Are you planning to travel to Myanmar anytime soon? Check this train travel guide to the country, including how to buy train tickets online in Myanmar for the Yangon to Mandalay route.

If you are adventurous enough to visit Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, you should probably check the trains in the country. Myanmar has been just recently opened to foreigners, and its railway history begins when it was still a British colony, in the XIX century.

Tourism in Myanmar Overview

Being until recently a country closed to foreigners, due to its long lasting dictatorship, Myanmar remains relatively untouched. The country received about 2 million foreign tourists in 2013. which is about 15 times of what its neighbor, Thailand, receives.

Most citizens of ASEAN countries can visit Malaysia for short periods without a visa, while most Western tourists need a visa. The good news is that Myanmar offer a 28 eVisa system, which currently can be picked up on arrival at the country’s main airports. The Myanmar eVisa is especially good as it allows visitors to avoid the usual hassle involving visiting an embassy or sending documents by post.

Once you get into Myanmar, you can enjoy its exotic and unique train network. It’s important to point that unfortunately you cannot travel by train to Myanmar, as there is no international railways lines currently connecting Myanmar with its neighbors.

Another convenient way to travel in the country is by bus. However, some distances can be

How to Buy Bus and Train Tickets Online in Myanmar (2019 Update)

Since I have written this post two years ago, the tourism infrastructure has improved a lot in Myanmar. The improvements are both in terms of offline infrastructure, but also online. Nowadays for example it is possible to buy train tickets, and also bus tickets in Myanmar online.

That applies to the Yangon – Mandalay route, but also to many other routes. You can also buy tickets from Mandalay to Bagan, and you can now buy online bus tickets for many destinations in Myanmar.

You can click buy train and bus tickets online in Myanmar using Bookaway. It is also a good idea to do it, as you can plan your trip in advance and browse for the ticket which is most suitable to your travel needs.

Below you can search the options for bus and trains available from Yangon to Mandalay, with live prices.

Trains in Myanmar (Burma)

The Railway network history in Myanmar is one of the most uniques in Asia. It started when the British build the first railway tracks in Myanmar, then Burma, in the second half of the XIX century.

Across the years the Death Railway, which once connected Myanmar to Thailand became one of the most famous in Asia. It was built by the Japanese during World War II and used forced labor of many prisioners of war, including Americans, British and Dutch.

Trains from Yangon to Mandalay

There is an “express train” from the country’s capital Yangon to Mandalay, running a few times everyday. Even if the distance is just 650km, the train network in the country is very obsolete, and the journey takes roughly 15 hours. The advantage of the train compared to the bus is that you can sleep much more comfortably on it.

Hotels in Yangon

BEST WESTERN Chinatown Hotel – an excellent choice in one of the most central areas of Yangon.

Clover City Center Plus Hotel – a hotel offering great value for the money in Yangon.

Hotels in Mandalay

Mandalay City Hotel – a great hotel in Mandalay with a swimming pool.

Royal City Hotel – an affordable option just a 5 minutes ride to the Mandalay Railway Station.

If you are traveling to Mandalay by train, click here to check hotels in Mandalay on Booking.com.

Traveling to Asia? Check our Asia section with amazing guides to this exciting continent.

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Even if Lithuania is a full EU member and also a Schengen member, the country has a modest train infrastructure. The trains tracks are mostly inherited from Soviet times and currently oriented to domestic train travel.

However one can still reach a number of cities and countries with direct trains from Vilnius, such as: Minsk, Kaliningrad, Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Vilnius Train Station

There is one railway station in Vilnius that handles all the national and international railway traffic in the city. The train station is located in the center of the city and at a walking distance to most of the city attractions.

I strongly recommend choosing a hotel close to the Vilnius railway station. Being close to the sttion and the center at the same time will minimize your transport needs.

Click here to check hotels near the Vilnius train station on Booking.com

There is also a supermarket in the main building of the Vilnius train station. It is working hours are quite long and it is very hand if you are leaving early or late.

