The recent opening of the Boten-Vientiane rail line in Laos may not seem significant to us at first glance. However, it has made it possible to set a new record for the longest continuous railroad line in the world. As the travel experts on the social news service Reddit found out, you can now travel from Lagos in Portugal to Singapore by train with just a few stops in between.
The distance has been calculated at 11,654 miles (approx. 18,755 km) – a truly staggering figure – and it can allegedly be covered in just 21 days. Of course, this doesn’t include cross-city journeys – from one station to another in the same city – or longer stops. This is because the route passes through some truly famous European and Asian locations, such as Paris, Moscow, Beijing and Bangkok, to name but a few.
On its European leg, the record-breaking journey crosses six different countries, including Germany. Specifically, the travel experts recommend the Paris-Moscow Express, which runs via Frankfurt am Main and Berlin. Once in Moscow, passengers can also board the legendary Trans-Siberian train, which takes them across Russia to Beijing.
Unfortunately, COVID has made this adventure considerably more difficult. Due to the pandemic, Russia has restricted access across its border, so services such as the Paris-Moscow Express have been suspended. This also applies to the connection from Lisbon to Hendaye, although there are rumors that it may not resume once the crisis is over.
Of course, alternative rail routes can be found to get around the restrictions. However, as Moscow is a rail hub – the real gateway to the Far East – a workaround seems difficult. Consequently, eager travelers will have to wait to take this scenic route.
A train journey from Portugal to Singapore is definitely cheaper than you might expect. Travel expert Seat 61 estimates the cost at just over 1,700 Singapore dollars, the equivalent of 1106 euros. Perhaps something to save up for when the pandemic is over.