The World’s Longest Possible Train Journey Takes 21 Days

You might love trains, but do you love them enough to spend three weeks on one? If that prospect sounds exciting rather than daunting, consider the world’s longest possible train journey, measured by geodesic distance. First mapped out by train enthusiasts on Reddit, the route will take passengers 11,654 miles in about 21 days en route from Portugal to Singapore. This isn’t one continuous route with a particular company, but rather a patchwork of individual legs that may also require overnight stays — making it a trek that’s only for the most dedicated rail enthusiasts. But if we’ve piqued your curiosity, here are all the details of this epic cross-continental journey by rail. 

All Aboard

The journey begins in Portugal, near its capital and most populous city, Lisbon, before heading to Paris, where travelers are encouraged to stretch their legs before the first character-building portion of the trek: the 40-hour ride to Moscow. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, this portion of the journey currently isn’t possible as train routes are suspended from the EU to Russia. 

But if and when it becomes available again, the total trek across 13 countries from Portugal to Singapore will require seven different visas and set you back some $1,350 — a pretty penny to be sure, but similar to what you might spend on any number of long-haul flights.

Settling In

It takes more than a day and a half to get from the City of Light to Russia’s capital, which is also the most populous city in all of Europe, but that isn’t the longest stretch of the journey. That would be the 60-hour trek on the Trans-Siberian Railway line to Beijing. 

This segment is part of the world’s longest direct train route that does not involve changing trains, which covers a total distance of 6,346 miles from Moscow to Pyongyang, North Korea. During the leg to Beijing, passengers will have countless opportunities to look out the window and gaze upon all manner of natural beauty, while taking in the fact that you’ll soon be over the hump.

Final Destination

The final segment of this long, winding journey has only been possible since 2021, when Laos opened its first major railway. The Laos-China Railway will take you from Beijing to the Laotian capital of Vientiane via Kunming. From there, you’ll journey to Bangkok, where you’ll transfer to Padang Besar, Malaysia — the penultimate stop. 

By the time you reach your final destination, you’ll have passed through Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia, China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore — quite the baker’s dozen.

You’ll also have saved both money and a significant amount of CO2. Whereas an equivalent flight would have pumped 1.67 tons of it into the atmosphere, this journey emits just 0.08 tons. So, if you decide to take the journey when the entire length is available to travel again, or even just book one or more individual segments, you can take solace in the fact that your adventure is more eco-friendly, too.