Is there a train from Ho Chi Minh City to Lisbon?

Is there a train from Ho Chi Minh City to Lisbon? No direct line.

Determining is there a train from Ho Chi Minh City to Lisbon involves understanding complex international rail networks. Travelers face logistical challenges due to the absence of a single unified connection. Researching the necessary transfers ensures a smoother adventure and clarifies the requirements for this ambitious railway journey.

The Short Answer: Can You Actually Take a Train from HCMC to Lisbon?

There is no direct train service connecting Ho Chi Minh City to Lisbon, and there never has been. While the idea of crossing two continents entirely on rails sounds like the ultimate slow-travel dream, the reality is a fragmented patchwork of dozens of different national rail systems, high-speed lines, and aging sleeper cars. To reach Lisbon from Vietnam by rail, you would have to piece together a journey covering between 17,000 and 25,000 kilometers. ^[1]

This trek is often cited by rail enthusiasts as the theoretical longest train journey in the world. However, it is important to distinguish between a single ticketed service - which does not exist - and a self-planned expedition. In a practical sense, almost everyone traveling between these two cities chooses a flight, which typically takes between 17 and 20 hours including layovers. The train, by contrast, would consume roughly 20 days of your life if you traveled almost non-stop.

Mapping the 17,000-Kilometer Odyssey

If you were to attempt this today, your journey would begin at the Saigon Railway Station in District 3. The first leg is the most straightforward: the North-South Railway to Hanoi. This 1,726-kilometer stretch takes about 32 to 37 hours. I have spent 30+ hours on the Unified Express myself - and while the coastal views are stunning, your back will start to protest by the time you reach Hue. It is a long haul, but it is only the first 10% of the total distance.

From Hanoi, the route heads north into China. Historically, travelers took the international train to Beijing, then connected to the Trans-Siberian or Trans-Mongolian railways. The middle section of the trip - crossing Russia - is where most modern travelers currently face a brick wall. Geopolitical conflicts and border closures have significantly disrupted passenger services on the Trans-Siberian route for international tourists in 2026. What used to be a reliable, albeit long, bucket-list trip has become a logistical minefield of suspended routes and sanctions.

The European Leg: From Moscow to the Atlantic

If you managed to cross Russia into the European Union, the journey would accelerate. Modern high-speed networks like the TGV in France and the AVE in Spain can move you across countries in hours. However, the final stretch into Portugal is surprisingly difficult. Portugal and Spain have struggled to maintain robust cross-border passenger rail links. Even in 2026, reaching Lisbon from Madrid often requires regional trains rather than a seamless high-speed connection. It is the final irony of the trip: after crossing 15,000 kilometers, the last 600 kilometers can be the most frustrating.

Gauges, Borders, and Bureaucracy

One of the hidden hurdles of this trip is not the distance, but the track itself. Rail gauges - the width between the two rails - are not universal. Vietnam uses a 1,000mm meter gauge. China uses a 1,435mm standard gauge. Russia and former Soviet states use a 1,520mm broad gauge. Finally, Europe uses the standard gauge, while Portugal and Spain use an even wider Iberian gauge for their older tracks. This means the train you board in Saigon is physically incapable of rolling into Lisbon.

Every time the gauge changes, you either switch trains or the trains wheelsets must be mechanically adjusted in a time-consuming process. Then there is the visa hell. A typical rail route from Vietnam to Portugal requires transit through roughly 10 to 12 different countries. Depending on your nationality, you might need a Chinese visa, a Russian transit visa, and a Schengen visa for the European portion. Managing these dates while your train is delayed in the middle of Siberia is enough to give any traveler a panic attack.

I once missed a connection in Poland by 15 minutes, and it cascaded into a 24-hour delay - imagine that on a 20-day itinerary.

The Cost and Carbon Reality of 2026

Why would anyone do this? Usually, it is for the environment or the sheer adventure. Traveling by rail instead of flying can reduce your carbon footprint by 70-90% or more on many routes (depending on the specific trains, electricity mix, and whether radiative forcing for flights is included). For an 18,000-kilometer trip, that is a massive environmental saving.

But it comes at a steep financial price. While a one-way flight from HCMC to Lisbon might cost between 700 USD and 1,200 USD, the total cost of individual train tickets, visas, and food for 20 days can easily exceed 4,000 USD. You are paying three times more to travel twenty times slower.

Wait a second. Lets be honest. Is this actually a vacation? For 99% of people, the answer is no. This is an endurance test. You will be eating instant noodles in a cabin that hasnt been deep-cleaned since the 1990s, hoping that the border guard likes your paperwork. It sounds romantic in a blog post, but by day 12, the charm wears thin. You start dreaming of a 12-hour flight with a decent movie and a hot meal.

HCMC to Lisbon: Travel Method Comparison

Deciding between the theoretical rail journey and a standard flight depends entirely on whether you value the destination or the grueling journey itself.

Commercial Flight

• High - roughly 1.2 to 1.8 tonnes of CO2 per passenger

• 700 USD to 1,300 USD one-way

• High - one ticket, one or two transits, easy luggage handling

• 17 to 22 hours with layovers

Theoretical Rail Route

• Low - approximately 0.15 to 0.25 tonnes of CO2 per passenger

• 3,500 USD to 5,000 USD including visas and meals

• Extreme Low - dozens of tickets, multiple visa applications, gauge changes

• 15 to 25 days depending on connections

Minh's Failed Expedition to the Atlantic

Minh, a 32-year-old software engineer from Ho Chi Minh City, dreamed of reaching Lisbon entirely by land to reduce his carbon footprint. He spent six months planning, saving over 4,500 USD, and securing what he thought were all the necessary visas for a 2026 departure.

The struggle began early. After a smooth ride to Hanoi, he hit a wall at the Chinese border due to a minor discrepancy in his transit paperwork. He spent three days in a border town, eyes burning from staring at his laptop, trying to negotiate a solution with a local agent.

The breakthrough came when he realized that the traditional Trans-Siberian route was essentially closed to his specific passport type due to new 2026 regulations. He had to pivot, taking a much longer southern route through Central Asia, which added 5 days to his journey.

Minh finally reached Europe, but by the time he hit Paris, he was physically exhausted and 1,500 USD over budget. He eventually made it to Lisbon after 26 days, concluding that while the 90% CO2 reduction was a win, the mental toll was nearly unbearable.