Into Siberia
From northern Heilongjiang, there are a number of crossing points into Siberia , of which Heihe , a large border town that sees a lot of traffic with the Russian town of Blagoveshchensk, is the best option. From Harbin, take the new train Y215 to Heihe (departs 6.35pm; 12hr) - Russia is a few strides and a mountain of paperwork away. Train Y216 returns to Harbin daily, leaving Heihe at 8.59pm. A new train connection also exists between Harbin and Suifenhe (train Y217, leaving at 9.14pm; 10hr), from where it's a four-hour bus ride to Vladivostok. In practice, however, these routes are fraught with difficulties; there is no tourist infrastructure, distances are long and conditions primitive. The biggest problem with crossing from Dongbei into Siberia is getting a visa , which you will have to sort out in Beijing, although you may get one in Shenyang if you're lucky. To get a two-week tourist visa, all your hotel accommodation in Russia must be booked in advance, and prices are steep; expect to pay at least US$50 a night. A few travellers, through connections, have managed to get hold of business visas, which last a month and give you more flexibility. It is possible to get a tourist visa extended when in Russia, but this is a Herculean task. By far the simplest way to get into Russia from Dongbei is to hop on the Trans-Siberian train to Moscow, which passes through Harbin every Friday morning, though again you'll need to get your visa sorted out in Beijing.
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