Traveling alone to Laos by train as a woman

Written by Sophie Renassia

Published yesterday

Dreaming of discovering Asia while skipping the plane? Anissa — photographer and content creator (@6nissa) — linked Paris to Laos almost entirely by rail (with a little bit of bus when needed). To push a low‑carbon journey to the max, she crossed Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, then Southeast Asia by train. It’s a mode she truly loves: “There’s something almost poetic about a station; I love the journey within the journey.”

After months of slow travel, she opted for a fast overland return — still no flying — in just 29 days to attend the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice. Two very different paces, one through‑line: her environmental commitment and a desire to travel differently.

In episode 59 of Je t’offre un rail ? (the podcast that’ll get you hooked on trains!), she shares how the project came together, the logistics behind the itinerary, the highlights (especially in Turkey), and what it’s like to travel solo as a woman.

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The route: from Europe’s stations to Central Asia’s rails — bound for Laos

Paris → Turkey: a pivotal meeting and a grassroots “festival”

In Istanbul, a night‑train conversation steered her to a village in the Muğla region (on the Aegean coast), where locals are resisting an industrial project. “It wasn’t really a festival; it was more of a grassroots action in a village called Deştin, in Muğla province.”
The welcome there was unforgettable: “In the end I spent three or four days in that village, and we forged exceptional bonds.”

Caucasus & Central Asia: Tbilisi, vast Kazakh steppe, and open dormitory cars

Her route continues into Georgia and across Kazakhstan, where she discovers a different way to ride overnight: open‑plan dormitory cars, triple bunks, people boarding at all hours. “I feel much safer in Kazakhstan — a huge open dorm — I far prefer that to a closed compartment.”
But the night‑train reality also means the unexpected: “Being in your berth at 3 a.m. and having someone suddenly arrive.”

Southeast Asia: arrival in Laos, a regional loop… then an early return

Leaving in September 2024, Anissa reached Laos in about six weeks, then continued through Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia — often by road outside Thailand because of patchy rail links. “It took me a month and a half; then I did Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia — mostly by bus.”
She cut the trip short for a milestone event: “I was invited to the United Nations Ocean Conference — the third edition — and it was taking place in Nice.”

Traveling solo by train (and bus): joys, limits, and realities

What trains change: the pace and the magic of stations

Her year on the rails revolves around a sensitive, almost poetic relationship with stations and the landscapes sliding past the window. “Stations are places of transit and reunion… I love the journey within the journey.”

The dark side: an assault in Georgia and the aftermath

Anissa doesn’t sugar‑coat her account: early in the journey, an assault at the back of a bus in Georgia left her stuck in a hotel for several days. “After that I was stuck in the hotel for three days.”
It tinted the rest of her trip and left a real mark. Yet her message is clear: “Traveling alone as a woman isn’t easy. But that’s no reason to limit yourself! We’re more exposed than men — that’s a fact. But it would be unfair to block ourselves because of that, and the same thing could happen to us at 4 a.m. in Paris.”

Night trains: her take as a woman traveler

While closed compartments can feel stressful, the big open dorm cars of Central Asia paradoxically put her more at ease: “I prefer a place where everyone sleeps together, rather than a closed compartment.”
In France, she points to the value of women‑only compartments and being able to lock the door when that’s an option.

Practical tips to get started (and stay the course)

Plan (for real) — and accept you might change the route

At first, the Russia–Mongolia–China axis was on the table. But a month before departure, and after relatives’ concerns, she rebuilt everything via the Balkans, Turkey, Georgia and Kazakhstan: “A month before, I changed everything. It was stressful, but it worked out.”
As for pace, she adds nuance: “It took me a month and a half, but I think it’s doable in three weeks.”

Safety: leave informed — don’t travel “isolated”

Anissa urges women to pursue their dreams — prepared: “I would never tell women to set their dreams aside. But you have to leave informed, and above all, prepared.”
Small habits help: “Always sit near the driver, stay close to people…”
And don’t underestimate women’s solidarity: “Meeting other women after my assault did me a world of good.”

Nights & budget: what to choose as a woman traveler

With experience, she leans into setups that feel right: “When I sleep in a hostel, I only book women‑only dorms,” — plus a teasing aside aimed at mixed dorms: “It’s silly, but (men) you snore too much.”

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, la page Linkedin du média, 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.