For someone who has mainly used night trains in Europe so far, a 17-hour journey through Central Asia by night train is a new experience and a completely different world. But whether it really is that different, you can find out in the following lines.
My journey begins in northern Kazakhstan in the city of Astana. In fact, one day is ideal to explore the 1.6 million-inhabitant capital on foot before departure. The over 100-meter-high Baiterek Tower is particularly prominent in the cityscape. But some of the tall glass buildings as well as the Golden Towers in the city center are also impressive.
Astana 1 Railway Station (also Nur-Sultan-1) is located around 20 minutes from the city center and is easy to reach for just a few euros by taxi ordered via Yandex. The station itself is rather old, but is sufficient to buy a few snacks before departure.
And then it is already time: At 2:15 pm, I board train number 120 heading towards Almaty. The night train, manufactured by Talgo, is absolutely on a European level. In my private sleeper cabin for 95€, there is not only a wardrobe but also a washbasin. The toilet is located in the corridor.
Good to know: The Wi-Fi on the train did not work during my journey and the mobile network is also rather patchy, especially after Karaganda. It is therefore recommended to bring a book or a few playing cards. Alternatively, you can do what I did and spend most of the journey in the dining car. This one also knows how to impress: The Tashkent tea and honey cake were really delicious, as were the potato-filled pirogues for dinner.
The selection of cold drinks, including beer and wine, also leaves little to be desired. As a result, the dining car was still well occupied late into the night. In the carriage just beyond the dining car, there were even more seats around a bar.
And the scenery? In fact, the landscape looked quite similar throughout the hours, but with bright blue skies above the Kazakh steppe, simply letting your eyes wander had something calming about it. A particular highlight was the long-lasting sunset, which bathed the sky in deep orange.
After a relaxing evening in the onboard bistro, it was time to test the bed in the cabin and it was actually really comfortable and also very good in terms of length. Overall, the level of comfort is absolutely comparable to a European night train like ÖBB’s (older) Nightjet. Note: The bedding is provided, but you have to make up the bed yourself.
After a good night’s sleep, the train rolls into Almaty almost on time at 7:25 am, the largest city in Kazakhstan. Besides the Ascension Cathedral in the city center, renting a car is also recommended to visit Big Almaty Lake, which is located around 30 km from Almaty’s city centre.
If you don’t mind driving longer distances in a rental car, a visit to the truly stunning Charyn Canyon and Altyn-Emel National Park is also well worth considering. This is where Kazakhstan reveals some of its most beautiful landscapes.
Interested in trying the journey yourself? Tickets for tourists are available at tickets.kz. Keep in mind: Besides the Talgo train described above, other night trains also operate on this route, some of which take more than 24 hours to complete the journey.
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