engineer_tom
Traveller
25 comments
Posted 11 years ago
I know this is insane (and not particularly to do with interrailing), but the other day I was wondering just how far it is possible to go by train, so I started playing around with a round the world itinerary.
Turns out getting from the UK to Vladivostok just about the eastern most point in Asia is remarkably simple and quite fast. It is also quite easy to go from LA (a handy US west coast port) to Halifax (a handy Canadian east coast port); this only left getting across the oceans. Here is where I came to my first big question mark about the purpose of the trip, 'Is flying across the ocean cheating’; I decided it was this leaves only one option sailing.
I then by digging around found out there is a hidden but perfectly legitimate industry in passengers travelling on board cargo vessels, this isn't hiding in a container, but rather staying in a cabin and eating with the ships officers etc. This lead me to need to be in Japan as there are very few options leaving eastern Russia, a handy 2 day ferry and a day travelling across Japan by train solves this.
This is what i have so far:
Portsmouth
Train - National
London
Train - Eurostar
Brussels
Train - Inter-City Express
Frankfurt
Train - Sleeper
Moscow
Train - Trans-Siberian
Vladivostok
Ferry - Eastern Dream
Sakaiminato
Train - Japan Railways
Sendai
Cargo Ship - Japan China Express (Hapag-Lloyd)
Los Angeles
Train - Southwest Chief (Amtrak)
Chicago
Train - Little Shore Limited (Amtrak)
New York
Train - Adirondack (Amtrak)
Monteral
Train - The Ocean (Via Rail)
Halifax
Cargo Ship - A Service (Hapag-Lloyd)
Liverpool
Train - National
Portsmouth
Travelling time would be approx. 40 days.
I was just wandering really has anyone attempted this before or if anyone really has any opinion on, or comments they would like to give about this idea?
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
I wanna do this! :D
Well...in fact it seems really quite simple to do this. I havent heard or read about anybody attempting this though. I wonder what the costs for the passages onboard the cargo vessels are? I have read about this but didnt do much research as I personally would like to focus on Europe for at least a few years to come before attempting (rail) trips in the rest of the world.
As a bit of inspiration a pic of the Eastern Dream in a report about a trip to the far east in another forum: [u]http://www.drehscheibe-foren.de/foren/read.php?30,6317298[/u]
Tomthebear
Traveller
138 comments
Wow! Sounds amazing! I wanna join!
Those 40 days, is this the time spent on the tracks /vessels? Or does it include a stay at all those destinations, to do a bit of sightseeing?
I think the passages on the ships will be the most expensive. My father always wanted to do such a trip, and ordered tons of info material. Those 3-4 week trips from Europe to the Americas are really expensive, around 3000€.
But I would also prefer taking a ship.
engineer_tom
Traveller
25 comments
Time wise it is close to 36 days travel time I think, the ocean crossings can be done in 10 days for the Pacific 7 for the Atlantic (that is checking cargo routes so may vary depending on company etc) I have seen people estimate 50usd a day for it as well, so might be a reasonably cheap option.
The start and end points on each continent are dependent on the route the ship travels, that then adds travel time getting to Japan etc, below I have laid out the rough time allocation I have come up with.
London to Moscow 2-3 days
Moscow to vladivostok approx 8 days
Vladivostok to port A 2-3 days
Port a to port b approx 10 days
Port b to port c (us leg) 3-4 days
Port c to port d approx 7 days
Port d to london 1 day
Total 36 days
Tomthebear
Traveller
138 comments
When are you planning to do it? Still searching for travel buddies?
engineer_tom
Traveller
25 comments
At the moment it is a distant hope to be able to do it, I only get 28 days a year holiday from work, also it is out of my budget as I would need £3000 - £5000 (that includes a £1000 emergency fund to cover a plane ticket from anywhere in the world to home). So at the moment I am just playing around with the idea, but if I do suddenly become able to attempt it I would need at least 6 months of detailed planning.
Realistically I am looking at Christmas 2014 as the first window I have to do it in.
engineer_tom
Traveller
25 comments
I have spent the last 6 months researching and I am now trying to get funding for a team of four to try and attempt this in an 'Around the World in 80 Days' style challenge.
After talking with many different people about this proposal they have all been astonished by the fact that I think it is possible, followed by a realisation on how simple it actually is when you explain the proposed route. This has driven me to try and change this from just a personal journey to more of a public demonstration on the fact that you can travel long distances without flying. To this end I am hoping to, as part of the team, include people who can help pass the message on, as well as create a website etc to promote it.
I am currently about to start a crowd-fundraising campaign to get £5000 to cover initial admin costs, research, website hosting, deposits etc which will then allow me to take this forward. The long term plan is after this initial funding to attempt to get corporate sponsors to help out with stage two funding of £7000 which will cover the remaining cost of the travel for the team, and then a final push either from corporate sponsors or crowd funding to get the £8000 needed for the emergency fund and to feed and equip the team.
Any thoughts? Once I get a website or blog up and going I will post the details.
Tomthebear
Traveller
138 comments
Need another teammember? Sorry, I can`t help in running a website, but I really would love to join.
klemen_m
Traveller
36 comments
Is this still relevant (crowd-funding and all) or dead in the water?