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By plane: If you detest bumpy road journeys or longish
rail trips, the best way to get to Golmud will be by plane. The only problem with
airflight to and from the city, is that flights are all subject to availability. Planes
should set off from Xi"an
every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 16:30, stopping in Xining at 17:50 and landing
on the Golmud airstrip at 19:45.
Leaving Golmud, you may take flights, also on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, leaving
Golmud at 12:40. This flight gets in to Xining at 14:00 and in to Xi"an at 16:00.
The Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) office (Tel: 0979-414446) is
in the Golmud Hotel.
CAAC runs a bus from the hotel to the airport several hours before departures and in time
for arrivals. Coming into Golmud from the east (trains and buses): The
most comfortable way to commute between Golmud and Xining is by
train (800km, around 16hrs). From Xining to Golmud, train No.5701 departs
at 19:45 and arrives at 13:01 the next day. Prices are around RMB55 for a hard seat and
RMB120 for a hard sleeper.
It is possible to travel to Golmud from Xining by bus,
although the ride can be a little bumpy. For information on times and prices, refer to the
Xining
Transport Link. One thing worth mentioning is that if you hope to see views of Qinghai Lake en route, the
only way is to take a bus from Xining, for the train passes the lake at the dead of night.
The long-distance bus station and the railway station in Golmud are both located in the
southern part of Xining. Between these and the Golmud Hotel, minibuses and bus No.1 are
available. Leaving Golmud to the east (trains and buses): If you are traveling by
rail from Golmud to Xining, train No.5702 departs daily at 18:18 and
arrives at 11:28 the next day. Tickets can be bought from both the train station and from
a ticket office within the Golmud Hotel. Those planning to buy a ticket from the station
on the day of travelling will need to go upstairs to the office on the second floor.
It takes just 16 hours to get to Xining by bus. Buses leave from either
the local long-distance bus station or from in front of the railway station (around RMB130
for a sleeper).
You may also buy a bus ticket (RMB88 for foreigners, plus RMB30 for a travel permit) to Dunhuang (departing 6:30am,
13 hours) at the China International Travel Service (CITS, Tel:
0979-412746; Fax: 0979-413003) office in the Golmud Hotel. City transport: City transport in Golmud is mainly by taxis or bus.
Taxi fares are RMB10 or under for almost anywhere within town. There are both public buses
and private minibuses within town that will take you almost anywhere that you will need to
go. Most common bus route is No.1, that travels between the railway/long-distance bus
stations, to the Golmud Hotel. Private buses are sometimes cheaper. Maps can be found at
the Golmud Hotel CITS office. Further information: The Golmud Hotel also has another
travel agency (Tel: 0979-413003) that can organise tours in and near to Qinghai. So far
the most exciting tour is a journey by 4WD jeep all the way to the city of Ruoqiang
in Xinjiang, over the little
known western edge of Qinghai. Such a tour, needing a minimum of several people, is priced
at RMB150 per person.
The Public Security Bureau (Gongan ju) can be found on Chaidamu
lu, east of the post office (You ju). The Bank of China (Zhongguo
yinhang) is at the crossing of Kunlun lu and Chaidamu lu. Into Tibet: Getting to Tibet from Golmud is one of
China"s more frustrating, and expensive, options. At the time of writing, CITS maintains
an impregnable monopoly on foreigner tickets. Prices for the "tour" that CITS
run cost between RMB1000-1500, depending on whether you travel by sleeper or hard seat
bus. Student or teacher cards will get you a discount. For Chinese, the same sleeper bus
will cost RMB172. The tours themselves do not consist of accommodation, meals or transport
on arrival in Lhasa.
Practicalities: The route into Tibet is open from around June to
September. Buses heading to Lhasa
depart from the Tibet bus station on Xizang lu at about 17:00. CITS will normally
organise the transport from the hotel to the bus. This route to Tibet is one of the
roughest in the world, despite recent road improvements, the journey taking between 30 and
50 hours (depending upon road conditions, police checks, traffic and breakdowns). Although
buses are heated, the climate on this road can often be very inhospitable and warm weather
gear is essential.
It is also said that the Chinese government is considering building a railway line from
Golmud to Lhasa. This may well prove impossible, although the spectacular views that such
a journey, with the comfort that the bus journey will never afford, would make this one of
the best in the world. Price list for Long-distance Buses from Golmud |
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