la Prochaine ouverture du train express de l'aéroport de bangkok vers le centre serait prévue non pas au mois de MARS 2010 mais vers le 12 août 2010.
voir l'article du 24 février 2010
Ps: j'avais déjà écrit dans mes posts que la date du 31 mars 2010 était farfelu et ne tenait pas compte de l'évaluation du terrain.
VOYAGE FORUM AIRPORT LINK EXPRESS
Ce sont toujours des dates symboliques. Le 12 août est l'anniversaire de la reine ( cette même date de mise en service a déjà été programmée en 2009 ! ) La prochaine écheance sera en décembre pour l'anniversaire du roi...
Je me souviens qu'en 2007 j'avais rencontré et discuté avec un ingénieur qui travaillait sur le projet : a l'époque on parlait de mise en service en 2009 et le gars m'avait dit de compter plutot sur 2011 : je constate qu'il n'avait pas tort... Rappelons que ce moyen de transport est interessant pour les voyageurs solitaires mais que son prix (supérieur à 150 baths) ne concurrencera pas tant que ca les taxis... 😛
"Dans vos phrases, n'utilisez qu'un sujet, un verbe, un complément d"objet direct ; Quand vous aurez besoin d'un adjectif, venez me trouver." (Georges Clemenceau)
Le feuilleton continue cette fois siemens reconnait son incapacité à démarrer le service à la fin du mois de mars, de plus il semblerait que l'alimentation en électricité soit insuffisante, un report de plusieurs mois est envisagé.
Mr Yuthana déclare qu'il faudra 3 mois de plus de tests ce qui nous emmènera début juillet pour une probable ouverture en Aout mais restons prudent car tous les 3 mois il y a un report.
"Mr Yutthana said Siemens had not installed all 70 surveillance cameras required along the railway."Radio communications do not cover the link's tunnel at the airport and the power supply for the railway was not yet stable.
"The power supply is a big problem, " Mr Yuthana said. "It must pass tests. Trains will stop if the service starts and encounters a blackout."
vous l'aurez compris.......🤪 ce n'est pas demain que vous roulerez dans cette superbe installation😏
PS: sur un forum, report envisagé début DECEMBRE 2010(a voir.....)
merci du renseignement - je pars en décembre/janvier 2011 donc il y a peut être un espoir..
sur quel site peut-on se renseigner efficacement avant de partir ??
merci et salut/Maf58
La ligne "devrait" ouvrir le 23 août, avec des tarifs réduits jusqu'à la fin de l'année :
100 B au lieu de 150 pour la ligne express directe ( 15mn)
15 B au lieu de 45 pour la ligne ordinaire (30mn)
Le feuilleton est à suivre ICI
L'ouverture est donc prévu pour le 23 août 2010, toutefois le journal met en évidence 3 manques:
1)The BTS-Rail Link interchange at Phya Thai: There is no escalator down from the BTS station to the level of the connecting walkway to the Rail Link station. The existing escalator only goes up.
2)The MRT-Rail Link connection at Makkasan: This should have been possible from the Makkasan terminal to the Phetchaburi MRT station, but it does not exist. An MRT executive said a walkway was awaiting approval, and would take three months to build once approved.
3)Lack of a single commuter ticket between the airport Rail Link, the SkyTrain and the MRT is the biggest obstacle. Arriving visitors heading for say, the Hua Lamphong rail terminal, will have to first buy the Rail Link ticket, then a SkyTrain ticket and then an MRT ticket separately at each interchange.
absence d'un escalier, absence d'une passerelle, absence d'un ticket commun pour l'airport link le MRT et le BTS
Il semble que la ligne soit enfin opérationnel apès quelques semaines de test.
BANGKOK, Aug 23 -- After long delays in construction and several test runs, Suvarnabhumi Airport's Link begins commercial services Monday (23rd August, 2010) with special discount fares offered until the end of 2010, shortening travel times for inbound and outbound air travellers as well as easing arrivals and departures compared to existing airport transport(MCOT online news).
La ligne directe rejoint le centre de Bangkok en 15min pour 150 baht, mais pour l'ouverture le prix est à 100 baht. Et si j'ai bien compris on peut faire l'aller-retour dans la journée avec un seul ticket.
Il y a une ligne omnibus pour ceux qui ne sont pas trop pressé et qui est moins cher.
j'ai vu plein de vidéos sur You tube et je dois dire que la fréquentation même lorsque le ticket était gratuit n'était pas très extraordinaire.
Le problème je pense viens du fait du prix pour une liaision express 100 bht jusqu'à la fin de l'année puis 150 bht, pas de quoi faire concurrence aux Taxis qui eux vous font du PORTE à PORTE.
