The joys and idiosyncrasies of global train travel (with Monisha Rajesh)

“Riding trains offered a great chance to chat with people we’d never cross paths with in our lives normally.” –Monisha Rajesh

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Monisha discuss how her interest in train-travel dates back to a series of journeys she took around India (2:00); her more recent experience of taking the Trans-Mongolian train across Russia and into Asia (14:00); what it was like to travel by train in North Korea, China, and Southeast Asia, and how they differ from European trains (28:00); what it was like to take trains across Canada and the United States, and which global trains Monisha likes best (45:00).

Monisha Rajesh (@monisha_rajesh) is a travel journalist, and the author of Around India in 80 Trains, and Around the World in 80 Trains. She currently lives in London with her husband and two daughters.

Notable Links:

• Indrail Pass (Indian rail-pass for foreign nationals)
• Saint Basil’s Cathedral (church in Moscow’s Red Square)
• Eurail Pass (rail-pass covering 33 European countries)
• Trans–Mongolian Railway (long-haul train route)
• Circum-Baikal Railway (railway in Russia’s Irkutsk region)
• War and Peace (novel by Leo Tolstoy)
• Game of Thrones (fantasy TV series)
• Korean State Railway (train system in North Korea)
• Southwest Chief (American Amtrak route)
• German Baptist Brethren (Anabaptist group)
• Qinghai–Tibet railway (Asian train route)
• Skeena (Canadian passenger train service)
• Mandovi Express (train route in India)
• Flight shaming (environmental social movement)
• Sunset Limited (American Amtrak route)

This episode of Deviate is brought to you by Tortuga Backpacks. Tortuga products also include daypacks, duffels, and other travel accessories, which are all made with the traveler in mind and have been featured by Wirecutter, The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Business Insider, Carryology, and many other industry outlets.

This episode is also brought to you by AirTreks, an industry leader in multi-stop international travel. The AirTreks website offers suggested pre-planned travel itineraries to help you get started, but can customize to fit your journey.

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.