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Inspired by www.seat61.com, I've recently become intrigued by the possibility of doing a trip from London to Singapore mostly (except for Saigon to Phnom Penh) by train.
Running via Berlin, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Irkutsk, Ulan Bator, Beijing, Hanoi, Saigon, Bangkok, KL, Singapore, with a day or three at most of there.
Has anyone ever done this?
George Harris Member # 2077
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Can you actually do Phnom Penh to Bangkok by Rail? I know the rest of it is reasonably practical on scheduled trains, given enough time, but with a lot of tolerance on your part for a wide range of variations in amenities.
Not sure that the respective governments will allow a foreigner to do Saigon to Phnom Penh on the ground. Of course, even though the airport is still SGN, the official name of the city has been Ho Chi Minh City since the US left in the mid 1970's.
George
Kairho Member # 1567
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According to seat61.com there are no restrictions on train travel between Hanoi and Saigon. Of course, any prudent traveler would be aware of all immigration and transit issues...
Saigon to Phnom Pehn is not trainable, but by bus. And from Battamprathet to the Thailand border it is by bus or taxi (112 km).
As to Saigon vs HCMC, this from seat61.com: "In case you were wondering, Ho Chi Minh City is the name of the whole conurbation. The historic name 'Saigon' remains the name of the city centre, and it is 'Sai Gon' (and not 'HCMC') which appears in Vietnamese railway timetables and on the station nameboards." I learn something ever day!
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