J'ai payé 183 bth pour aller de thonglor soi 55 à l'aéroport, en vérité le choix de l'express dépend de son lieux de résidence.
Bonne nouvelle après pratiquement 2 ans de retard.
Ouais pour la ligne express j'ai un petit doute mais ça devrait connaître son publique tout de même. Mais la city line est sympa et c'est déjà moins cher.
Après je pense qu'en terme d'image une grande ville se doit aujourd'hui d'avoir sa liaison par train entre son centre ville et l'aéroport.
je suis un peu hors sujet mais j'ai eu l'idée de faire une comparaison entre l'express de Kuala lumpur et celui de Bangkok
Effectivement je pense que le train express trouvera son public à Bangkok mais je m'interroge, j'ai vu des vidéos du KLIA express de Malaisie et je dois dire que je ne vois pas foule dans cette express non plus, il est vrai que le terminus est KL CENTRAL et que celui ci est n'est pas en plein centre-ville.Toutefois il y a les connexions avec le monorail etc....
A voir .......
il a des multitudes de vidéos sur le KLIA express sauf erreur de ma part je n'y vois pas foule dedans.
pas de quoi faire concurrence aux Taxis qui eux vous font du PORTE à PORTE.
J'ai payé 183 bth pour aller de thonglor soi 55 à l'aéroport, en vérité le choix de l'express dépend de son lieux de résidence.
+ 1 Avantage taxi en effet et incontestable pour un couple.... Quant à l'image de marque pourquoi pas...
"Dans vos phrases, n'utilisez qu'un sujet, un verbe, un complément d"objet direct ; Quand vous aurez besoin d'un adjectif, venez me trouver." (Georges Clemenceau)
j'ai pris ce fameux train express le 15 juin 2010 et c'était gratuit confort assurer climatiser et très fiable un train tout les 7 minute
le train était plein mais il y avait de la place nous étions les seul étrangers dans le wagons que des thaï au retour on a pris un
taxi le trajet a durer 40 minute vers 21heur pas d'embouteillage mais une circulation dense
donc un conseil si vous n'avez pas beaucoup de bagages et voulais rejoindre rapidement le centre de bangkok prenais ce train
Encore quelques problèmes malgré 5 ans de travaux.
Pour la ligne express, un départ seulement toutes les 30mn !. Elle rejoint la gare de Makkasan en 15mn, mais il n'y a toujours pas de liaison directe avec la gare de Petchburi du métro souterrain ( MRT ). il manque 200m de liaison encore en construction...
La City Line, avec un départ toutes les 15mn et un trajet de 30mn poursuit jusqu'à Phaya Thai où elle est reliée au métro aérien ( BTS ) grâce à une passerelle.
De plus l'enregistrement des bagages n'est quant à lui toujours pas disponible à Makkasan, et devrait être possible sur certaines compagnies aériennes à partir du 1er janvier 2011, lorsque le service sera entièrement opérationnel et passera à plein tarif. En effet, à partir de cette date là, le tarif sur la ligne express sera de 150 bahts et de 15 à 45 bahts pour la City Line, selon la distance parcourue.
voici un article intéressant du BangkokPost sur l'AIRPORT RAIL LINK (le train express):
BANGKOKPOST
Dans cette article, nous apprenons que le ministre des transports table sur 30 000/35 000 voyageurs chaque jour:
"The ministry estimated 30,000 to 35,000 people a day would use it in its present operational capacity".
Le secrétaire d'état chargé des transports lui table sur 50 000 voyageurs chaque jour:
"That figure could rise to 50,000 a day when full services begin, permanent secretary for transport Supoj Saplorm said."
Le secrétaire d'état chargé des transports Mr supoj déclare aussi qu'il faudra s'attendre à 3 années de pertes.
"Mr Supoj said the SRT believed the Airport Rail Link would run at a loss during the first three years because of the cost of hiring staff and various experts. The system was expected to make a profit after three years."
le plus marrant dans cette affaire est la conclusion de Mr Apichart Sankary, il pense que le prix de 150 bath ets bien trop élevé pour attirer les passagers:
"Apichart Sankary, managing director of AED Travel Co and honorary adviser to the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations, said the Express Line's 150 baht fare was expensive as passengers would still need to get a taxi from Makkasan station."
il est agréable de remarquer qu'une personne en charge du tourisme a conscience du prix trop élevé pour un simple trajet, sur ce coup là je dis BRAVO Mr Apichart Sankary.
