It's a challenge for adventure seekers and also for the old tradition of train travel. Until now, the the longest rail route involving Europe and Asia was the connection from Lisbon to Hanoi: 17 thousand km. An even longer connection is now established: more than 18,000 km, in 21 days. It goes from Lisbon to Singapore.
The departure railway station, instead of Santa Apolónia, is from Lagos station in the Algarve region, the touristic south of Portugal.
According to travel experts, the 18,755 km route takes 21 days.
The journey only recently became the longest rail trip on the planet thanks to a new 418 km line between Laos and China. From China’s Mohan station (in Yunnan), travellers will then be able to make it down to Singapore on a different train.
Lagos é um dos pontos turísticos mais famosos do planeta. Lembra muito as formações rochosas dos 12 Apóstolos na Austrália Source: Getty Images
The journey begins in Lagos, on the beaches of the Algarve, continues towards Lisbon, crosses Spain, enters France via Hendaye towards Paris.
Then comes Moscow, on the second longest journey of the route, surpassed only by the route from Moscow to Beijing, with more than seven thousand km.
It is in Asia that the route gets complicated. From Beijing we travel to Kunming, from where we head to the Chinese city of Boten, before crossing the new line to the capital of Laos, Vientiane.
De Lagos, em Portugal, até a Singapura: a viagem ferroviária mais longa do mundo Source: Reddit
Next on the route are Penang, Kuala Lumpur and finally Singapore.
The most economical rail trip costs 1100 euros for this 18,755-kilometre connection over 21 days.
It's an adventure – ant it is tempting.
Online version: Luciana Fraguas
