Pros: Familiar; slow enough to let Triny get over her hangover before arriving.
Cons: Too many chavs; too slow; late departure.
Overall: 5/10
Waterloo
Pros: Fast (on French side).
Cons: Too many boring rugby conversations; slow (on English side).
Overall: 6/10
Paris
Pros: Very fast; very flash; very smooth.
Cons: Boooooooring; uncomfortable seats difficult to sleep in.
Overall: 6/10
Frankfurt to
Pros: Private cabin; comfortable; breakfast served in cabin.
Cons: Prisoner Cell Block H; sink too technical for us; door also too technical for us; breakfast.
Overall: 8/10
Prague
Pros: Comfortable; half empty; toilet not smoke-alarmed.
Cons: Juddery.
Overall: 7/10
Warsaw to Moscow
Pros: Comfortable; helpful cheery guard; morning coffee for Triny.
Cons: Depressing scenery; no double bed; confusing Russian border crossing
Overall: 8/10
Moscow
Pros: Smiley chef lady; toasty; good hot food; large bottles of beer for Triny; befriending scary provodnitsa
Cons: Narrow beds; sudden braking throughout; drunk/miserable Russians; ablution facilities.
Overall: 6/10
Irkutsk to Ulanbatar
Pros: 4-berth cabin to ourselves; met Dutch people who became travelling companions.
Cons: Far too early departure time; being in Irkutsk; long border crossing.
Overall: 6/10
Ulanbatar to Beijing
Pros: Mongolian restaurant car; first class compartment.
Cons: Really monotonous scenery; toilet facilities; 5 hour border crossing and wheel change.
Overall: 7/10
Beijing to Shanghai
Pros: Brand new train; legroom even in second class seats; 250km/h express.
Cons: No smoking for 10 hours; never actually reached 250km/h.
Overall: 8/10
Shanghai to Hong Kong
Pros: Civilised departure and arrival times; very posh cabin.
Cons: Passport control in Shanghai station rather than on the train; air conditioning too enthusiastic; creaky compartment.
Overall: 7/10
Bangkok to Hua Hin
Pros: Very Michael Palin; plenty of room; lots of hawkers selling stuff; hanging off the side of the train while smoking a cigarette.
Cons: Too many Westerners; not punctual.
Overall: 9/10
Hua Hin to Surat Thani
Pros: Plenty of room; free meal.
Cons: Old and decrepit; too much air-con; no charm; so late that we had to stay in Surat Thani for a night.
Overall: 5/10
Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
Pros: TV at the end of the carriage; very comfortable seats; comedy accent of train conductor.
Cons: Having to get off the train at the Singapore border to go through Immigration.
Overall: 8/10
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