Je pars dans 1 mois (fin juin) en thailande et je voudrais savoir si certaines personnes auraient des news sur le train express aeroport BKK qui mène au centre…
Nous arrivons ma fille et moi a l' aéroport international de suvarnabhumi, nous avons décider de prendre le train pour la gare hua lampong, plusieurs choix…
J'ai lu quelques promos sur l'orient express de thaillande. Connaissez vous? Est-ce que ça vaut ce que ça coute? Liens sur ces trains: www.classyone.com/...…
Pattaya Express Le réseau ferré thaïlandais ne compte encore aujourd'hui qu'un peu plus de quatre mille kilomètres de voies (1). Hormis pour quelques grands…
I’m planning a trip around Italy using only trains or public transport in October (hoping the weather stays nice!).
I’d obviously like to see some tourist destinations, but I also want to get off the beaten path a bit, and I’m hoping to find some help here? I don’t plan to linger too long in the cities.
Starting in the north, I’d like to visit Lake Como or Lake Orta, pass through the Cinque Terre for some hiking, spend a few days in Naples and Rome, then head down to Sicily.
Hi there,
I’ll be traveling to Japan this coming August. We’ve finalized our itinerary and booked our flight tickets. Now I’m at the stage of buying train tickets for the few segments we’ll need to cover:
Tokyo - Hakone
Hakone - Kyoto
Kyoto - Osaka
Osaka - Tokyo
Here are my questions:
a) Is it possible to buy train tickets for these segments from Canada?
b) If so, which website should I use to do this?
c) And if it is possible, will we be able to print our tickets from Canada?
d) If it’s not possible, where in Tokyo should I go to buy these tickets when I arrive?
Hi everyone, I wanted to take the Paris-Berlin overnight train with a sleeper berth, the new service operated by European Sleepers.
24/05/2026 17:45 Paris-Nord (actually 16:00 from Paris Bercy Seine) -> 25/05/2026 9:59 (actually 7:30 in Berlin)
05/06/2026 18:31 Berlin (actually 20:00) -> 06/06/2026 10:00 Paris Nord (actually 12:30)
Part of the journey was operated by bus instead of the promised overnight train.
For 2 people: 340 € round trip
A total disaster. Never again. I was really looking forward to taking the overnight train, but we faced last-minute changes and truly unpleasant travel conditions. Here are the details:
1) 2 days before departure: email announcing a change of departure station for the outbound trip—Bercy Seine bus station instead of Gare du Nord.
2) Change of schedule: 4:00 PM from Bercy instead of 5:45 PM from Gare du Nord.
3) Change of transport mode!! A bus from Paris to Brussels, then an overnight train from Brussels to Berlin. No functional toilets on the bus. No children under 4 allowed on the bus.
4) On the sleeper train at 9:30 PM: no functional toilets in our carriage, so we had to go to other carriages, even in the middle of the night, to find working ones.
5) The onboard staff, though very friendly, were as lost as we were. In particular, they didn’t know how to handle the lower berths, so people using them had less space (armrests and backrests). Berth numbers weren’t respected, so some passengers had to move. The staff also didn’t know who was supposed to join the compartment during the journey.
6) Arrival at 7:30 AM in Berlin instead of 10:00 AM. No arrival announcement. Passengers had to search for staff to get breakfast and ended up with just a coffee (breakfast = 15 €, not bad for just a coffee).
7) Return trip: drastic schedule change announced by email on 26/05/2026—departure at 7:30 PM instead of 6:30 PM, with arrival between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM in Paris instead of 10:00 AM. No change in transport mode announced.
8) Change in transport mode announced by email on the same day (05/06/2026)!! Overnight train from Brussels to Berlin, then a bus from Paris to Brussels. No functional toilets on the bus. Children under 4 banned from the bus, and families in this situation were asked to find another way—after being notified the same day.
9) The overnight train arrived at Berlin station with a 30-minute delay on top of its initial delay (scheduled for 6:31 PM, then 7:30 PM, finally arriving at 8:00 PM). The heating was blasting in the compartment with no way to turn it off. No functional toilets in the carriage. From that point on, customer service stopped responding to my messages.
10) Woken up at 5:00 AM with an announcement in all carriages about arrival in Liège.
11) Woken up again at 6:00 AM to be told we’d arrive in Brussels at 7:00 AM.
12) Arrival in Brussels at 7:00 AM and a one-hour wait for the bus to Paris. No functional toilets on the bus.
13) Arrival at Paris Nord at 12:30 PM, so 2.5 hours late compared to the originally scheduled time.
14) The overnight trains used are very old—I recognized the carriages from 20 years ago!! No functional power outlets, no Wi-Fi, no air conditioning. Five people per compartment is a bit cramped, but I consider these conditions expected (especially the air conditioning), so I’m not complaining about that. There’s already plenty to gripe about with the travel conditions.
