The world’s longest train journey covers nearly 19,000 km
This page is translated from the original post "Le voyage en train le plus long du monde fait près de 19 000 km" in French.
- 21/02/2023 8:45
Internet users on the social media platform Reddit have fun calculating the longest possible train journey, feasible in 21 days and at a relatively reasonable cost.
This trip, nearly 19,000 km long, starts from Lagos in southern Portugal to the city-state of Singapore. User u/htGoSEVe is behind the calculation of this route, as well as a blogger he titles “the man from Seat 61”.
To undertake this journey, one must have a genuine passion for trains: the trip lasts 21 days and crosses no less than 13 different countries. “Redditors,” as they are called, have highlighted a rail line between Paris and Moscow (currently halted since the COVID-19 pandemic) and a line between Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Kunming (China) instead of taking a Trans-Siberian train.
Which countries do you pass through to travel by train?
This journey from the European continent to the Asian continent crosses 13 different countries, counting the departure and arrival countries:
- Portugal
- Spain
- France
- Germany
- Poland
- Belarus
- Russia
- Mongolia
- China
- Laos
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Singapore
Furthermore, modifications have been made compared to the map uploaded last year. The train between Lisbon and Hendaye (France) appears to have been permanently discontinued. Due to the pandemic, the train between Paris and Moscow is halted, but user u/htGoSEVe suggests taking the Nice-Moscow line, which he says covers a similar distance.
On the map, a train line is drawn crossing Russia via a Trans-Siberian train. The Redditor recommends another route crossing Kazakhstan to three cities in China (Urumqi, Xi’an, and Kunming).
He also notes distances between the train arrival platform and the departure platform of the next train, especially between Boten and Vientiane in Laos. This also concerns inter-city transfers, which are not included in the trip. He also points out an error in the placement of trains in Malaysia, corrected by some Reddit users.
What is the cost of this unusual train trip?
This map, published in 2021, has been adjusted for line deletions since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the main features of the map remain the same. The estimated cost of the trip is around 1,200 euros. For comparison, a journey between Lisbon and Singapore from March 28 to April 3 will cost the same. However, you will need to make stops in Paris, Madrid, and Abu Dhabi.
Mobility experts nevertheless recommend waiting until the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine to attempt this trip. It may have inspired you to discover the world differently and to do good for our planet by traveling by train instead of by plane!
Also read: Cheap train, how to travel without breaking the bank?
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