Trans Eurasia, 2015

This page shows the photos of the train rides covered in the 2015 Pseudo Exchange. In this journey, I and my friend have covered 18257km of total overland mileage. Through interaction with people of different background on trains and in youth hostels, the experience is comparable to joining an exchange program. With the provision to overcome the language barrier, I learnt Russian on myself using printed matters, including exercises and news in the Russian Language, 1 year before departure on 10 June 2015.

1st Leg: Z98 Hong Kong to Beijingxi

Length: 2475km in 24h10m (at 2015 timetable)

Tickets obtained at Sha Tin MTR station.

2nd Leg: K19 "Восток" Beijing to Moscow (we disembarked at Irkutsk Pass.)

Boarding crossing at Manzhouli/Zabaikalsk

Length: 3808km in 66h10m

Tickets obtained at CITS, Beijing International Hotel (Tel: 010-65120507)

Price: RMB 2256

Day excursion on the century-old Circum-Baikal Railway

3rd Leg: 043 "Амур" Khabarovsk-Moscow

Length: 5194km (embarked at Irkutsk at 01:45) in 86h18m

Tickets obtained from rzd.ru

With speed up works, the time has shortened by 2 hours

4th Leg: 032 "Leo Tolstoy" Moscow-Helsinki

Length: 1103km in 14h17m

Tickets obtained from Russian Railways official website

5th Leg: Viking Line ferry Gabriella Helsinki-Stockholm

Length: 472km in 16h50m

Tickets obtained from Viking Line official website, 6 months from departure

6th Leg: X2000 train as 10529 service Stockholm C-Copenhagen H

Length: 661km in 5h10m

Tickets obtained from Deutsche Bahn website as Sweden special, abandoning the second leg

7th-9th Leg: Danish IC trains and German RE train
Copenhagen H-Fredericia-Flensburg-Hamburg Hbf
Length: 576km
Tickets obtained from Deutsche Bahn as Denmark special

10th Leg: ICE791 Hamburg Hbf-Berlin Hbf

Length: 298km in 1h46m

Tickets obtained from Deutsche Bahn website

*This train is cancelled, but many alternatives available

11th Leg: CNL1247 "Capella" Berlin Hbf-Munich Hbf

Length: 919km in 9h31m (the train has delayed 3h35m...)

Tickets obtained from Deutsche Bahn website

*CNL was closed down in 2016, some route taken by OeBB Nightjet. It is suggested to make a transfer in Hamburg

12th Leg: RJ63 Munich Hbf-Salzburg Hbf

Length: 164km in 1h28m

Tickets obtained from OBB website

13th Leg: RJ61 Salzburg Hbf-Wien West

Length: 303km in 2h22m

Tickets obtained from OBB website, 6 months before departure

14th Leg: EN235 "Allegro Tosca" Wien Hbf-Milano C

Length: 839km in 13h55m

Tickets obtained from OBB website, 6 months before departure

15th Leg: EC14 Milano C-Zurich HB

Length: 296km in 4h03m

Tickets obtained from Trenitalia website, 4 months before departure

*These EC trains were rerouted to Gotthard Base Tunnel since Dec 2016, cutting 1 hr off

16th Leg: TGV Lyria 9218 Zurich HB-Paris Gare Du Lyon

Length: 608km in 4h03m

Tickets obtained from Voyages-sncf, 4 months before departure at ticket sale

17th Leg: Eurostar 9015 Paris Gare du Nord-London St Pancras

Length: 487km in 2h26m

Tickets obtained from Eurostar website, 6 months before departure

18th and 19th leg: 1N81 and 1E18 London King's X to York

Length: 303km in 2h22m

Tickets obtained at Virgin East Coast, 1 week before departure (at Zurich!)

After this trip, I have compiled a trip report from August 2015 and is published in January, 2017. The report is now available at self-published books on this website.
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