Some people like guided excursions and tours with a rich program, leaving no time for the individual planes. Others like to be absolutely independent, instead of some difficulties like buying tickets, looking for and booking hotels and hostels, etc. If you have decided to visit Gorny Altay but do not want any guided and excursions, whatever interesting and comfortable for the foreign tourist it would be, you maybe need some information.

Well, there are two Altay subjects of the Russian Federation, Altay Republic and Altay Territory. If you want mountains, caves and petroglyphs, your destination is Altay Republic. If you want steppes and fields, welcome to Altay Territory. Gorny Altay is actually in the Altay Republic. The cities from which most Gorny Altay trips begin and the cities provided with regular transport services are Gorno-Altaysk, Barnaul and Bijsk. They are planes and trains.

Barnaul is the city with the most intensive traffic. Bijsk and Gorno-Altaisk have airports, but the air services of there are not regular enough.

Planes

Let us suppose the point of your departure is Moscow. In this case the best and fastest choice is flight from one of the Moscow airports to Barnaul. The regular every day flights Moscow – Barnaul are carried out by the air companies of S7 Siberia and Aeroflot from the airports of Vnukovo and Domodedovo. In the summer period some other companies open seasonal flights to Barnaul. If you are going to fly not from Moscow, it is possible to get to Barnaul by air from St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk. Here is a list of telephones, for what’s it worth.

• Call centre of the S7 (Siberia) Air Company for Moscow +7(495)777-99-99
• Call centre of the S7 (Siberia) Air Company for St. Petersburg +7 (812) 331 42 31
• Call centre of the S7 (Siberia) Air Company for Barnaul and all over the Russia 8-800 200 000 7
• Call centre of the S7 (Siberia) Air Company for Novosibirsk +7 (383) 298-90-90
• Call centre of the Aeroflot Air Company for Moscow +7 (495) 223-55-55
• Call centre of the Aeroflot Air Company for St. Petersburg +7 (812) 718-55-55
• Call centre of the Aeroflot Air Company for Barnaul and all over the Russia 8-800 333-55-55
• Call centre of the Vnukovo airport (Moscow) +7(495) 937-5555
• Call centre of the Domodedovo airport (Moscow) +7 (495) 720-66-66
• Call centre of the Pulkovo-1 airport (St. Petersburg) +7 (812) 704-38-22
• Call centre of the Barnaul airport +7(3852) 29-94-11
• Call centre of the Tolmachevo airport (Novosibirsk) (383) 216-98-41 (call centre for domestic flights); (383)216-97-71 (call centre for international flights)
• Call centre of the Bijsk airport +7 (3854)722-383, 722-379

From Barnaul your way lies most probably to Gorno-Altaisk. The best way to get there is to take an ordinary bus (not a taxi) to the main city bus station and buy a ticket for a bus to Gorno-Altaisk. The way Barnaul – Gorno-Altaisk takes about 5 hours. The buses depart almost every hour. Bus is the most popular mean of transport in the republic. Certainly, you can take taxi Barnaul – Gorno-Altaisk, but it would be considerably more expensive. Maybe 2-3 times more expensive.

By the way, if you but plane tickets in advance, you have chance to buy them on the same price like the train tickets, which are usually cheaper.

Trains

Travelling by train in Russia is a good way to see the country and to get acquainted with the people and the local color. If you are ready for a more than 2 days trip, which costs considerably cheaper as plane, it is for you. You can buy the tickets without leaving our site, with the Russia-IC Train Tickets service. The train tickets are also recommended to be booked in advance, because the route is extremely popular. The trains go to the sities of Bijsk and Barnaul from Kazanskiy Vokzal Railway Station.

Railway stations contacts:
• Railway station of Barnaul +7(3852)381-909; +7(3852)381-908
• Railway station of Novosibirsk +7(383)229-24-54, 229-36-39

The ways of the tourists from these points can differ very much, so I shall confine myself to saying you the telephones of the bus stations, because the bus in the most popular transport in the Gorny Altay and the routes are quite very different and the choise depends on your wish only. Have a nice trip!
• Bus station of Barnaul +7 (3852)617-979 web-site: avtovokzal.ru
• Bus station of Novosibirsk +7 (383) 223-03-70, 223-54-59

Find more about Altai....

Yulia Buzykina

Sources:
    www.belukha.ru
    life-trip.ru
    www.altaitravel.ru
    www.altai-tourist.ru