Transesterification of l,l-trans apovincaminic acid methyl ester (I) with ethylene glycol at 120 C in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide furnished the hydroxyethyl ester (II). Subsequent acetylation of (II) with Ac2O in pyridine gave the corresponding acetoxyethyl ester, which was isolated as the hydrochloride salt upon treatment with HCl in isopropanol.