China Train Travel
Traveling by train in China is one of the cheapest ways to travel some of the long distances in China and is increasingly popular among foreign travelers. It is important to have a basic idea of what trains in China are like if you decide to travel by train in China. English is generally not spoken by any of the staff on the trains or in the railway stations. Limited English sign is available in the railway stations. A separate waiting lounge is available in the railway stations for passengers traveling in the soft sleeper section. Preferential boarding is available for those passengers. See how to board a Chinese train?
The restaurant carriage will be located in the 7th, 8th, 9th or 10th carriage, depending on different trains. The choice of food will be limited and only Chinese food will be available. Most local people buy food in advance or buy food from the vendors on board the trains.
Baggage space is limited and must be stored in your compartment so it is wise to travel with small baggage rather than large suitcases. Most train stations have a considerable number of stairs to climb to reach the platforms. Bags have to be carried up and down these stairs. Most stairs have a steep ramp so that wheeled bags can be dragged up as you walk up the stairs.
Trains between larger cities are always superior to those on lesser routes and will probably run close to schedule. If you choose to travel by train, China Highlights recommends booking a soft sleeper. See classes on Chinese trains.
Ticekts for the best D, Z and G-category express trains are sold 10-20 days before departure, but reservations for other trains only open 5-10 days before departure. You cannot buy tickets before reservations open. See how to buy train tickets in China?
If you want to take a train trip across China, contact us and we will help you design a trip for you.
China Train Travel Tips
- How to Buy Train Tickets?
Train tickets can be bought at stations or booked through a travel agency or booked online. More - What Do Chinese Trains Look Like?
Chinese trains connect all main cities and towns in China, and it provide a safe, confortable and cheap way to travel. More - Baggage Allowance on Chinese Trains
The maximum carry-on baggage allowance for each adult passenger is 20 kg and 10 kg for each child. The total length of each item can not exceed 160 cm. More - How to board a Chinese train?
You can easily find your car because the numbers are marked clearly on the carriage. A train attendant waits at the door of each carriage and checks the tickets. More - How to Read a Train Ticket ?
Your departure and arrival stations, departure date and seat class are all shown in your train ticket. A train attendant waits at the door of each carriage and checks the tickets. More
Popular Train Routes
Train routes connected with China's major tourist cities or centered around big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are frequently used by travelers. The reasons are there are more frequencies and the facilities on trains on these routes are new. See below all popular train travel routes:
- Beijing - Shanghai
- Beijing - Xian
- Beijing - Guilin
- Beijing - Hong Kong
- Beijing - Great Wall
- Beijing - Tianjin
- Beijing - Hanoi
- Beijing - Moscow
- Beijing - pyongyang
- Beijing - Ulan Bator
- Guangzhou to Hong Kong
- Guangzhou - Lhasa
- Shanghai - Beijing
- Shanghai - Xian
- Shanghai - Hong Kong
- Shanghai - Guilin
- Shanghai - Hangzhou
- Shanghai - Lhasa
Tibet Trains
A train trip to Tibet allows travelers slowly adapt to high altitude conditions instead of a sudden shift if you were to take a plane. In addition, it is a scenic trip accompanied with breath-taking natural scenery. After passing Golmud(the starting point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway), the landscape gradually becomes picture-postcard-perfect, with snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance rising against blue sky, and vast grassland sometimes filled with flocks of sheep and yaks.
China Bullet Trains
Bullet train was first introduced into China in 2008, and since then, China's rail witnessed a boom of this fast way of transportation. There are five high-speed rail lines: Beijing to Shanghai, Beijing to Tianjin, Shanghai to Nanjing, Shanghai to Hangzhou and Guangzhou to Wuhan by the end of 2010. See what does a bullet train look like?
- Beijing - Tianjin Bullet Train The best way to travel between Beijing and Tianjin is by train.
- Shanghai - Nanjing Bullet Train A trip between Shanghai and Nanjing by bullet train has been shortened from two hours to only 73 minutes on non-stop service.
- Shanghai - Hangzhou Bullet Train The best way to travel between Shanghai and Hangzhou is by a bullet train.
- Guangzhou - Wuhan Bullet Train
