Across Asia by train and bike

After many iterations of ideas for trips after my Ph.D., the moment is finally here and I have settled on a trip. I will spend the next 4 1/2 months traveling from my current home in Zürich to the far edge of the Eurasian continent. I will travel by train, bus, ferry, and bike. I decided on this kind of trip so that I could see everything along the way and to make a trip with a low carbon impact. Instead of a trip purely focused on biking, I chose to predominantly use trains so that I would have more time to see sights and interact with people along the way.

At the beginning of my trip, I have planned a detailed itinerary, but this gradually eases up to the point where, in Southeast Asia, I don't really have a plan at all other than to head south. I will share my itinerary here now and will keep this blog updated with stories from along the way.

The major cities along my route. A bit ironic to use the airport codes on a trip in which I am not flying, but so be it. This map was made at http://www.gcmap.com/

Itinerary

Part I: Northern Europe

Zurich, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Klaipeda, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki

Here I am doing a pretty standard European city trip, only spending a few days in each city. I have been wanting to see Copenhagen in particular, for a long time. Otherwise, I am keeping moving so that I can have as much time as possible in Asia.

mid July        Depart Zurich by train

                     Hamburg

                     Copenhagen
                     ferry from Karlshamm, Sweden to Klaipeda, Lithuania

                     Klaipeda
                     Riga
                     Tallinn

end of July    Helsinki

Part II: Russia and Central Asia

St. Petersburg, Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Astana, Balkash, Almaty, Kyrgyzstan

There is a lot to see in Russia, but I just wanted to focus on St. Petersburg and Moscow for this trip. I couldn't pass up a random stop in Siberia (Yekaterinburg). Then I am leaving the standard Trans-Siberian route to head into Kazakhstan. A friend flies into Almaty with two bikes and we plan to bike across Kyrgyzstan, through the Tian Shan mountains. We will spend two weeks biking and camping as we cross several high passes. The border to China is Torugart Pass, a dirt road across a 3750 meter pass. Then it is downhill to Kashgar in the Taklamakan desert.

early Aug.         St Petersburg

                         Moscow

                         Silk route train to Astana, with stop in Yekaterinburg

                         Astana
                         Balkash

2nd half Aug.    Biking from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Kashgar, China over the Tian Shan

Part III: China

Kashgar, Ürümqi, Zhangye, Qinghai, Xi'an, Schezuan, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Hong Kong

It's hard to appreciate how much there is to see in China before you travel there or start planning a trip there. I should have about 5 weeks in China, and I still won't have time for half the things I want to see. I want to focus on China's natural beauty in places like Zhangye Danxia, Schezuan, Zhangjiajie, and Guilin. I only pass through a few of the major cities: Ürümqi, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.

early Sept.     Kashgar

                      Ürümqi
                      Zhangye
                      Qinghai
                      Xi'an
                      Chengdu

                      Schezuan
                      Zhangjiajie
                      Guilin
                      Guangzhou
early Oct.       Hong Kong

Part IV: Southeast Asia and onwards

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia

From my limited experience in Southeast Asia, I already know that it is very easy to travel there without a plan. So that is what I plan to do over the course of two months. I want to see some of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. The exact route will be improvised along the way.

October        Northern Vietnam
                     Laos
                     Siem Reap, Cambodia

November    Thailand
                     Malaysia
                     Singapore
                     Indonesia

early Dec.     onwards flight from Singapore