What is the furthest you have travelled by train in one day?

[Mr Penguin]

We're looking at going to Italy later this year and getting the train from Lincs.
The plan is to get a train at 6 or 7 to have lunch in Paris and then get the train to Milan which will get there around 10pm.

Is it possible to go further in one day? Sleeper trains excluded.

And are we going to regret not flying or splitting it up over two days?

[daqinggregg]

Last year, we decided to do a mix of flying and train travel, I really think we should have used the train as an option much earlier.

Train travel as a whole is a lot more relaxing and much less of a faff, stations tend to be in a central locations, none of the hassle of security.

A lot will depend on infrastructure and rolling stock, high speed trains, efficient and quick; downside too fast to appreciate the scenery.



Slow trains, lots of time to watch the scenery go by, very relaxing; downside, rolling stock tends to be old.



The last journey we went on by train, all trips done during the day; Kunming > Lao Cai (Vietnam) Hanoi > Vinh > Hue > Danang.

Mrs DG, is currently on holiday with her girlfriends, 52 hours (each way) by sleeper train.

Our longest recent, single daytime journey, just shy 1,500kms or 10 hours, not really a hardship.

However, I like to gaze out the window, so would prefer a slower train.

[xstian]

We went to Krakow by train in January. Norwich to Brussels, catch the sleeper to Berlin and then on to Krakow. About 30 hours door to door. We stayed in Berlin for a few nights on the way back.

I’m not sure I would be overly bothered about allowing extra time for Lunch in Paris, unless you know where you want to go.

If you do want to have lunch in Paris, I would then get the sleeper train to Italy.

[croyde]

When the Eurostar came out of Waterloo, which then was just down the road for us, we'd get the direct service to Avignon.

6 hours and it arrived in the station right in the city, not the TGV station outside the walls.

Great way to travel and 1st class wasn't so expensive. Wine and food included in the price.

[StuntCock]

I took the train from Barcelona to London a couple of years back, very efficient and easily done in a day. Also done London to the South of France by train, which, with road travel and airport waiting times taken into account, was only a couple of hours slower than flying.
Those French trains are FAST! Great way to travel.

[Dashnine]

Mr Penguin said:

Sleeper trains excluded.

Boo - have just done The Ghan, thought I was in a chance of winning this when I read the title! It doesn’t go very fast though, so overall distance over the days may not be that far.