Aboard The TransEuropean Express!

Good afternoon from Warsaw where we have 30 minutes to enjoy all the delights that platform 5 at Wschodnia station has to offer.

Yesterday after getting off the Eurostar we dumped our bags and went on a 2 hour free walking tour of the Marais area. Then back to Gare du Nord for a pizza at Restaurant de Bari. I've been there a few times now and would recommend it if you want something to eat between trains in Paris. Reasonably priced and quick. Back to collect the bags then one stop on Metro 5 to Gare de l'Est where we had just a few minutes to wait before our platform was announced.

Even alongside numerous high speed trains including TGVs and DB's ICE sets, the 8 gleaming new Russian Railways sleeper coaches each with their own imaculately dressed attendant was an imposing sight. The once a week appearance of this train was even getting attention from other rail staff and has been turning heads at every station we have trundled through. We had our visas checked before we got on by our friendly attendant. The train has 2 and 4 berth 1st class compartments and 1 and 2 berth business class compartments (fares from €1000 single), each carriage conveying it's own bar compartment!
After a good, hot shower and a half decent night's sleep we had breakfast in the Polish restaurant car which has now been detached. Tonight a Russian restaurant car will join the train.

According to the Belarus page of the Foreign Office travel advice website: "The Russian government has informed the UK government that there are no legal grounds for foreigners (including British nationals) to cross the Russia-Belarus state border". So naturally we are heading straight for it. I haven't read any reports of Brits having any issues on this train but we will still be feeling a little nervous later on tonight! As far as I can tell, Belarus and Russia have a common travel area, a bit like the EU, so if we get into Belarus, we ok to Moscow!

Finally, the elephant in the room! The Mongolia-China border remains open. The China Vietnam border remains open. Most trains in China are running. Singapore (also on route) is denying entry to anyone that has visited China within the last 14 days. I have a quote for specialist travel insurance to cover my visit and I have a planned alternative route to avoid Hubei. Some news reports are suggesting the number of cases may peak next week. I need to make a decision by Monday when I'm due to leave Moscow.

Thanks for reading, update from Moscow tomorrow (if they let us in)!

P.S - The travel map at the top of the page showing our route and location is now up and running