Je prépare pour cet été 2010 la traversée LYON-PEKIN via le transmongolien. Puis sur place déplacement en chine ou traversé de la Corée du Nord au Sud.
Retour en avion en France depuis Pekin, Seoul ou Shanghai...
Pas de réservation, pas d'achat de billet à l'avance mais sur place pour l'hébergement (habitant et/ou hôtel) et à Moscou pour les billets.
J'ai déja pas mal voyagé en Asie en train et autre et trouve donc ce nouveau défi assez sympa et tout à fait réalisable.
Pour l'instant je n'ai aucune équipe pour ce périple (et elle n'est pas indispensable) mais je post quand même ce message afin de savoir si il y a des partants h/f pour cette aventure.
Il ne reste que 2 mois avant le départ (suffisant) juste pour se procurer les VISAS (Russie, Mongolie, Chine) env. 3 semaines.
Départ souhaité : début juillet 2010
Durée du trajet : environ 1 mois
Retour souhaité : avant fin aout (retour en avion depuis pékin ou Seoul)
Distance du trajet : env. 12 000km
Voila je suis donc ouvert à toute propositions sincères.
A votre dispo pour toutes infos.
Sa aurait été avec plaisir de faire un peu de chemin ensemble..malheureusement je pars quand vous revenez...et je ne peux pas prendre des vacances à la carte à l'armée..^^
J'ai prévu de faire suisse à St petersburg...une amie m'attend la puis sois en voiture ou en avion, , , jusqu'à mscou..(elle m'a dis que le train et l'avion coute env. 60 euros)
puis transiberien jusqu'a Ulan Bator, , , (seul) je resterais 2 semaines à vivre dans les yourths, , ,
Puis Pekin, , je resterais env 4 semaines en chine, , , (encore pas decidé du programme) puis un vol pour le japon, , , (mon cousin se marie a tokyo) j'y resterais aussi 3-4 semaines, , ,
Je me réjouis d'avoir vos impressions de ce magnifique voyage, , ,
A Bientot...
Le voyage nous enrichit bien plus qu'on ne le pense...
Tes dates ne correspondent malheureusement pas aux miennes, et c'est bien dommage car ca m'aurait tenté de rejoindre quelqu'un pour une partie du voyage. Je pense partir début août de Bruxelles, rejoindre Moscou en co-voiturage, bus et train en +/- 15jrs ( stop Berlin, Varsovie et Riga) puis OB etc ....
Je suis en train de me renseigner pour le visa russe, qui est un peu compliqué apparement et j'ai l'impresion qu'il va falloir prévoir un minimum.....
En combien de temps fais tu le trajet Moscou-OB?
Pour l'obtention du visa, as tu donné les détails de ton itinéraire ( entrée, sortie du territoire russe et les différents stop sur la route?).
Tu prevois de faire faire le visa Mongol a Oulan Ude?
J'ai pris un peu d'avance sur toutes ces formalités d'entrée. A savoir j'ai fais faire par une agence de VISA sur Lyon les visas nécessaires pour la Russie, la Mongolie et la chine.
En effet mieux vaut les faire à l'avance car il y pas mal de documents à fournir. Pour ma part c'est l'agence qui s'occupe de fournir les documents demandés moyennant quelques euros.
Renseigne toi tu dois avoir des agences spécialisées dans les visas, ils te diront tout de suite ce qu'il faut prévoir..
C'est dommage pour les dates mais je ne pourrai moi non plus les décaler ! En tout cas des deux côtés je pense que nous ferons les plus belles rencontres sur place durant le trajet.
Pour la durée du trajet je pars de Lyon le 9 juillet et arrive a Moscou le 12, puis je monte dans le transmongolien le 13 pour 7 jours de traversé jusqu'à Pekin.
Pour la reservation du billets j'ai préféré (aprés la lecture de plusieurs discussions sur différents forum) l' acheter en avance car ce sont des périodes assez pleines !
Pour infos tu peu reserver ton billet 45 jours avant le jour de ton départ.
J'ai trouvé une personne russe d'origine qui me facilitera la tache en appellant directement la centrale de reservation de billets de train à Moscou.
C'est plus prudent ainsi.
