2012: My longest train ride was 22 hours, from Penang, Malaysia to Bangkok, Thailand. I started in Kuala Lumpur, taking an overnight train to Butterworth Penang, which took me 8 hours. Then I had to wait another 8 hours for the next train to Bangkok, so if you sum it all up, the whole journey took almost 40 hours! You can get from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok in 3 hours by flight. But there are always crazy people in the world who would do it the harder way.
The train was very basic. Bathroom was tiny. I was sat with an American guy, and he had the bottom bunk which was more expensive because you get a window. I had the cheaper top bunk which was more like the overhead compartment where you would stow away your luggage.
Because food was expensive on the train, we shared bread and tuna and a mango. It was an awesome experience, one that I would love to try with a loved one someday.
