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Beyond Canada · International rail
Rail journeys across Asia.
Bullet trains through Japan, jungle rails in Vietnam, and the Trans-Siberian east.
Asia is the most diverse rail continent on earth. Japan's Shinkansen runs to the second. China's high-speed network is the longest in the world. Vietnam's Reunification Express crawls along the South China Sea, and the Trans-Siberian still rolls across seven time zones from Moscow to Vladivostok.
If you want to feel a continent change underneath you, Asia is the rail trip. You can wake up to rice terraces, finish lunch in a megacity, and reach a mountain monastery before dark.
The headliners
Signature Asia rail.
- The Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Kyoto — 320 km/h with Mount Fuji on the right.
- The Eastern & Oriental Express between Singapore and Bangkok.
- Vietnam's Reunification Express, Saigon to Hanoi, in a soft-sleeper berth.
- The Qinghai–Tibet Railway climbing to 5,072 m with oxygen at every seat.
- The Trans-Mongolian — Beijing to Ulaanbaatar to Moscow in two weeks.
When to go
The right window.
- ·March–April: cherry blossoms across Japan and Korea.
- ·October–November: dry season in Southeast Asia, autumn colour in northern China.
- ·Avoid Golden Week (early May) in Japan and China — bullet trains sell out.
Booking notes
How to book it.
- ·Japan Rail Pass: must be purchased before arrival for the best value.
- ·China rail: book 14 days ahead through Trip.com or 12306 with your passport number.
- ·Southeast Asia: soft-sleeper cabins go first — book 2–4 weeks ahead in peak season.
Practicalities
The boring but useful stuff.
Plug types
Varies widely — bring a universal adapter
Common ticketing
JR West, 12306, Trip.com, Eastern & Oriental Express
Time zones
Plan for 1–7 zones depending on route
FAQs
Asia rail, answered.
Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it in 2026?+
After the 2023 price hike, only if you're doing 3+ long bullet-train legs. Run the numbers against single tickets.
Can I still do the Trans-Siberian?+
Politically complicated as of 2026 — most travellers now do the Trans-Mongolian variant via Beijing, Ulaanbaatar and into Central Asia.
Are Asian sleeper trains comfortable?+
Soft-sleeper class (4 berths) in China and Vietnam is clean, bedded and a fraction of the price of flying.
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