Maintenant tu peux tout à fait essayer de le prendre sur place, il y a toujours des désistements et tu trouveras forcement une place dans un des wagons.
bonjour
je suis contente de vous voir ici .
je suis etudiante chinoise.Cette ete , je voudrais faire le lyon -beijing en train pour retourner chez moi , mais maintenant
je ne sais pas comment faire au sujet de l histoire du visa de russie et les billets entrer moscow -beijing ...etc (cela fait bcp de questions)
je pense au trajet suivant:
Comme je vais faire le même trajet en septembre...je peux un peu t'aider, , ,
Tout d'abord...rien est impossible...^^
Pour les visas je pense qu'il faut voir avec une agence (visa russe très compliqué invitation, , , et n'oublie pas que tu passes en Mongolie)
Pour le billet Moscou - Peking...le sujet a été déja abordé des milliers de fois...tu as la possibilité de l'acheté par une agence de ton pays 3-4 fois plus cher que si tu l'achetes à Moscou même, , , (en esperant qu'il y a encore une place...et en été...très occupé...et ne sachant pas parler russe hic)
Je serai à Moscou avec une amie russe...je pense l'acheté en suisse, , , pour ne pas comprommettre mon voyage, , ,
Je passerai par Xi'an, , , peut être se croiseront...
Concernant ce trajet, je ne sais pas quand est ce que tu veux partir mais il va falloir aller vite car il y a un minimum de temps de 1 mois pour les visas, à partir d’aujourd’hui !
Je te conseil déjà d’aller à l’agence « LYON VISA SERVICE » http://www.lyonvisa.com/ à Lyon pour faire faire tes 2 VISAS :
- RUSSIE (prévoir 3 semaines de délai pour l’obtention du VISA) et env 80€
- CHINE : je ne pense pas que tu es besoin de VISA pour rentrer dans ton pays !
Pour info ma date de dépars est le 09 juilllet2010 et je pense rester jusqu’à mi aout en chine..
Pour les billets :
J’ai déjà un billet de train LYON-BERLIN (départ le 09 juillet à 07h et arrivée à 20h) et cette semaine je vais avoir le billet BERLIN-MOSCOU, car mon frère habite en Allemagne et peut acheter les billets à la Deutsch Bahn directement.
Concernant le billet du transmongolien je vais le faire acheter par une connaissance russe en Allemagne dés la semaine prochaine car il est préférable de réserver 45 jours avant !
Attention il faut que tu fasse très vite pour mettre une date à ton départ car il y a un minimum de préparation pour ce genre de voyage !
SI tu es décidé sur ta date, je peux t’aider à faire tout ce qui est formalité de VISA et te faire procurer tout les billets.
J arrive peut être trop tard mais je pars en australie en janvier et je souhaiterais prendre le train de France ( Lyon ) jusqu'à Shanghai ou j'ai un cousin qui m accueil pour quelques temps avant de rejoindre l'Australie en avion .
Qui a déjà fais ce type de voyage ( coùt / visa ... ) L'agence de Lyon dont tu parles gère t elle également de train ?
J ai fais ce trajet il y a 2 ans maintenant ou j ai tout organiser par moi meme. Visa russe ( 100 E)et mongol ( 50 E ) a Bruxelles et visa chinois en Mongolie ( 30 USD) .
J ai commencer a Bruxelles
covoiturage jusqua berlin
bus jusqua Vilnius
bus jusqua Moscou
1er train vers Kazan- stop 3j
2eme train jusqu'a Tomsk et Omsk - stop 2j
3ene train jusqua Krasnoiarsk - stop3j
3m3 train jusqua Irkutsk stop 5j
3eme train jusqua Ulaan Baatar
5eme train jusqua frontiere chinoise ( moins cher que de prendre un direct a Pekin).
J ai achete tous mes billets de TSB a Moscou La plupart (en Kupe) a la gare en arrivant puis les autres a en Mongolie et chine directement.
de Bruxelles a Shanghai ca m 'a pris 10 semaines ( 3 en Russie- 6 en Mongolie 2 en chine jusqua shanghai)
Pour ce que je me souviens avoir calculer au final, juste le prix des transports, ca m avait couter comme un billet d avion Paris Pekin... soit 700 Euros. ( plus 170 pr les 3 visas).
C est bien mois cher que ce que les agences vendent mais c est pas mal de boulot organisationel et aucun logement dans les ville stop est compris ( j ai utilise couch surfind de tt facon...)
Si j ai un conseil a donner c 'est Fait des stop! le train et les kms qui defilent c est genial et s arreter de tps en tps pr voir les differents aspect de villes russes c est encore mieux!! ( les 3 stop que j ai fais etait tres differents les un des autres....
