Ja, something or some such.

I didn't know you were being fan of those Woody Allen movies, brother Quadbert. Maybe for the sequel to "Three in a Yurt" we can be finding some way for having an "on location" shoot in this border town you speak of. We can use some similar style to one of Woody's movie.

For the working title perhaps "Three in a Yurt II: Erlian Express", or maybe "Burt and some Flirt in the Yurt" for having more direct approaching.

I am appreciating your imput for this matter Quadbert, send PM as usual.

Woody, you are correct in that you only need to cross the border, grab a Coke and waltz right back through. You do not have to stay overnight.

The issue may arise, however, that you cannot get a train back on the same day as another poster suggested. If that's the case, you need to factor in the cost of a one-night hotel stay.

I might try this, too... looks like it can be done in just over 24 hours. I need to wait until August, though.

K23: Leave Beijing at 7:45a, arrive in Erlian at 8:37p
K24: Leave Erlian at 12:57a, arrive in Beijing at 2:04p

Fooking brilliant... looks like an overnight stay isn't necessary. Just take the train both ways. You've got 3 hours to cross the border, turn around and come back.

To do this, though, you would need to pick up a visa for Mongolia before you go. I doubt that they have a 24-hour visa office there.

-- Jeff

@Allen
the border at Erlian is NOTHING like HK, also the way i have gotten across was in a Jeep and train, It didnt seem like walking across was an option... when we got to customs it was maddness, think pushing yelling no queues... the whole bit. On the train to UB customs just came on with us. I was just going one direction but a turn around could be done. Good Luck.

@gdbill
I think Americans can stay in mongolia for 30 days with just a passport, unless this changed since last year. but Allen might be something else...

what about just visiting Mongolia and staying for a few weeks and then getting your china visa - can you get the 12 month f from mongolia?

hey guys - Just letting you know I recently did this trip (as a visit to mongolia, not a visa run, but experience still useful?)

We caught the K23 train to Erlian, cost 140 yuan (only option is softsleeper), bought ticket from main railway station in beijing the night before we left with no problems. Train arrived in Erlian at about 8.30pm (left beijing around 7am) - while onboard we were able to upgrade our ticket to a through ticket to Ulan Baator for $33 USD.

On the way back we caught an overnight softsleeper train to Zamyn Uud (Mongolian side of the border), cost a bit over 130 yuan (booked tickets about 2 days before the trip, there is a slower, cheaper train, but was already booked out).

Arriving at Zamyn Uud at 8am on Sunday morning, we found out that there were no trains going over the border until Thursday, so we headed out to the parking lot to find transport. No minivans to be seen, we ended up in a Jeep with other people - the drivers didn't seem to speak Chinese, only Mongolian. Jeep cost 80 yuan. Jeep took us to the Zamyn Uud side of the border, we went through exit procedure, then back into the jeep, over the border, and through Chinese immigration (they charge 5 yuan). Then back into the jeep, who drives you to wherever you want in Erlian (Chinese side of border). The actual crossing of the border took about 4 hours.

We were unable to get train tickets, think it was because there were no trains until Thursday. Ended up on a 10 hour (which stretched to 13 hours) sleeper bus to Beijing, 180 yuan. Bought the ticket about 4 hours before departure, with no problems.

Potential problems with using this option as a visa run basically stem from the train times - from my research, it appears there are only 2 trains per week (3 in summer), and they might not meet up when you want. Busses seem to be daily (although more expensive, and much more cramped than the train). Hotels in Erlian seemed to be plentiful (another traveller said you can get single rooms for about 35 yuan per night near the train station). Apparently the border also closes overnight and for lunch? (not sure about this one).

One more thing, when we crossed the border into China, we were handed a flyer which said:

Yes, the trains that go to Erlian also go straight to UB - I think the going rate for these is about $110 USD (soft sleeper), visa took 4 or 5 working days.

oh, and did any of you guys who were contemplating this trip actually do it? Can you tell us about it?

And I don't understand what you mean by only needing a stamp... "just grabbing a coke and going back".... don't you have to get a whole new visa, like actually go through a process and get a new big sticker for your stickerbook?

I'm getting confused. Please someone help the little girl understand.

Hi,
Just wanted to update.
I went to Ulaan Baator for my visa a couple weeks ago. I figured I'd try to do it in Erlian, but if not, go on to Ulaan Baator even though it would take twice as long. If anyone has more questions about the Ulaan Baator run, feel free to ask.

The train arrives in Erlian about 8:30pm, and it's dark, so there's not really much going on there very easily.... no one handed me any flyers, the only people other than the travelers on my train were a bunch of taxi drivers out front and a basic staff in the train station.

My only official new input:
THERE IS a DESK in the train station called "PORT VISAS", so there is something official there (I thought maybe the flyer coulda been from some shady agency, but there is a real little dept at the station)... but it was closed and dark and no one could answer any questions about it. So I have no idea WHO is allowed to get them, what it involves, etc. And there's not exactly a handy website about it.

Sorry I couldn't get more info for future visa-runners. I tried, but I wasn't going to walk the dark lonely streets of erlian (yes it had a dark lonely atmosphere) looking for a hotel, only to find out I can't get a visa there for some reason, then wait another day for a train to Ulaan Baator anyway.... and with the jovial crowd of foreigners on the train to Mongolia, I just figured "what the heck, I've come this far, go all the way to freakin' mongolia!"

So I cut an extra two days of work and spent 3 days in Ulaan Baator.
Didn't go on any desert treks, not enough time, I was already playing hooky for a week, but I had a nice mellow time in the city and I'd like to go back for a more adventurous time with my son next year.

Oh, I put video of a Traditional Mongolian Show I saw on You tube.
Look up kw07kw if you're interested in seeing throat singers, contortionists, horsehead fiddles, FREAKY WEIRD dancers. (not too freaky, but ... well... weird enough to make me laugh at times and wonder if I was watching an episode of I Love Lucy where she makes up some bizarre dance that's supposed to be ridiculous. Only these in Mongolia are real.)
Hmm.

I'm confused.

So with this option, can I literally just go to Erlian, find someone to take me over the border and I assume there's passport control at the border which allows me to buy my visa there, correct?

is it just Americans who can't get a visa at the border? I'm British myself, re there any restrictions on Brits?

Cool, when does he get back? Could you give me a PM when you see him?

Thanks.

Yes Batman, you have the run-down correct (though it can be the same train all the way through, you just get off for 4hours in Erlian while they change the wheels). Please note the details in my previous posts about the chinese embassy's limited hours, so you can try to show up at the right time.

If money is tight, there are buses going there too, for cheaper. And in Ulaan Baator you can find cheap hostels where you'd share a room for like US$5 a night. I stayed in the UB Guesthouse. Cheap, clean enough, and they offer deals to take you into the desert or they can point you to other activities (though anyplace can do that).

Hostel, train ticket office, money exchange place, chinese embassy all spoke english fine. You will NOT use a word of chinese there. I have no idea why I thought I could, I guess I was just in another world.

If you want to try calling the port visa place, call the Erlian Train station. It's inside there, so surely they can hook you up.