Western Mongolia - Mongolia - page 538

quire a guide and Chinese driving permit. For more details on driving in Mongolia, Click
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JEEP
» Minivans shuttle between the train stations of Zamyn-Üüd and Èrlián. Either way the trip
is Y50 for a seat in a jeep.
» When the train arrives in Zamyn-Üüd there is a frantic rush for minivans and then a jock-
eying for position at the border as Mongolian traders race to be the first into China for a
full day of shopping. Note that the first jeeps charge about Y30 more than the ones in the
back of the line.
» In Èrlián, jeeps assemble at the bus station and the market; ask the Mongolian drivers.
There is a Y5 tax that you need to pay going either way (you can pay the driver in tögrög
or yuan and they will pay the tax for you).
ÈRLIÁN (EREEN) MINI GUIDE
Overlanders heading to/from Mongolia may need to spend some time in Èrlián (in
Mongolian called Ereen or Ereen Khot), a small city (by Chinese standards) just
over the border from Zamyn-Üüd.
You can kill some time by visiting the Geological Museum (Dizhi Bowuguan),
which contains a scattered collection of dinosaur bones. A taxi here costs Y30.
Otherwise, there are some bustling markets around town built entirely for Mongoli-
an traders.
If you are heading for Mongolia and need a visa, there is a Mongolian consulate
(Menggu Lingshiguan;; [phone]; 1206 Youyi Beilu;
8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri) in Èrlián. To find the consulate from the bus station, walk
east half a block to the T-junction and make a left. Walk north along this road (Youyi
Beilu) for 10 minutes until you see the Mongolian flags on your left. From the train
station, walk west one block and at the first intersection turn right. Walk north on
this road (Youyi Beilu) for 1.2km (15 to 20 minutes) until you see the Mongolian
flag. A 30-day rush tourist visa (Y495) can be issued on the same day you apply;
you'll need one passport-sized photo. A taxi can take you there for Y4.
The Haifeng Hotel (Haifeng Dajiudian; 0479 7515555; 2 Xinhua Jie; tw from
Y378) is a reliable midrange hotel; you'll see it to the left as you walk out of the train
station. There are some cheapies opposite the train station with rooms for about
Y100.
The airport is 25km south of the city. Air China has a daily flight to/from Bĕijīng
(Y540). MIAT and Air China have offered flights between Èrlián and Ulaanbaatar
but schedules tend to be seasonal.