Avez-vous déjà testé le train de nuit en Chine (1ère classe & 4 personnes par compartiment) ?
Nous sommes en train de regarder pour un voyage de 15 jours et 12 nuits (dont 2 en train avec dîner à bord: Pékin-Xian / Luo Yang-Suzhou) Est-ce que ce type de train est généralement à l'heure ?.
Pensez-vous que Chengde et Tongli soient des incontournables (ils ne figurent pas dans notre circuit) ?
Nous hésitons actuellement entre 2 tours operators. Notre départ serait fin mars 2006.
Merci pour vos infos.
oui plusieurs fois, rien à redire sur le train et les compagons de compartiments très corrects et des trains à l'heure, le voyage en train en chine plutôt de bon souvenirs, par contre pas testé le restaurant ; pour chengde c'est le palais d'été et son grand parc, des temples, une promenade rafraichissante que j'ai bien aimé, quant à tongli un joli village d'eau ver souzhou un peu préservé j'ai bien aimé, j'y suis allée en 2004 mais la chine cchange tellement tellement vite qu'aujourd'hui c'est peut ^tre rempli de touriste, maintenant est ce que c'est incontournable, je ne saurais être affirmative tout dépend du temps de chacun, mais si tu ne retournes pas une autre fois vers pekin c'est peut être un peu dommage de ne pas faire un crochet jusqu'à chengde ( c'est 1 nuit sur place ) voilà mon avis 😏
merci pour une réponse aussi rapide. Etes vous partie avec un tour opérator, si oui avez-vous été satisfaite des prestations ?
Nous hésitons entre 2 (voire 3 TO): Asia, Visiteurs en Asie et Rev'vacances. Chacun a quelquechose à proposer que l'autre n'a pas !
Merci pour vos conseils
De retour de Chine depuis une semaine, train de nuit et de jour, sans problème, pour la nuit prendre des chouchettes molles( compartiment de 4 personnes), de jour sur un parcours court, les sièges "dur" ne sont pas "insupporbales", l'ambiance y est nettement plus "typiques".
Un chose importante, il n'est pas possible d'acheter un ticket aller retour à la gare de départ, le "retour" s'achete dans la gare d'arrivée, mais attention ne pas sortire de la gare, car pour y entre il faut un ticket qui s'achete dans la gare.......Exprérience vécu il y a 15 jours a Chengde.
Il n'est pas "trop difficile" de se ballader a deux en Chine sur les parcours "touristiques", un bon guide, un peux de patience, et en générale ca roule. Donc le voyage en groupe peux être éviter.
Très beaux voyage a vous.😏
La Chine etant encore un Etat a la doctrine communiste... il n'y a pas de premiere classe mais la classe des couchettes molles. Couchettes tres confortables, sur les trains avec un numero commencant par T notament. Par exemple, les nouvelles rames sur Shanghai Pekin contiennent presque toutes des ecrans individuels a chaque lit des compartiments couche-mou.
La nourriture est reputee excecrable cependant donc je ne m'y suis jamais aventure...
Chengde est tres bien, impressionnante par rapport aux palais pekinois. Lisez les recits de voyage de l'ambassade de McCartney envoye par le Roi d'Angleterre aupres de l'empereur chinois a la fin du XVIIIe et vous aurez envie de faire ce petit crochet.
Tongli etait toujours assez peu touristique en aout dernier. vous pouvez y passer 2 ou 3 heures et prenez un taxi depuis Suzhou (negociez a 90 yuan, 100 yuan max) pour ne pas perdre de temps et profitez quand meme des charmes de cette cite, si le temps est ensoleille.
Merci pour ces infos. En ce qui concerne la nourriture dans le train, on verra car comme c'est un circuit, tout est inclus... surprise donc !
J'espère que nous pourrons faire une escapade à Chengde et Tongli (ces 2 endroits ne figurent pas dans le circuit que nous pensons choisir !)
Les gares tres organisee (comme dans les aeroports on doit attrendre en salle d'attente que le train arriven pour aller ensuite sur le quai).
On a fait couchette molle et dure.
Les 2 OK en couchette molle il n' y a pas de compartiment, tout est ouvert (c'est plus aere surtout quand tu voyage dans le sud de la chine ou il fait chaud.)
Il nous est rien arrive et c'est "safe", Bien sur tes affaires importante (argent passport...) tu les gardes sur toi.
En couchette dure il y a trois couchette superpose. Dans celle du haut (la moins chere) tu ne peux pas rester assis (pas de place) donc c'est vraiement juste pour dormir. Celle du bas tu risque de la partager durant la journee...(Extension des lumieres a 22h00 !!! et reveil a 7h00 avec la musique...)
La nourriture pas essaye. Mais tu peux acheter (dans les gares aussi) des nouilles ou autres repas et tu mets de l'eau chaude (disponible dans les trains).
Par contre il faut (si tu ne parle pas le chinois) arriver a la gare avec le nom de ta destination ecrit en chinois. Fait toi des petite fiche avec des pharses ecrite en chinois (Je voudrais 2 places pour ... couchette dure/molle avec le train ....). Il y a des gens qui sont parti dans la direction oppose parce que ils avaient mal prononce !
Une fois (a Datong) on a pas pu (ou bien, on nous a pas voulu nous vendre...) acheter un billet pour aller vers le sud. Du coup on a du se rabattre sur le CITS (qui prends une petite commission au passage).
Les hotels peuvent t'acheter les billets de train (prennent aussi une commission mais cela evite de perdre du temps).
De meme pour les hotels faut avoir l'adresse si possible en chinois.
Il y a (presque) tout le temps des consignes donc tu peux visiter une ville durant la journee et prendre le train de nuit suivant.
Si tu vas a Pekin et ensuite a PingYao arrete toi a Datong (grottes boudhiques et monastere suspendu) a ne pas rater et on a trouve plus chouette que les soldats enterres a Xian).
Pas besoin de prendre un tour organise(pour la chine) si tu es un peu debrouille en revanche les tour (a la journee) avec des chinois peuvent etre interessant si tu n'as pas de temps.
Pres des gares les taxis ne veulent pas (parfois) mettre le compteur. Dans ce cas il faut marcher quelque centaines de mettre et chercher un taxi.
Alors la couchette du haut en dures.... On y monte une fois, on descend, mais après on reste en bas si on est grand, parce que c'est carrément acrobatique....
Pour les gares, c'est bien de surveiller les stations en ayant imrpimé ou noté le trajet, par exemple à partir de :
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/index.htm
Bonsoir,
Merci à Ruben et Tatra pour vos explications et conseils. Notre décision est prise, nous partons avec un TO fin mars pour 2 semaines (nous ne nous sentons pas suffisamment "courageux" pour partir seuls). Nous allons nous laisser guider et attendons avec impatience la découverte d'une petite partie de ce grand pays.
A bientôt sur ce forum.
Claude
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.
