Solo to Malang

Roughly 310km from Solo Balapan to Malang, taking about five to six hours. Trains run east along the southern main line to Madiun, then leave it at Kertosono and swing south through Kediri, Tulungagung and Blitar before climbing through Wlingi and Kepanjen into Malang. Most services also call at Malang Kotalama, the smaller station south of the centre, a few minutes before reaching the main Malang station.

Which trains run this route: the Malioboro Ekspres, running between Purwokerto and Malang via Yogyakarta, is the main daytime option. The Kertanegara covers the same line in the evening and reaches Malang in the early hours. Gajayana, the eksekutif flagship from Jakarta, also calls at Solo Balapan, but at night. A further group of Jakarta to Malang trains, including Matarmaja, Majapahit and the eksekutif Brawijaya, use Solo Jebres, the city's older station to the north-east, so check which Solo station your ticket shows.

Why take it: Solo makes a calmer base than Yogyakarta for Prambanan and the Javanese court culture, and this train links it straight to Malang, the usual base for Bromo, without the detour through Surabaya. The run past Blitar and Kediri is rural and pleasant, with volcano views on a clear day.

Check current departures and fares in Access by KAI. For the opposite direction, see Malang to Solo; if you are starting further west, Yogyakarta to Malang uses the same trains.