Si tu veux d autres infos, hesites pas a envoyer un mail, ou vas sur mon blog : laroutedejulie.uniterre.com
Je suis donc bel et bien parti en Juillet Aout 2010 depuis Lyon avec le Train jusqu'à Xian dans le centre de la chine.
Total: 189h de train, 12000km, j'ai fait ca en 1 mois TRANQUILLEMENT !
Il ne faut donc surtout rien réserver comme billet, car il y a toujours des trains pour les villes d'a coté !! Bien sur si tu demande à Lyon un Billet pour Shanghai ils risquent de faire la gueulle.
Pareil si tu demande à des agences de voyages, elles n'y connaissent RIEN !!!
Tu te pointe à la Gare et la tu regarde ce qu'il y a comme train dans la journée, il y en a toujours un !
Tu peux bien sur te rendre à Shanghai depui Pékin sans probleme (attention en chine les trains sont vite plein et il faut attendre des fois 5 jours pour avoir une place assise !!!).
L'aventure risque d'être beaucoup plus belle en Hiver ! D’ailleurs c'est un voyage à faire en hiver !
Ne t'inquiète pas pour le climat, peut etre qu'il fera froid mais les Russe on l'habitude des froid rigoureux.
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
If any of you have already taken the Tren Maya, could you tell me if you’ve run into any difficulties upon arrival when trying to reach your destination city by bus: Valladolid, Mérida, Campeche, or Xpuhil?
Hi everyone,
First of all, thank you for all the valuable information you share—it’s really helpful.
My husband and I are heading to South Korea from September 19 to October 6. We know the timing might not be ideal because of Chuseok, but for various reasons, we didn’t have other date options. Plus, this period coincides with some festivals we’ve been eager to check out: the Andong Mask Dance Festival, the Jinju Lantern Festival, and the Hwaseong Festival in Suwon.
Here’s our tentative itinerary:
09/19: Arrival in Seoul
09/20: Bus to Sokcho – explore the city or short hike
09/21: Seoraksan Park
09/22: Return to Seoul
09/23–09/26: Seoul
09/27: Bus or train to Andong – explore the city
09/28: Hahoe
09/29–10/01: Gyeongju
10/01–10/03: Busan
10/03–10/04: Jinju
10/05: Bus/train to Suwon
10/06: Suwon
So here’s my question: Given that several of our trips fall during or around festivals, will it be possible to book bus/train tickets once we’re there, or is there a risk they’ll already be sold out? Specifically for Seoul-Andong, Busan-Jinju, and Jinju-Suwon.
I was thinking of booking everything on our first day in Seoul.
And if it’s better to plan ahead, how should we go about it? I can’t seem to access the Korail (letskorail) or Kobus websites.
Thanks in advance for your answers and help—and sorry for the long post! :)
I’m planning our very first trip to mainland France in January 2027. There’ll be 2 adults and 2 kids, and we’ll mostly be traveling by train.
Here’s our itinerary:
Paris
Rouen (Normandy)
Lyon
Aix-les-Bains (with day trips to Annecy and Geneva)
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (with Chamonix and a day in Aosta)
Back to Paris
Do you think this itinerary is well-balanced? Any tips, must-see spots, or mistakes to avoid for a first-time visit?
Hi! I’d like to make stops across France, starting from Reims, and travel by train using the Intercités. I want to discover the landscapes and picturesque villages, and make some stops along the way. Could you give me some tips? Thanks!
I’m planning a family trip in a year. Our goal: traveling to China (and maybe Hong Kong) by train.
I’m all set with the route up to eastern Turkey.
However, I’m just starting my research for the rest of the journey—namely the Caucasus (no trains as far as I know, so buses and/or ferries), then Central Asia and China.
So, I’d love to hear any info or tips (general and forward-looking at this stage) about the train route through Central Asia and China to reach the east coast.
I’m particularly interested in details on:
- How far in advance to book / any potential difficulties with reservations
- Whether there are PASS systems (or equivalent) between countries and/or if some tickets allow stopovers, meaning you can hop on and off as you please
- Day trains vs. night trains (the latter option lets you explore cities between two legs of the journey)
- A rough idea of ticket costs
...
A huge thank you to anyone who can share some info or experiences. It’s also a great opportunity to chat about adventure after (way too) many years away from this forum.
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
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.
