Fantastic blog Helmut! I’m not a train enthusiast but didn’t mind your focus on railway stations and wagons and such. It was a very, very interesting read, and I like your conclusion about not lumping the citizens of a country in with the regime that controls them. I love meeting local people when I travel, it’s always a highlight.

How do passports work for trains? Like do you have to get stamped and go through customs at every stop? Are international train stations like airports where there is an area that you can’t leave without customs?

This was all very interesting, I knew little about trains and now I have so many more questions. I kind of would love to take a train.

Does anyone know if bringing a small child in a sleeper train is a good idea?