Bandung to Jakarta by Train

The eastbound climb into the Priangan highlands, covering about 170km from Gambir to Bandung station and rising from sea level to roughly 700m.

Travelling in this direction, the scenery builds rather than fades. The first hour crosses flat country outside Jakarta; the payoff comes in the second half, as the line works through Purwakarta and crosses a series of colonial-era viaducts over deep ravines before dropping into the Bandung basin.

The alternative. Whoosh covers the same city pair in around 40 minutes at 350km/h, but it is a separate system with separate stations at Halim and Padalarang or Tegalluar, none of them central. Once transfers are counted the real saving is smaller than it looks, and you see almost nothing.

Since Whoosh opened the conventional service has come under pressure and departure patterns have changed, so confirm current schedules rather than relying on older guides.