Travelling by train from Vilnius often makes more sense if you are taking a domestic route, but here are the possible connections:

Train from Vilnius to Kaliningrad

This is probably the second busiest international train route passing through Vilnius, and it connects Kalinigrad, Lithuania, Belarus and the rest of Russia. There are from 1 to 3 frequencies per day.

Trains from Vilnius to Minsk

This is certainly the busiest international train route departing and arriving from Vilnius. Even if the distance of this route is relatively short (180 km) it takes roughly 5 hours of travel. The long wait is due to the necessary stop at the border between Lithuania and Belarus.

According to the site Poezdato.net tickets start at around 25 dollars.

Trains from Vilnius to Moscow

There are much fewer trains on this route and they are all part of the greater router between Kaliningrad and the continental Russia.

Tickets start at around 80 US dollars.

Trains from Vilnius to Riga and Tallinn

Even if there are plans in the future to build a Baltic railway, the project is called Rail Baltica and it’s due to operate in 2030.

Trains from Vilnius to Warsaw

In the past there were daily trains connecting Vilnius to Warsaw, but currently this line is not operated anymore. The same goes for the line Vilnius to Saint Petersburg, inactive as of march 2016.

Trains from Vilnius to Klaipeda and Kaunas

Unlike international railway lines, the domestic situation of trains in Lithuania is by far the most developed of all Baltic states. The new Pesa 730ML trains are being delivered in 2016, which reach speeds of up to 140 km/h. You can buy domestic train tickets online in Lithuania from the website traukiniobilietas.lt

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Traveling to Belarus? Let’s discover anything you need to know about trains from Minsk, including how to buy tickets online to travel in Belarus.

Minsk is the capital of Belarus and one of the least visited capitals in Europe. It’s rather unique political system closed to the west, makes of it one of the most secluded and exotic nations who once were part of the now extinct Soviet Union.

The visa situation in Belarus is constantly improving. Currently, many Western citizens can now travel visa free to Belarus if they arrive and depart from the Minsk International Airport. The biggest operator to the Minsk Airport is the national flag-carrier Belavia.

Trains in Minsk and Belarus

Even if Belarus is probably the most secluded nation in Europe with a fairly low GDP, it already counts with some of the most modern trains in the region, operating just in a small number of lines, yet showing that the train sector is well developed in the region.

The latest purchases from Belorussian Railways are trains from the Swiss manufacturer Stadler.

Belarus Modern Train by Ian Dimitryievich / Youtube

Train Stations in Minsk

The main railway station in the capital is the Minsk Passazhirski (Minsk Passenger Station) and is located in the heart of the city. Most international trains will call only at this station, especially those coming from / to the European Union.

How to Travel to Belarus by Train

Being a relatively small country, and currently no low cost airlines operating in it, Belarus receives many of its travelers, both from West and East through its train lines.

Belarus has fairly decent train connections with all countries it borders, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Ukraine, the only exception is Latvia, which lacks a direct connection to the country.

Here are the options if you want to travel to Minsk in Belarus from one of these destinations:

Trains from / to Minsk to Riga, Latvia

Probably the most poorly connected country with Belarus and bordering it is Latvia.

Trains from / to Minsk to Vilnius, Lithuania

There is a decent amount of trains running from Vilnius in Lithuania to Minsk in Belarus, most of them connect Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave in the Baltics to Minsk, Moscow, and other cities in Russia.

Trains from / to Minsk to Warsaw, Poland

Probably the best connected city with Minsk, if you want to travel to / from Minsk by train is Warsaw, as virtually all trains connecting Russia to Europe use the tracks between Minsk – Brest – Warsaw as part of the route. There is a sizeable number of trains on this route, and they are mostly parts of railway connections like Moscow – Paris, Moscow – Vienna and even extremely long routes like Moscow – Nice and Moscow – Sofia.

