Getting the train in Malaysia should be part of any overland travel experience in mainland Southeast Asia. The railway line from the Thailand border to the Singapore border forms part of a journey where you can travel from Laos to Singapore by train. The most frequent train services in Malaysia are through the more populated […]
Vietnam Railways – A guide to every line, tickets, and FAQs
Getting the train in Vietnam is the classic way to see the country. The long North-South line that travels along the coast is often listed among the best train routes in the world. While the train system is old and slow, it beats taking the bus, and you will see more than flying from point […]
International train services in Southeast Asia
Travel by train is a great way to experience international overland travel in Southeast Asia. It is more comfortable than a bus, and less hassle than international air travel. At the moment though there are only a few international train routes that are operating. This will change in the future with new international services planned, […]
Laos-China Railway – A review of the Vientiane to Boten train
The Laos-China Railway opened on the 2nd of December 2021, making it the first railway in Laos (not counting the border shuttle at Thanaleng from Nong Khai in Thailand). The train from Vientiane to Boten takes just 3.5 hours, and its main stops include Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, and Muang Xai. Laos was still closed […]
Da Lat – Trai Mat Railway – A restored heritage railway in Vietnam
The Da Lat – Trai Mat Railway is a restored section of the former Da Lat–Thap Cham railway. The original railway connected Da Lat to the main North-South railway of Vietnam. Da Lat became a popular place to escape the tropical heat and enjoy the cool mountain air. Like the hill stations of India, a […]
Jakarta Airport Rail Link – Train details, and which stations are best for visitors
Jakarta is famous for being one of the most congested cities in the world, so the introduction of the airport rail link has been a welcome relief for visitors to the Indonesian capital. The Soekarno–Hatta Airport Rail Link was built with the combination of a new railway connecting to an existing track. As such the […]
Palembang to Bandar Lampung by train – riding the coal-subsidised railway of South Sumatra
Sumatra is the sixth-largest island in the world with a population of over 50 million people, yet there are only a few railway lines on the island. There are plans to unite the current lines to form a trans-Sumatran railway that would travel from Medan to Bandar Lampung. This is a distance of over 1750 […]
Laos-China Railway – Travel information for the Boten-Vientiane Railway
The Laos-China Railway (also referred to as the Boten – Vientiane Railway) opened on 2 December 2021, making it the first passenger railway in Laos. This railway will be connected to trains from Kunming in China, and eventually, there will be direct services from Bangkok. Laos also has a station at Thanaleng near the Thai-Laos […]
Hanoi Train Street – An infrastructure anomaly that’s become an Instagram sensation
One of the more unusual tourist attractions to emerge in Hanoi is the Hanoi train street. This “street” is more of a passageway that has a single railway line passing through it. There are houses on either side with barely enough room for the train to pass through. The railway is not fenced off, so […]
Hanoi to Haiphong by train
The Hanoi-Haiphong railway is one of the few railway lines in Vietnam that is not part of the main north-south railway. Originally this line was part of the Yunnan-Haiphong Railway that was built by France between 1904–1910. Haiphong is the closest seaport to Hanoi so it’s always been an important access point for Hanoi. Haiphong […]
