Seven Asian rail journeys you’ll remember for a lifetime
The views, the legroom, the flexible itinerary – what’s not to love about going by train? From a few hours to a week, from jungle to steppe to the Tibetan plateau, in economy or luxury class, have a memorable experience
There were no low-cost airlines when poet T. S. Eliot observed that “The journey, not the arrival, matters”.
Flying might be faster and may sometimes work out cheaper but, for unhurried train buffs, it’s all about the spectacular vistas, extra legroom and freedom to arrive at the station minutes before departure.
No one tells you off for packing too many toiletries or insists you remove your belt and shoes and take your laptop out of its case. Seat configurations encourage conversation, and when was the last time someone worked their way along an aeroplane aisle banging a tambourine to raise money for college fees?
Here are seven Asian rail trips you’ll remember for a lifetime – which is not a phrase often associated with a journey that begins at Chek Lap Kok.
1 The Trans-Siberian
Booking the ultimate bucket-list train trip boils down to three key decisions and starts with the route. The Trans-Siberian Railway snakes 9,258km across Russia, from Vladivostok to Moscow, while the shorter but more popular Trans-Mongolian line runs from Beijing to Moscow via Ulan Bator. There’s also a Trans-Manchurian option.