If you want to have an in-depth travel experience in China, travel by train would be the best choice. As one of the most extensive railway networks in the world, the China Railway has connected all the provinces in China. Therefore it is very convenient to go somewhere you want by train. In addition, the train in China is very punctual and most of the railway stations are located in city’s downtown, so you could have your trip well organized and save a lot of troubles in transit. As a result, travel by train is really a convenient and inexpensive way to explore China.

With the large span of China’s territory, you could always find beautiful scenery outside the window during your train trip: plateau and snow mountain along the Xining-Tibet route, desert and oasis along the Lanzhou-Urumqi route, dense forest along the Chengdu-Kunming route and coastal view along the railway loop on Hainan Island. Some of the routes like Xining-Tibet route, Beijing-Taiyuan route are very popular among foreign travelers.

Tips for Taking a Train in China

It is easy to have a train tour in China.

Ticket Purchase

You can buy the train ticket through website (www.12306.cn), railway station, booking office or just let your travel agency handle that.

All the ways of purchase require a valid ID, so you should provide your passport number.

The ticket normally goes on sale 60 days prior to departure (except during Spring Festival month), please organize your trip in advance and try to avoid the major Chinese holidays such as Spring Festival, National Days or May Day when the ticket supply is in shortage.

Departure & Arrival

Please arrive at the railway station in advance of 40-50 minutes so you could have plenty of time for security check and looking for waiting lounge. Notice the name of the departure station as some large cities have more than one railway station.

After entering the station, you should look for the waiting lounge and departure gate according to the train number and the departure time printed on your ticket.

Keep your ticket all along the trip for the train attendant will check your ticket during the trip or when you get off the train.

During the Trip

Most of the trains provide meal service, and the attendant will sell pre-packaged meal, beverages and snacks with a cart. On some train you could also choose to eat in the dining car.

There is no direct drinking water on the train but hot water in boiler, you could bring bottled water on the train if you don’t get used to it.

You could find toilet facilities and wash rooms on both end of the car, but you should bring your own toilet paper and towel.

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