Trains from / to Minsk to Kiev, Odessa and Lviv, Ukraine

There is a far number of connections between Minsk and Ukraine, and nowadays, they are probably the best bet if you plan to do land travel between Ukraine and Russia. While the Minsk to Lviv train runs just once a day, connections to Minsk to Kiev are more frequent, and some of those trains continue all the way down to Odessa.

There is also one train connecting Minsk to Kharkiv and Zaporozhie.

Trains from / to Minsk to Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia

There are more than 10 daily trains connecting Minsk to Moscow. Many of them are legs of a longer trip as mentioned above. There are much less direct trains connecting Minsk to Saint Petersburg.

Train Conditions and Types of Ticket

Most international trains from or to the country’s capital have cabins and one or two railway agents controlling tickets at the entrance of each train car. Prices vary greatly depending on the number of beds (platzkarte / cupe) per cabin.

How to Buy Train Tickets for Belorussian Trains

You can buy tickets from most routes operating in and out of Minsk through the website Tutu.travel.

Alternatively, it is also possible to buy on spot at most larger train stations in Belarus. That includes central stations at Minsk, Gomel’, Grodno, Brest, etc. However, specially at the Minsk Passenger Station queues can be often long. For that reason, I would suggest buying tickets online when possible.

Other Resources for Travel in CIS

If you are traveling in Belarus you might want to check some of CIS countries guides. Check where to stay in Kiyv, Ukraine and the best places to stay in Moscow, Russia.

Train Travel Resources

Booking.com: the most complete website for finding hotels and accommodation anywhere.

World Nomads: if you are travelling abroad, you can get insurance from World Nomads. With a vast coverage in number of countries and activities, World Nomads is a great option for all traveler.

Jetradar: this is one of my favorite websites for buying airline tickets for flights for any destination in the world. Compare and book flights using it.

Train Travel Guide: in our railway travel guide, you will learn how to choose and ride the most scenic train routes around the world, always in the most comfortable way with optimal prices to enhance your travel experience.

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The European Interrail network is a popular way to travel across Europe for a flat fee for European travelers. For those outside Europe, the Eurail network is its equivalent. Its benefits to travelers are immense and British travelers almost lost the privilege to use its system.

On Thursday, August 8, Britain’s major rail organization – Rail Delivery Group (RDG) – retracted its decision to withdraw from the Interrail travel scheme. The organization originally announced 24 hours previous that it will be withdrawing from the scheme.

Details of the Decision

According to the bosses of RDG, they will be remaining in the scheme after “the strong reaction to news of our departure.”

The group had originally said they will pull out of the scheme to improve the ticket sales for BritRail passes. The passes allow travelers to travel around England, Wales and Scotland for a flat rate similar to how the Interrail charges tickets for trips across 31 countries.

RDG’s director of nations and regions Robert Nisbet also added that “Britain’s train companies never wanted to leave Interrail.”

“Following the strong reaction to news of our departure, we and Eurail, the company which runs Interrail, renewed talks. We are pleased to be able to tell passengers that we have reached agreement and will be remaining part of both the Interrail and Eurrail passes.”

In the previous decision, Nisbet said that BritRail is the “best option” for visitors. Aside from allowing travelers travel around Britain, BritRail also offers deals for the country’s 200 attractions, as well as use mobile tickets.

Eurail accused RDG of leaving the scheme to give the BritRail a competitive edge. Britain will also get all the shares from the sales of BritRail passes. Meanwhile, those who get the European rail scheme, the money from the purchases is shared between its members.

The withdrawal of RDG’s original decision comes after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps asked UK train companies to change their decision. Aside from Shapps, other political leaders also called the RDG to change its position, like Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson.

What is the Interrail?

The scheme began its operations in 1972. It offers young travelers to 21 years old the chance to travel around Europe for £27.50. Many travelers prefer to use it to get a discount as they travel around Europe. It is a tradition for many young teenagers to take a European trip.

If Britain continued with its original decision, European travelers will not be able to include the country in their European trip. They will also have the option to get a BritRail pass to go around the country.

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