While China Flights are fast but expensive, train travel in China can both be economical and convenience. Sometimes, to enjoy beautiful views and make friends on the way are also good reasons. If you are already in China and you want to Travel to Beijing the capital, buy a train ticket to go there would be a good choice. Need information and advice on the train tickets? Check out！
In fact, it’s easy to buy tickets yourself at the stations in China. You should look for the special ticket window for foreigners, but remember to take your passport with you,
Classes of the Train
Chinese trains have 4 kinds of classes: hard-seater (a bench with limited cushioning), soft-seater (comfier seats), hard-sleeper (six to a compartment) or soft-sleeper (four to a compartment). So there are 4 prices for each train.
Types of the Trains
Chinese passenger trains are divided into various types according to their speed, which are identified with a capital Chinese phonetic letter, for example, D stands for Electric Multiple Units (EMU) Train, Z means Direct Express Train and T stands for special fast train, and K means fast train.
When to Buy the Trains Tickets?
Reservations for the best Z-category express trains open 10-20 days before departure, but reservations for other trains only open 5-10 days before departure. You cannot buy tickets before reservations open. If the train you want starts its journey somewhere else and calls at your boarding station already well into its journey, tickets may only be available 2 days before departure. The exact rules vary by city and by train.
However, the number of days of pre-sale tickets may be adjusted temporarily during the rush Chinese holidays or festivals, such as Chinese New Year, National Holiday and summer vacation. To avoid disappointment, it is suggested that you book tickets through an agency as early as possible.
How the reservation systems operate
Chinese Railways don’t have a central reservation system, only local computer reservation systems based in Shanghai or each city that are linked to each other. So a station can generally only sell you a ticket for a journey starting at that station, not for journeys starting elsewhere.
For example, the ticket office at Shanghai can sell you a Shanghai–Beijing ticket but cannot sell you a Beijing-Xian ticket. However, at major cities you can sometimes buy a return ticket for key routes – for example, in Guangzhou you can buy a ticket from Guangzhou to Beijing and also from Beijing back to Guangzhou. But in most cases, you’ll need to book your return journey when you get to your destination in China.
Where to Buy a Train Ticket?
Railway Station: At these ticket windows of railway stations, passengers could purchase train tickets on the spot or a few days in advance. In these popular cities, such Shanghai and Xian, the ticket windows at railway stations are opened 24 hours round the clock.
Designated Ticket Office: Generally, passengers could purchase train tickets 3~10 days (20 days for Z and D trains) ahead of travel time at these tickets offices distributed throughout a city. An additional service charge of CNY5 per ticket should be paid.
Travel Agency: It is often more convenient to obtain your tickets through a reliable travel agency or at the reception desk of your China Hotels. While this is both convenient and can save time, relevant service charge is required, maybe more if the tickets are delivered to you.
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