Korean Job Discussion Forums

Infoseeker · Joined: 06 Feb 2003 Location: Lurking somewhere near Seoul

http://travel.guardian.co.uk/ecotourism/story/0,,1930896,00.html

I have made parts of this trip by train already - but I would love to do the whole hog!

mateomiguel · Joined: 16 May 2005

i want to take a slow boat to china and then the slow train to europe when I got home. Looks like it takes alot more money than flying though. about $4,200 for her trip!

soviet_man · Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Location: Seoul

4.2 million is much too high in my opinion.

Think of the budget:

$400 US - Flight Seoul to Beijing (or by ferry).
$475 US - Train Beijing to Moscow via Mongolia.
$205 US - Train Moscow to Helsinki.
$150 US - Chinese, Mongolian and Russian Visas.
$100 US - Food.
$200 US - Hostel Accommodation.

So the overland trip (Seoul to Europe) can be done for about 1.5 million (one-way) if you budgeted tightly. Perhaps even as low as 1.3 if you took the ferry, found a cheap hostel and got a local to buy your Russian rail ticket.

So that would only be marginally higher than an airfare.

mateomiguel · Joined: 16 May 2005

last time I went home in August the round-trip ticket cost $1400. So that is just about twice as expensive.

Yeolchae · Joined: 24 Aug 2006

You would have to compromise on not using the train all the way.

I went from Singapore to the UK but I had to use a mixture of Buses boats and planes.

It is difficult to get from bangkok to china by train. All the rest of the route would be fine though.

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005

twoofus · Joined: 19 Nov 2005

I just recently watched a downloaded version of a BBC Documentary called 'The Lost Road: Overland to Singapore.' It was actually a reminiscing of the original documentary. Download it (it's less than an hour) here: http://www.mininova.org/tor/331750

It was fun and inspiring, if you haven't seen it you might enjoy:

"A car journey with a difference as those involved in a madcap expedition
to drive halfway round the world in 1955 look back at their exploits.
Involved in the project was a young TV producer, none other than David
Attenborough, who was persuaded to provide the equipment to record the
journey.
The team travelled in twin Land Rovers, going through areas such as a
peaceful Beirut, Iran, Nepal, India and Burma, much of it now
unrecognisable from what was recorded on film at the time.
Using the original footage, the 50th anniversary of this incredible journey
is celebrated by Sir David and those who took on the daring trip."
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