too: 326, 385.) Of course maybe the train is full and I'd only know if I tried to book.
If you're thinking of combining trains with buses or hitch-hiking, you can follow a schematic map of railway routes in Kazakhstan and one (less readable) of the whole former Soviet Union (Almaty, Novosibirsk). There are two rail routes: east of Lake Balkhash via Semey towards the Lokot/Rubtsovsk border crossing, or west of Lake Balkhash, via Karaganda, Sorokovaya (near Astana), Pavlodar and the Koryakovka/Kulunda border crossing.
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Germany to Kazakhstan by Rail - part 9: Kazakh Train № 301ЦА Almaty - Novosibirsk on the Turksib
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