Hi all,

Following on from my UK to China train trip this year, which was absolutely fantastic, I am planning my next venture for '09.

I am planning travelling from Beijing to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and fginally Singapore.

Has anyone got experience of doing such a route? Are there things to watch out for in terms of border crossings etc?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Cambodia might be a problem. I'm unaware of any rail connections between Cambodia and neighboring countries. Thailand south to Singapore is a breeze by train though.

Yeah think I have to get a bus service from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Phen in order to catch the train to Battambang then get another bus out to Thailand....I think. I've heard/reaqd conflicting reports about train frequencies etc.

I think that you will find getting that train very challenging.
Here are the "main line" tracks near Battambang.

The boat trip down Tonle Sap in Cambodia is not to be missed.

static,

would u suggest an alternative to train?

chris

I would take the bus to Battambang (it's not far away), and stay overnight just so that I could take the bamboo train.

When water levels are right, the boat trip from SR to Battembang is spectacular, but from mid February until the rains come again it becomes problematic. Voyagers will be unloaded well short of Battembang and subjected to an excruciating 2 hour trip over indescribably bad tracks via unbelievably overcrowded 4WD pickup (I'm talking maybe 30+ people in a Toyota) . I have (seriously) seen grown people weeping after half an hour of this ordeal. I chose the boat and actually enjoyed, my wife took the bus, which provided an excruciatingly rough ride.
I don't think that the train from PP to BB runs anymore.
In short, rail travel in Cambodia is a bit of a non event, though I think that the PP to Sihanoukville train still runs (but so do the buses, and more regularly and more comfortably)