Tourists Never Take The Overnight Train to Baghdad But I Did!

There is a train that tourists visiting Iraq never take. It is known as the IRR Southern Line going from Basra all the way to Baghdad operated by the Iraqi Republic Railways. This 550km journey through the night is something I had to experience while in this Middle Eastern country. My journey started in Basra Al Maqal Station at around 7pm when I boarded the train on the Baghdad–Basra Railway Line. This train has multiple classes included the mine which was a double bunkbed room for 4 people but we booked it all for myself and tour guide Ali. The train itself was in overall fair condition. A little old but everything worked apart from the TVs. The dining car had different snacks and drinks and the staff were very friendly. Did we sleep well? Not really but I knew this was going to be part of the full Iraqi train experience. Considering that this journey took almost 11hrs to reach Baghdad Central Station compared to driving which would take around 5hrs, I don't know if I would do it again but I love to say that I did! But then I arrived into the centre of Baghdad and let me tell you, this city is much different than Basra in the south of the country. Even when we arrived just after 6am, there was traffic, people everywhere and so much going on. So we started immediately with some street food before heading to our hotel to finally get some proper rest. If you want to go visit Iraq for yourself, I highly recommend a tour with Bil Weekend. They have been nothing but fantastic. https://www.bilweekend.com/ SAVE MONEY on your next adventure with these TRAVEL HACKS! 🏢 Book hotels where we stayed at for the best price. https://www.davemani.com/hotel-booking 🚑 Get the BEST travel insurance for your next adventure: https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=d... 📱Best way to stay connected in over 200 countries with Airalo eSIM cards. Mobile: https://airalo.tp.st/LSIwEiVk (USE CODE "DAVEMANI" for 10% OFF) 🚗 Rent a car anywhere in the world at the best price: https://discovercars.tp.st/xaTNXy6K 💸 MAKE MONEY while traveling like us! Travelpayouts: https://www.travelpayouts.com/?marker... 📸 Our Camera & Travel Gear https://www.amazon.com/shop/davemani WANNA SUPPORT US? ❤️ Become a Channel Member:    / @davemani   👕 Adventure Seekers MERCH: https://www.adventureseekers.store 💵 PayPal Donation https://paypal.me/DaveMani 📫 Newsletter https://www.davemani.com/newsletter DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that we provide we may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! This is a way for you to support our channel so we can continue to provide you with FREE and amazing travel content every single week. Chapters: 0:00 Boarding the Train in Basra 0:41 Train Cabin Tour 4:38 History of Iraqi Railway 5:17 Full Train Tour 7:45 Trying Iraqi Snacks 9:18 The Police Came In 9:54 Getting Into Bed 11:29 Arriving In Baghdad 13:19 Straight Into Baghdad's Chaos! #iraq #baghdad #trainjourney