By train
There are two railway stations, Almaty-1 and Almaty-2. Almaty-2 is located in the city centre; Almaty-1 is cca 4 km from the centre. Most trains end at Almaty-2, but some lower-class trains end at Almaty-1.
From Russia
There are many direct trains between Russia and Kazakhstan. Train 8 goes from Moscow to Almaty, and departs from Kazanski Station. The trip takes about 82 hours, with stops in Saratov, Uralsk, Aktobe, Turkestan, and Shymkent on the way.
From Urumqi, China
The N895 train leaves every Saturday and Monday night (23:58 Beijing time) direct to Almaty. To buy the ticket in Urumqi the office is in the Yaou Hotel to the right of the main station. Tickets need to purchased a few days in advance and cost around ¥870 (about US$110).
Ticket sale for the Saturday train starts on Monday 10am, for the Monday train it starts Friday 10am. The train on Saturday is very busy, while for the train on Monday it is possible to purchase the ticket on the same day. There will always be free seats in the train so you may enter the train directly at the Chinese side of the border after buying the ticket there the same day.
Organizing the Kazakh visam in Urumqi takes at least 5 working days.
The trip takes 34 hours, eight of which are spent clearing Chinese and Kazakh immigration. Taking the bus or flying are better options if you are in a hurry.
By bus
From China
Sleeper buses leave from Urumqi at 6pm every day of the week except Saturday and take approximately 24 hours to arrive in Almaty (November 2008: only buses on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7pm). Tickets for a lower bed are Y420, upper beds are Y400, and a berth in the back bed of the bus is Y380. Buses depart from the