I have little hope of getting even a partial refund. Customer service emails acknowledge the discomfort but only offer to reimburse the cost of a coffee on board if we send them the receipt... a bit weak.
I’m sharing this experience in the hope it might help others.
Hi there,
I’d like to take the Train of the Clouds from Lima to Huancayo.
I’ve heard it only runs during certain periods.
Does anyone have info on this?
Thanks!
HuancayoHuancayo
As part of my professional thesis, I’m conducting a study on the evolution of long-distance rail transport in France, particularly since it opened up to competition.
I’ve put together a very quick (about 5-minute) and completely anonymous questionnaire. Your answers will help me better understand users' expectations regarding pricing, frequency, and environmental impact.
We’re planning a 15-day trip to Uzbekistan in March—classic independent itinerary: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. We’d like to take the train between each city, but I don’t want to lock down the whole trip before we leave.
So, my question is: is it absolutely necessary to book train tickets before departure, whether for the high-speed trains or the regional ones? Is booking really essential for the regional trains?
Hello,
We’re traveling as a family with two boys aged 10 and 12 to Cairo in February. During our trip, we’re planning to take an overnight train (with or without a sleeper) for the Cairo-Aswan route.
Do you know how I can book this remotely?
Also, I’m looking for:
- A local contact to sail the Nile by felucca for 3 days from Aswan
- A contact to guide us in Cairo
Looking forward to your tips, and thanks in advance!
Marie
Hi everyone,
I first traveled solo to Japan in 2019, exploring the Kyushu region (28 days), and I’m planning to return with my daughter (she’s an adult and it’ll be her first time in Asia) from April 25 to May 9.
I’m reaching out on this forum to ask for route ideas—this time north of Tokyo, but without heading to the Sapporo island (I’m saving that for a future trip).
I’d love to take advantage of the cherry blossom season and its festivities.
I’m looking to create a route that’s a little off the beaten path while staying within 5-6 hours by train from Tokyo to avoid spending too much time on transfers.
Thanks in advance for sharing your suggestions and experiences!
Michael
I'm heading to MEXICO IN NOVEMBER 2025. Since private guides and drivers are really expensive—over 300 € per day—I'm thinking of exploring the Yucatán by train. CAN YOU SHARE ANY INFO ON THIS? Thanks
Hi there!
We’re planning to visit Serbia (1 week) and then Montenegro (2nd week) with our kids from April 18 to May 4. We’d prefer to travel by train (overnight if possible), but we’re not sure which platform to book on or when to do it (is it too early?). If anyone has any tips, I’m all ears!!
I wanted to know if it’s possible to go from Tashkent to Almaty by train without passing through Kyrgyzstan. I’ve heard the border is often closed 😕 between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Thanks in advance!
Olivier
Hi there!
We’re planning to head back to Istanbul next year—obviously by plane—and then take the train from Istanbul to Antalya. Has anyone here already made this trip by train with TCDD?
I’d love any tips or info that could be useful for us!
I'd like to go to Montserrat on my own from Barcelona. Share your suggestions with me.
Which train should I take, where to get off, what to see once I arrive, etc.
I need to take a sleeper train from Bangkok to Vientiane in January.
I found some ticket options on 12Go Asia, but booking doesn’t seem possible at the moment. I’ve tried simulations for several dates, but no luck.
I’m wondering if it’s already fully booked, if they’ve stopped selling tickets… yet 12Go still features it every day 😕
Has anyone else run into this issue?
Can I find tickets on another site? (I tried Baolau, but no sleepers left for January 8th.)
Hi there,
I’m a bit late to be worrying about this, but hopefully someone can help me before I leave.
Tomorrow afternoon, I arrive at Lyon Part-Dieu on the TGV at 5:50 PM and take the TER to Mâcon at 6:16 PM. Is a 26-minute transfer doable? Are the TGV and TER on the same departure board? And are they on the same platforms too?
I’ve been to Lyon before but never had to make a connection after arriving.
Thanks
I can’t seem to complete the payment for my trip on the IRCTC (Indian Railways) site. No matter which payment method I choose, my Visa card isn’t accepted.
Has anyone here managed to do it, and if so, could you share the method you used?
Thanks in advance!
Charlie
Starting November 15th, I’ll be arriving in Thailand, and during my stay, I plan to visit the north, around the Chiang Mai area, then head south to the Krabi region.
After Krabi, I’m planning to take an overnight train to Bangkok. I was wondering if there’s a train that leaves from Krabi or Trang, or if I absolutely have to go to Surat Thani?
