Visa - It's Everywhere You Want to Be (Except Russia)

Have been trying to figure out the whole visa thing for an upcoming vacation to Mongolia via the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia.  And let me just say it's a royal pain in the arse.

The main problem stems from the fact that I will be entering Russia twice - once from Moldova and once from Mongolia.  Therefore, one might think I would need a "double-entry" visa.  However, I learned from several Internet sites that these double-entry visas are only good for travel between CIS nations (Commonwealth of Independent States, i.e. nations that were formerly part of the USSR), which Mongolia is not.  So, do I need to get two single-entry visas?  Or, given that I won't really be staying anywhere in Russia save a moving train, could I just get a couple of transit visas, which are good for up to 72 hours and usually used if someone needs to switch between airports on flights passing through Russia?

I thought perhaps these questions might be answered at the Russian Embassy in Chisinau, which only processes visas on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  I was mistaken.  First, let me describe the madhouse that is standing outside the gates.  There are about 50 Moldovans waiting for various officials to come outside and let them in so they can get Russian passports or other documents.  People are yelling and pushing and crying and certainly not listening to the poor Russian official who tells them that they have the wrong document or such and such process only occurs on Mondays after 2pm.  It really makes me never want to work in customer service.  As an American, I'm supposed to push my way to the front and announce my nationality, after which I get special treatment and am let in ahead of the crowd.

So back to the official...  Before he would answer my question about what kind of visa I needed, he kept telling me I needed an invitation.  [In order to get a Russian visa, you must first have an invitation from a Russian individual, hotel, or organization.  There are many online services that provide this document for a fee.]  I explained that I knew I needed an invitation, but have not purchased one yet because I didn't know what kind(s) I needed - double, single, transit, or something else.  He said double.

I don't really agree with this.  I think he just wanted the more expensive fee that a double-entry visa entails.  So, based on the information I've found on several internet sites and replies from various travel experts who I've emailed, I've decided to go with one single-entry visa for the first leg of the trip (because it will be longer that 72 hours allowed by a transit visa) and one transit visa for the second leg.  I've ordered the necessary single-entry invitation, and as soon as it arrives I will head back to the Embassy.

I suppose there is some small chance that I'll get stuck in an airport or Mongolia, but isn't that the fun of travel?