The longest journey in the world and other train routes

According to a study published in the journal Regional Environmental Change (2025), opting for trains instead of planes could avoid up to 662,000 tons of CO₂ emissions annually and offset up to 87% of the negative economic impact associated with the airline sector. The study itself reveals that a high-speed train generates only 23 grams of CO₂ per passenger, compared to the 192 grams emitted when traveling by plane. In short, traveling by train is one of the most sustainable vacation choices we can make. There are many options around the world, some of which involve long journeys that even create continents. Let's discover them.

California - Zephir

Chicago - San Francisco

• Duration: 51 hours and 20 minutes
• Long: 3,924 km
• It stops at: more than 33 cities such as Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City and Reno

Famous for being one of the most beautiful train routes in North America, the California Zephyr crosses almost half of the United States, seven states to be precise, from Chicago to San Francisco, passing through the great plains of Nebraska, the mountains of Colorado, and the deserts of Utah.

Train of the Clouds

Beijing-Lhasa

• Duration: 40 hours and 38 minutes
• Long: 3,757 km
• It stops at: Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Zhongwei, Lanzhou, Xining, Golmud, Nagqu and Lhasa

This railway, which connects the Chinese capital with the capital of Tibet, is considered the highest railway line in the world. In fact, 960 kilometers of rails are located at more than 4,000 meters above sea level, reaching a maximum height of 5,072 meters. To prevent passengers from experiencing altitude sickness, each car is equipped with oxygen supplies. The route also passes over the longest railway bridge on Earth, 11.7 kilometers long, over the Qingshui River.

Trans-Siberian

Moscow-Vladivostok

• Duration: 7 days
• Long: 9,288 km
• Crossing: 7 time slots
• It stops at: Moscow, Vladimir, Kazan, Nijni Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Novossibirsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok.

One of the most famous journeys in the world is the Trans-Siberian Railway, a week-long trip that departs from Moscow and crosses the Asian continent through Russia to Vladivostok. Along the way, travelers have the option of continuing their route to China through Mongolia on the Trans-Mongolian Railway, or taking the Trans-Manchurian Railway, which goes directly to the Asian giant.

Indian Pacific

Perth-Sydney

• Duration: 65 hours
• Long: 4,352 km
• It stops at: Cook, Adelaide, Broken Hill and Rawlinna

One of the most iconic journeys on the Australian continent is the one that runs between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. A train that crosses the country from end to end, between the cities of Perth and Sydney, and offers a unique opportunity to discover landscapes ranging from the vast Outback desert to the lush Blue Mountains.

The longest journey in the world (if you chain trains together)

Portugal-Singapore

• Duration: 21 days
• Long: 18,755 km
• It passes through 13 countries

If you want to connect trains to get as far as possible, you can start the route in Lagos, in the Portuguese Algarve, and reach Singapore.

Infographic on the role of the ARA Domingo