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  1. Home
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  3. 20,000 kilometers by train: Julien's adventure from Japan to France

20,000 kilometers by train: Julien's adventure from Japan to France

Sophie Renassia
Written by Sophie Renassia
Published on May 21, 2023, modified on April 29, 2025
20,000 kilometers by train: Julien's adventure from Japan to France
  • 1From Japan to France without a plane
  • 2Episod program
  • 3His itinerary in detail

Looking for practical advice, feedback and inspiration for your next train journey? Make yourself comfortable and put your headphones in your ears: board now for “Je t'offre un rail?”, the podcast that will get you hooked on trains, produced with the support of SNCF Connect!

Discover the podcast

From Japan to France without a plane


In this episode, Tolt welcomes Julien, an intrepid traveler who took on an unusual challenge: returning from Japan without taking a plane after several years as an expatriate in Tokyo.


From his motivations to his experience in Japan, not forgetting his best travel anecdotes, we immerse you in an incredible rail epic. Enjoy!


Listen the episode

Episod program


  • What inspired him to embark on this epic adventure.
  • His relationship with train.
  • His meticulous preparation: itinerary, visas, logistical challenges...
  • His unique Trans-Siberian experience: 7 days aboard the legendary train!
  • His unforgettable encounters and breathtaking landscapes,
  • The unexpected and improvised solutions,
  • The lessons he learned from this adventure and his best advices for getting started!
  • His experience of Japan as a French expatriate,
  • And other surprises that you can discover by clicking right here👇


“Train travel is the art of taking your time and rediscovering the world at a more human pace.”


“The Shinkansen is the TGV with the frequency of the metro.”


“Every station was a new page in my adventure, every encounter a story to tell.”


“You don't travel by train to arrive, you travel by train to travel.”

His itinerary in detail

  • Tokyo to Osaka by train,
  • Osaka to Minato (Japan) by train,
  • Minato to Vladivostok (Russia) by ferry,
  • Vladivostok to Irkutsk, on the shores of Lake Baikal (the world's largest freshwater lake), by train,
  • Irkutsk to Moscow by Trans-Siberian Railway,
  • Moscow to Kiev (Ukraine) by train,
  • Kiev to Warsaw (Poland) by train,
  • Warsaw to Munich (Germany) by train,
  • Munich to Paris (France) by night train via Minsk and Berlin,
  • Paris to Clermont-Ferrand by TGV.


A great invitation to (re)take your time! And above all, further proof that, with a little organization, flexibility and a spirit of adventure, the journey can begin right at the station.


To make sure you don't miss a single episode and get inspired by our guests, don't hesitate to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite listening platforms. Thanks to our partner SNCF Connect, the reference app for trains and sustainable mobility, which accompanies over 15 million users on their journeys in France and Europe!

Sophie Renassia
Written by Sophie Renassia

Issue du monde de la communication et des médias, Sophie est Responsable éditoriale chez HOURRAIL ! depuis août 2024. Elle est notamment derrière le contenu éditorial du site ainsi que La Locomissive (de l'inspiration voyage bas carbone et des bons plans, un jeudi sur deux, gratuitement dans ta boîte mail !).

Convaincue que les changements d’habitude passent par la transformation de nos imaginaires, elle s’attache à montrer qu’il est possible de voyager autrement, de manière plus consciente, plus lente et plus joyeuse. Son objectif : rendre le slow travel accessible à toutes et tous, à travers des astuces, des décryptages et surtout, de nouveaux récits.

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