Imagine boarding a train in the sun-soaked Algarve and disembarking three weeks later in the glittering skyline of Singapore. If you’ve ever been bitten by the rail odyssey bug, you’ll want to hear about this epic route spanning startling distances, countless landscapes—and one key European hub: Paris.
What Is the World’s Longest Possible Train Journey?
A community of seasoned travellers on Reddit recently mapped out what may be the planet’s most extensive train itinerary: a staggering 19,000 km of track, stitched together by 13 connections, and taking over 20 days from start to finish. It kicks off in Lagos, Portugal, where you hop a regional train to Lisbon. From there, head north to Hendaye on the French-Spanish border, the perfect spot to catch a TGV straight into Paris.
I’ll never forget settling into a couchette on the overnight Paris–Moscow sleeper. As dawn broke over the Polish countryside, I tapped my travel journal and realised there’s something magical about watching Europe slip by your windowpane. Once in Moscow, the real marathon begins: roughly a week aboard the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway, crossing eight time zones before pulling into Beijing.
But the journey doesn’t end in China. Thanks to the opening of Laos’s first major rail line in late 2021, you can continue from Kunming into Vientiane, the capital of Laos. A short hop brings you to Bangkok, and from there you’ll traverse southern Thailand into Malaysia via Padang Besar. A quick stop in Penang or Kuala Lumpur—depending on whether you fancy street food or city skylines—leads you at last to the lion city of Singapore.
How Much Will It Cost?
You might be wondering how deep you’ll need to dig into your savings for this marathon across continents. According to travel expert Mark Smith of Seat61, you’ll need roughly seven visas and about €1,100 to cover basic train tickets. That estimate doesn’t include meals, sleeper upgrades, or the occasional splurge on a riverside hotel, so I’d budget a bit more if you’re prone to café haunts or souvenir splurges.
Planning is everything. On my own multi-country rail trip, I learned the hard way that visa processing times can vary wildly—some embassies take weeks to stamp a passport. Build in a buffer of a few extra days wherever possible, and always double-check local train schedules; a delayed connection in Siberia is hardly the place to discover a timetable change.
For those craving an even longer adventure, some travellers suggest swapping Lagos for Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal’s easternmost rail tip, just to add a few more kilometres. But whether you chase every extra mile or stick to the classic Lagos–Singapore route, this journey is proof that the iron rails beneath our wheels can take us farther than we ever imagined.
I’m Jules, passionate about current events and travel. Curious about the world, I explore trends, analyze events, and share my discoveries. Through my insights and stories, I take you across the globe to fuel your curiosity and thirst for adventure.