Also, which official website can I use to book my ticket?
Next, since I’ll be arriving at dawn in Bangkok, I’ve planned to spend 2 days in Kanchanaburi. What’s the most convenient way to get there—bus or train? And if you know any companies or websites, that’d be great.
Hi there,
Does anyone know if there’s a bus from Luang Namtha to Boten to catch the train coming from China to Vientiane? If so, what’s the name of the company? Also, how long does the bus take to cover that distance? What’s the condition of the road like?
Thanks for your help!
Tom
I just realized there’s only one payment method accepted for booking the Mombasa-Nairobi express train ticket online: M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer service used in Africa. Would it be impossible to book as a European?
I’d love to know if any of you have recently eaten on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
We’ve always ordered food on the train, and it was really good (and super convenient).
But in 2022, we ended up feeling like total idiots (with our 4-year-old daughter...) when we boarded the train only to find out that this service was no longer available... (It was the first time we’d traveled right after COVID.)
That’s also when we saw once again how kind Thai people are—they all offered to share their food with us, even though we were mortified. In the end, we managed to buy some instant noodles, which was better than nothing. Anyway, that’s the little story behind it.
In the following years, we’ve always brought our own meals.
I’ve read online that meal trays are back in service (could you confirm this, please?), but that the quality is really poor. I’ve also seen multiple reports that, even though you can eat well everywhere in Thailand, the train meal was the worst food travelers had during their trip...
Could you give me a recent opinion on this?
We’ll be departing from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station—do you know if there’s anywhere to buy a meal there before boarding the train?
Thanks so much for your help,
and have a great Sunday!
We’re heading to Thailand in February 2026 and we’d like to take the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Can we book two first-class tickets? I’m only seeing second-class options.
Hi everyone,
For traveling in Rajasthan by train and bus, could you give me some info: where to buy tickets, cost, purchase locations, websites, etc.?
Any tips you have would be super helpful.
Thanks
We’re traveling to Java on October 23, just the two of us.
I’ve read that it’s best to book train tickets in advance on tiket.com.
Is that true, and how far ahead do you recommend?
Are the tickets changeable?
Hi everyone,
I’m planning to travel from Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk by train this summer but I’m a bit worried about crossing the borders. How does it work? Could anyone share their experience? (I’ve found quite a few accounts of people going *from* Russia *to* Mongolia, but entering a country is never the same as leaving it—especially in this context!)
Can anyone tell me how to book train tickets online? We're planning to travel from HANOI to HO CHI MINH CITY by train, making several stops along the way. I'd also like to find the schedules and the stations where the trains stop.
There are four of us, and we've already planned stops in HANOI / DONG HOI / HUE.
I’m heading to Japan for the second time with my 20-year-old son. During our first trip, we spent two weeks in Tokyo and Kyoto (plus the surrounding areas).
This time, we’re planning to stay in Tokyo for at least 4-5 days and then head to the island of Naoshima.
I’m looking for suggestions and advice:
Is getting to Naoshima from Tokyo complicated? If so, do you have any recommendations for a stopover somewhere? Given that we’d prefer not to move every day, we’d rather settle in one place and then explore on day trips...
Do you think it’s possible to do something like this:
5 nights in Tokyo (Shinjuku)
3 nights in Kyoto
2 nights in Naoshima (or is one night enough??) and if one night is enough, where could I spend a second night on the way back to Tokyo?
2 nights in Tokyo (I’d love your advice on staying in a different neighborhood—last time we stayed near Ueno Park)—keeping in mind we’re flying out of Narita.
I’m considering maybe skipping Kyoto, which I love but has apparently become *very* touristy...
Not really keen on Osaka... since we’ll already have done Tokyo as our "big city." I’d prefer towns where nature is present... (a bit like Kyoto, which offers all that...)
For info, we’ll be traveling by train.
Thanks in advance for all your suggestions and help!
I have one last little question:
Is cash still widely used in Japan, or not at all anymore?
We’re planning this *very* last-minute—I know! But we’d love to spend 4 days soon (within the next 10–12 days) on a city getaway with our young adult kids. Ideally by train, and for this short trip, we’d prefer not to spend more than 4–6 hours in transit, leaving from Lausanne (Switzerland). We’ve been considering Milan, Strasbourg, or Freiburg im Breisgau, but I’ll admit I’m feeling a bit lost...
Venice was our original plan, but the connection changes in Domodossola or Milan are making the travel time longer this year.
It’s peak summer, so there’ll be tourists and it’ll likely be hot, but oh well...
Any suggestions? We love wandering around, taking photos, exploring cities on foot, trying out restaurants, and keeping things low-key.