From Paris to Bangkok by train: itinerary, budget and practical tips
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From Paris to Bangkok ... by train!
At nearly 30, Alexis decided to make his bucket list, which he documents on his Instagram account @alexis.hdd. Speaking to Tolt, he tells us about his eighth major challenge: going from Paris to Bangkok by train.
“I saw mountains, forests, and plains that seemed to stretch on forever. No plane ride could give that feeling.”
To join his other half in Thailand, he could have booked a flight from Paris to Bangkok. But his ecological convictions and his desire for adventure led him to opt for a journey of almost 300 hours, between splendid landscapes (from Austria to Mongolia via Russia), moments of introspection and unlikely encounters. And to hear him tell it, it was well worth it! Here's a look back at her motivations, route choices and inspiring travel anecdotes.
Episode summary
- Preparing for his trip: an intense month of planning, with a few rookie mistakes but lots of support from the travel community.
- Milestones: Vienna (Austria), Bucharest (Romania), Istanbul (Turkey), Moscow and finally the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia to Mongolia, before crossing China and Laos to Thailand.
- The highlights of his adventure: between unique encounters, exchanges with other travelers, chess games on the Trans-Siberian Railway and the discovery of sublime Lake Baikal...
- What he takes away from his trip: from the evolution of his relationship with time to his desire to have a positive impact on the environment.
- And other nuggets we'll let you discover by clicking right here 👇
“To spend hours on a train is to enter another rhythm. The slow train almost becomes a form of meditation.”
“When you're in third class on the Trans-Siberian Railway, you're sharing with strangers from all walks of life. That's when you realize that travel is all about encounters.”
“China was the biggest surprise of my trip: incredible culture and encounters.”
Alexis' itinerary: how to get to Thailand by train?
- Stage 1: Paris to Vienna 🇦🇹 - Departure by night train for a first immersion in Austria.
- Stage 2: Vienna-Bucharest 🇷🇴 - A memorable journey with sumptuous scenery and “the best bar car” he's ever seen (no less).
- Stage 3: Bucharest-Istanbul 🇹🇷 - The adventure begins, with longer and longer journeys.
- Stage 4: Crossing Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway 🇷🇺 - A seven-day journey from Moscow to the Mongolian border, with highlights such as Lake Baikal.
- Stage 5: Mongolia 🇲🇳, China 🇨🇳, Laos 🇱🇦, and finally Bangkok in Thailand 🇹🇭 - The end of the journey is a succession of Asian landscapes, until the arrival in Thailand.
Alexis' tips for preparing your train journey
How much does a Paris-Bangkok train journey cost?
Budgeting is essential for such a journey, but thinking about the unexpected is even more so. An extended stopover to discover a region, a last-minute change of train... The unexpected can happen!
For his part, Alexis opted for around €1,500 for a month's travel, but he was also flexible about last-minute adjustments.
Installing translation apps
Traveling internationally by train means crossing many countries and therefore many very different languages. Install apps like Google Translate or Deepl, and remember to download languages in offline mode.
Prepare in advance
If you're planning a similar trip, be sure to check the visa formalities for each country you'll be crossing, and find out about the specific features of trains in different regions!
Prepare for night trains
Some journeys will involve long nights on the train or bus. Take along earplugs, a sleep mask and snacks.
Alexis has learned the importance of planning his journeys, especially in economy class where space is limited and stops are frequent.
But night trains were also a great opportunity for him to meet new people! By taking night trains and economy classes, Alexis has had the opportunity to meet people from a wide variety of backgrounds: from the Russian lady who shares her dinner with him, to chess players on the Trans-Siberian, to French travelers on their way to Asia by bike. For Alexis, these exchanges represent the essence of train travel, an intense social experience where cultural boundaries fall away.
Would you like to embark on this adventure?
- We've detailed the Paris-Bangkok itinerary here:
- And to take things a step further, Alexis has written a complete guide to help you organize your future trip to Asia!
Through this journey, Alexis proves once again that much more than an ecological means of transport, the train can become a real human adventure, full of introspection and openness to others.
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!
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