Accompanied by Sam Bryant (from Sussex Community Rail Partnership) heralded the first, and significantly the sponsored first step. This also meant I travelled in first class! The Marshlink Line as it’s known, is apparently a surprisingly under used service. With the Eurostar Terminal at Ashford, this was the perfect choice for me in deciding on my journey. Irritatingly it is not as well used with the reduced service after transferring to Ebbsfleet, but it is still possible to get to the continent from the South East without first going up to London.

Being able to travel from Bexhill to Beijing entirely by train was one of the first revelations to sit in the back of my head waiting for company to initiate this project. Yes, you can travel from Bexhill to Beijing entirely by train. The immensely helpful (and along with Annie, my guide for the trip) Mark Smith of Seat 61 provides all the information to travel the world by train. 

So, from the unlikely appearance of Ashford, the continent (and world beyond) is entirely in reach. It will not be until I reach Cambodia that I will need to take any mode of transport other than the train.