I am now testing #LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail routes on some portals like Railfinder

But this also gets interesting

Take this part

Railfinder leans so heavily towards direct trains it leaves you with a *very tight* connection in Hamburg

But change in Lund and Copenhagen in addition, and everything is much safer...

So I *think* I have an answer?

Kemijärvi - Lagos is 18 trains

To do this with normal railway websites (i.e. DB, SJ etc.) you would need 12 bookings, and there would be 9 changes where you would lose passenger rights (the other you can just take the next train)

Ticket costs

Seat 2nd class
€586.93

1st class and sleeper ÖBB, shared sleeper SJ
€1016.31

2nd class, shared sleeper SJ, mini comp ÖBB
€726.23

#LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail

LOL 😂

These anomalies

Offenburg-Strasbourg

If you get a French operated train, it has 1st and 2nd class. But SNCF Connect will only sell you a 2nd class ticket, for €13,40

If you get a German operated train, it has only 2nd class seats. But DB will sell you a 1st class ticket (for €19,20) or a 2nd class ticket (for €13,20, so 20 cent cheaper)

So if you want #CrossBorderRail deluxe 1st class hope you get a French train and use a German ticket!

#LongestTrainEU

Way to go DSB 🤣

On your *national* website you have Hamburg ZOB listed, and that's the Zentralomnibusbahnhof (bus station) (pic 1, 2)

To get a train to Hamburg Hbf, the main station, you need to use the DSB International website (pic 3) https://www.dsb.dk/en/international/

But to Flensburg - which is in Germany - *is* on the national site. Totally makes sense (pic 4)

#LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail

Umeå C - København H, using the Umeå - Stockholm night train *obviously* should route you Umeå - Stockholm - Lund - København

DB ✅

Railfinder @railfinder.eu ✅

SJ 🤯

Let's make you change in Gävle, Linköping and Malmö instead, with a much longer trip time

#LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail

* - just don't try to get beyond Boden or Umeå on the Swedish side in a timely manner

#CrossBorderRail #LongestTrainEU

Screenshot from Norrtåg's website today

#CrossBorderRail fail 🙄

Frankfurt - Paris ICE, on Interrail

It’s the SNCF train manager who checks me

I show my “Passzuschlag” and she had no idea what it was

Not the first time that I know the Interrail rules on this route better than the train crew. And there must be plenty of Interrailers here!

I have alternatives *of course*, because no one in their right mind would rely on a Talgo, especially not one run by DSB. But I would rather avoid changes in Fredericia and Flensburg. #CrossBorderRail #LongestTrainEU

So who do I need to contact at DSB to make sure the Talgo I need for the record attempt on 9th Sept is the only one that day that isn't cancelled? 🤔

#CrossBorderRail #LongestTrainEU

And of course I am taking trains *to* Kemijärvi, and *back* from Lagos, and going to 20 more #CrossBorderRail lines on the way. All of those are mapped here: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-autumn-2026-inc-longest-train-jour_1443266#4/55.776573/20.170898

This also is taking me to two of my least favourite countries in this project - Sweden and Spain. This trip is going to need some strong nerves 😀