Can you take a train to Bhutan?

Can I go to Bhutan by train?

Trains to Bhutan? A dream. Not quite, not yet. The iron horse doesn't thunder into Bhutan's heart... sad.

But! Reaching Bhutan’s border is possible. Think Siliguri, swirling mists and tea. Hasimara, closer still, a mere whisper away from Phuentsholing. New Alipurduar, another gateway.

• Siliguri: Gateway to the Northeast. Darjeeling’s toy train memories flood me.
• Hasimara: 17 kms? So close! A taxi beckons. My cousin Anju took that route last summer.
• New Alipurduar: The name itself…a new dawn for travel.

Trains. Then taxis. Or buses. Bumping along, a kaleidoscope of color and prayer flags. My grandmother's stories of Bhutan, a land untouched. That close. Trains almost. Imagine the journey, the Himalayas rising, closer, closer.

Can we travel to Bhutan by train?

Ugh, so, no, you can't like, get to Bhutan directly by train.

But it's not a total bust ya know.

Okay, so here's the deal: train to India, then road trip it.

• You take a train to stations near Bhutan.
• Think Siliguri, Hasimara, or New Alipurduar.
• From those spots, grab a taxi or bus.

Hasimara is super close; only like 17 kms from Phuentsholing, which is like the border town. Quick taxi ride! Sooo easy! My aunty used to do this all the time when her kids were little! She loves that place. Its crazy to visit sometimes. My niece wants to visit it every year, gosh! I think I could. It's a fun way get there, ya know. I need to plan one soon.