When I first started RailTravel Station, the original purpose was to document such an overland trip. However, due to circumstances, I was not able to proceed with the trip as I had originally planned, as there were other issues I considered more important to complete first.
* Route map edited to feature only destinations of my journey.
Finally, I was on my way backpacking across Europe and Asia, departing at the end of April 2016 and arriving back in June 2016. The London to Singapore overland trip has been completed successfully by many, and is considered one of the most adventurous and interesting rail routes in the world. It was also the best time for me to travel as I was still eligible for youth discounts for travel in the UK (so now you can roughly guess my age).
I had mentally (and also on an Excel sheet) planned this trip for about 6 years now, so it was relatively easy for me to start sorting out my tickets and times. This planning was done with my own knowledge and sources online, typically for Asian routes, and also with assistance from an excellent railway travel website and some email correspondence with The Man in Seat Sixty-One, especially for European routes which I was not exactly familiar with.
From train rides to tuk-tuks, Vatican City to Angkor Wat, Eurostar to ETS. 40 days, 14 countries, 23 cities, 27 train journeys, 17 nights spent on overnight travels, 1 incredible, memorable and epic journey.
Follow my journey:
- From London to Singapore in 40 Days: Prologue
- Day 0: Singapore to London
- Day 1-3: London
- Day 3: Megabus from London to Sheffield
- Day 4: CrossCountry from Sheffield to York
- Day 4: National Railway Museum
- Day 4: CrossCountry from York to Sheffield
- Day 5: National Express from Sheffield to London
- Day 5: London
- Day 5: Virgin Trains East Coast & Northern Rail from London to Sheffield
- Day 5: Sheffield Supertram
- Day 6: First Transpennine, Virgin EC, Eurostar and TGV from Sheffield to Marseille
- Day 7: Marseille
- Day 8: Cassis
- Day 9: Thello and Trenitalia from Marseille to Rome
- Day 10-13: Rome
- Day 10-13: Rome Metro, Trams and Ferrovie Laziali
- Day 12: Vatican Gardens by Open Bus
- Day 13: Papal Audience
- Day 13-14: Trenitalia from Rome to Venice
- Day 14: Cheap Venice Luggage Storage
- Day 14: Venice
- Day 14: Venice People Mover
- Day 14-15: Thello from Venice to Paris
- Day 15: Paris
- Day 16-18: RZD from Paris to Moscow
- Day 17: “Detained” at the Belarus border
- Day 18-19: Moscow
- Day 18-19: 6 Most Interesting Stations on the Moscow Metro
- Day 18: Moscow Monorail
- Day 19: China Railway from Moscow to Beijing (Trans-Siberian Day 1)
- Day 20: China Railway from Moscow to Beijing (Trans-Siberian Day 2)
- Day 21: China Railway from Moscow to Beijing (Trans-Siberian Day 3)
- Day 22: China Railway from Moscow to Beijing (Trans-Siberian Day 4)
- Day 23: China Railway from Moscow to Beijing (Trans-Siberian Day 5)
- Day 24: China Railway from Moscow to Beijing (Trans-Siberian Day 6)
- Day 25: China Railway from Moscow to Beijing (Trans-Siberian Day 7)
- Day 19-25: 7 days on the Trans-Siberian
- Day 25: Picking up pre-purchased tickets from Beijing Railway Station
- Day 25-27: Beijing Subway
- Day 26: Purchasing train tickets to Hanoi in Beijing
- Day 26: Tiananmen & The Imperial City
- Day 27: China Railway Museum (Zhengyangmen Branch)
- Day 27: How to get from Beijing Railway Station to Beijing West Railway Station
- Day 27-28: China Railway from Beijing to Nanning
- Day 28: Purchasing train tickets to Hanoi in Nanning
- Day 28-29: China Railway from Nanning to Hanoi
- Day 29: Hanoi
- Day 29-30: Vietnam Railways from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City Part 1
- Day 31: Vietnam Railways from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City Part 2
- Day 31-32: Ho Chi Minh City
- Day 31: Purchasing Phnom Penh and Siem Reap bus tickets in Ho Chi Minh City
- Day 32: Sapaco Tourist from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh
- Day 32-33: Phnom Penh
- Day 33: Royal Railways – Phnom Penh Royal Railway Station
- Day 33-34: Giant Ibis from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap
- Day 34: Angkor Small Circuit – Purchasing an Angkor Pass
- Day 34: Angkor Small Circuit – Angkor Wat
- Day 34: Angkor Small Circuit – Angkor Thom
- Day 34: Angkor Small Circuit – Thommanon & Chau Say Tevoda
- Day 34: Angkor Small Circuit – Ta Keo
- Day 34: Angkor Small Circuit – Ta Prohm
- Day 34: Angkor Small Circuit – Banteay Kdei & Srah Srang
- Day 34: Angkor Small Circuit – Prasat Kravan
- Day 35: Hang Tep Travel from Siem Reap to Poipet
- Day 35: Poipet to Aranyaprathet Border Crossing by Foot & Tuk-Tuk
- Day 35: State Railway of Thailand from Aranyaprathet to Bangkok
- Day 36: The cheapest way around Bangkok
- Day 37: Talad Rot Fai Ratchada
- Day 38-39: State Railway of Thailand from Bangkok to Padang Besar
- Day 39: KTM Komuter from Padang Besar to Butterworth
- Day 39: ETS Gold from Butterworth to Kuala Lumpur
- Day 40: ETS Gold from Kuala Lumpur to Gemas
- Day 40: Ekspres Selatan from Gemas to Johor Bahru
- Day 40: Shuttle Tebrau from Johor Bahru to Woodlands CIQ
- Day 40: SMRT Buses & SMRT Trains from Woodlands CIQ to Home
- From London to Singapore in 40 Days: Epilogue
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