Train Travel in Central and Southeast Asia

by Anonymous
(US)

Railroutes in Southeast Asia -- Photo courtesy of Seat61.com

Railroutes in Southeast Asia -- Photo courtesy of Seat61.com

I was wondering if there is a rail pass available in Asia that would be comparable to that of Europe's Eurorail. I was going to attempt to do like a two month trip through Asia and I wanted to know if there was an unlimited pass I could purchase that would allow me to travel on a flexable schedule through countries like: China, Thailand, Laos, South Korea, Vietnam, etc. Basically a pass that would cover all Southeast and central Asia. Thank you for any input you may have.


Answer: I've been researching for a couple of days now, and I can't seem to find a rail pass that will cover all the countries you mentioned in Asia (in one continuous trip). If I'm not mistaken you can either buy train tickets as you go, or book in advance. Unfortunately, you have to travel by bus some places ex. Laos and Cambodia.

I found a really good site that covers the Silk Route, starting from Europe --> Central Asia (Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgistan) --> China

Silk Route

And the Trans-Siberian route covers Russia, Mongolia and China.

From Beijing, China there are connecting train routes to Vietnam. Vietnam is by the way supported by extensive railway from north to south.

From Vietnam, you can either make your way to Laos/Cambodia by bus. From Vientiane in Laos you can take the train to Bangkok. From Bangkok it's pretty much straightforward.

You can travel to south and north of Thailand by train. In Cambodia there are no regular passenger trains -- you have to travel by bus or other means of transportation. There are also well connected train services in Malaysia, and also from Thailand to Malaysia and all the way to Singapore.

From Beijing or Shanghai, you can take the ferry to South Korea.

More information: Seat 61.com

Amanda

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