Trip 3 -- Mongolia to Eastern Europe

16 September 1999 to 24 October 1999

It was not a well-planned trip. I had just moved into a new apartment, and I didn't even know whether I'd be able to take a month-long trip in 1999, so it wasn't until three weeks before that I started searching for flights and obtaining the myriad visas I'd need (and I still came up one visa short). Adding to the uncertainties of this trip was the fact that I left on the day of a hurricane, so I didn't know until my day of departure whether I'd be leaving at all.

Mongolia, Hungary, and the Trans-Mongolian Railway were my highest priorities when planning this trip, but I also very much wanted to see Salzburg (Mozart's birthplace) and other Eastern European cities. It was easy to take in Vienna and Bratislava, since they're so close to the Hungarian border, and the beauty and history of Prague were not to be missed.

Part 1: Mongolia
16 Sep	Subway: C and A lines, 50 St to Howard Beach-JFK Airport
16 Sep-17 Sep	Air: Asiana #221, New York JFK to Anchorage
17 Sep	Air: Asiana #221, Anchorage to Seoul
17 Sep	Air: Asiana #331, Seoul to Beijing
17 Sep	Air: MIAT #224, Beijing to Ulaanbaatar
17 Sep-21 Sep	Ulaanbaatar
21 Sep	Van: Ulaanbaatar to Kharkhorin
21 Sep-23 Sep	Kharkhorin
23 Sep	Car: Kharkhorin to Ulaanbaatar
23 Sep-24 Sep	Ulaanbaatar
Part 2: Russia
24 Sep-28 Sep	Train: Trans-Mongolian #5, Ulaanbaatar to Moscow
28 Sep-2 Oct	Moscow
2 Oct-3 Oct	Train: Tisza Express #15, Moscow to Nyíregyháza
3 Oct	Konotop (Ukraine)
3 Oct-4 Oct	Train: #90, Konotop to Moscow
4 Oct	Moscow
4 Oct-6 Oct	Train: Tisza Express #15, Moscow to Nyíregyháza
Part 3: Hungary
6 Oct	Train: #5115, Nyíregyháza to Miskolc
6 Oct	Bus: Miskolc to Eger
6 Oct-7 Oct	Eger
7 Oct	Train: #5525, Eger to Füzesabony
7 Oct	Train: #595, Füzesabony to Budapest
7 Oct-11 Oct	Budapest
11 Oct	Train: #800, Budapest to Pécs
11 Oct	Pécs
11 Oct	Train: #813, Pécs to Dombóvár
11 Oct	Train #8046: Dombóvár to Pécs
11 Oct	Train: #826, Pécs to Villány
11 Oct-12 Oct	Villány
12 Oct	Train: Villány to Pécs
12 Oct	Train: Pécs to Nagykanizsa
12 Oct	Bus: Nagykanizsa to Hévîz
12 Oct-13 Oct	Hévíz
13 Oct	Bus: Hévíz to Sopron
13 Oct	Bus: Sopron to Fertőd
13 Oct-14 Oct	Fertőd
14 Oct	Bus: Fertőd to Sopron
14 Oct	Bus: Sopron to Nagycenk
14 Oct	Nagycenk
14 Oct	Bus: Nagycenk to Sopron
14 Oct-15 Oct	Sopron
Part 4: Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic
15 Oct	Train and bus: Sopron to Vienna
15 Oct-17 Oct	Vienna (Austria)
17 Oct	Bus: Vienna to Bratislava
17 Oct	Bratislava (Slovakia)
17 Oct-18 Oct	Train: #374, Bratislava to Prague
18 Oct-20 Oct	Prague (Czech Republic)
20 Oct	Bus: Prague to Terezín
20 Oct	Terezín (Czech Republic)
20 Oct	Bus: Terezín to Prague
20 Oct-21 Oct	Prague
21 Oct	Bus: Prague to Kutná Hora
21 Oct	Kutná Hora (Czech Republic)
21 Oct	Train: Kutná Hora to Prague
21 Oct	Prague
21 Oct-22 Oct	Train: #375, Prague to Bratislava
22 Oct-23 Oct	Bratislava
23 Oct	Train: #400, Bratislava to Vienna
23 Oct	Train: Vienna to Salzburg
23 Oct-24 Oct	Salzburg (Austria)
24 Oct	Train: Salzburg to Munich
24 Oct	Air: US Airways #15, Munich to Philadelphia
24 Oct	Air: US Airways, Philadelphia to New York La Guardia
24 Oct	Bus and subway: New York La Guardia to 49 St