You can reach Beijing from London via Moscow by combining two routes: London to Moscow and Moscow to Beijing. This article provides a detailed guide to the journey.

First Step (London - Moscow)

Step 1. Choose your route for the first part of the journey from London.

Step 1

Select your route for the first part of the journey from London. There are no direct trains from London to Moscow, so you'll need to make at least 3 connections. Consider getting a map of Europe if you don't have one or if you aren't familiar with it.

Step 2. Choose your final departure route to Moscow.

Step 2

Select your final departure route to Moscow. While there are no direct trains from London to Moscow, you can make connections in the following places:

  • Cologne, Germany (two nights from London via Brussels, Belgium) (trains to Moscow run daily)
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands (trains to Moscow run daily via Cologne)
  • Berlin, Germany (trains to Moscow run daily)
  • Paris, France (trains to Moscow operate on Thursdays and Saturdays, and on Mondays during the summer months), but this option is not cheap
  • Scandinavia and Eastern European countries

Step 3. How many connections do you want to make?

Step 3

How many connections do you want to make? Are you open to making more than the minimum of two connections?

  • It will be cheaper to travel via Cologne and Warsaw (Poland).

Step 4. How much time do you have?

Step 4

How much time do you have? This will take at least two days without a break.

  • Do you want to travel on the high-speed Thalys train from Brussels to Germany?

Step 5. What class do you want to travel in?

Step 5

  • How many sleeping accommodations do you need? (2, 3, or 4).

Step 6. For better deals, book your tickets in advance.

Step 6

  • You can book seats up to 12 weeks before departure.

Step 7. Note:

Step 7

  • Most trains pass through Belarus, so you will need a Belarusian transit visa.
  • To book tickets, contact Deutsche Bahn (Germany) or SNCF (France).

Final Step (Moscow - Beijing)

Step 1. Learn about the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Step 1

Step 2. Choose your route:

Step 2

  • Moscow - Vladivostok
  • Moscow - Beijing (Trans-Manchurian Railway)
  • Moscow - Beijing (Trans-Mongolian Railway)

Step 3. Consider taking a ferry to Tokyo (Japan).

Step 3

  • From Beijing, you will need to take a transfer train to Shanghai (China), from where ferries to Tokyo operate several times a week.

Step 4. Decide in advance which car you will travel in:

Step 4

Decide in advance which car you will travel in: a compartment, luxury, or a sleeper?

Step 5. Choose accommodation, unless you plan to travel non-stop.

Step 5

Step 6. Traveling independently, without purchasing a tour, can be cheaper.

Step 6

  • If you do need to buy a tour, remember that Russian travel agencies (e.g., Real Russia) are cheaper than Western ones.

Step 7. Book everything as early as possible, especially during peak season in the summer months.

Step 7

Step 8. Obtain tourist visas for Russia and China.

Step 8

Get tourist visas for Russia and China. They can easily be arranged through a travel agency.

Step 9. Keep in mind that you will need:

Step 9

  • 3 weeks of vacation
  • 7 days for the journey from Moscow to Beijing by train.