Travelling by train in China

China has one of the biggest and busiest rail networks in the world, and trains link almost every town and city. The best Chinese trains are safe, modern and comfortable. This page will help you plan and book train travel in China.

How to buy tickets...

How to buy tickets - at the station...
You can buy tickets yourself at the station reservation office, remember to take your passport with you. In big cities such as Beijing or Shanghai you should use the special reservations office for foreigners. Reservations for the best Z-category express trains open 20 days before departure, reservations for most other trains open up to 10 days before departure, assuming the train you want starts its journey at that station. 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 rules vary by city..! You can generally only book a train journey at the station where your journey starts, so (for example) the reservations office at Shanghai can sell you a Shanghai-Beijing ticket but not a Beijing-Xian ticket. Berths are best booked at least 2-3 days in advance, apart from peak periods (the Spring Festival, May Day 1st May, National Day 1st October) when they should be booked as soon as reservations open.

In Beijing, you can buy tickets at Beijing Main station (metro Bejingzhan), or Beijing West station (called Beijing Xi or Xizhan, metro Junshibowuguan). At Beijing Main station, the ticketing office for foreigners is on the north west corner of the 1st floor, accessed via the soft seat waiting room. It is open 05:30-07:30, 08:00-18:30, 19:00-23:00. At Beijing West station, the foreigners ticketing office is on the 2nd floor, open 24 hours. Alternatively, you can buy train tickets at BTG Travel & Tours, on Fwai Dajie between the New Otani and Gloria Plaza Hotels, open 08:00-20:00.

How to buy tickets - via www.chinatripadvisor.com or www.china-train-ticket.com
If you want to book a Chinese train in advance from outside China, you can do this with several agencies, including www.chinatripadvisor.com or www.china-train-ticket.com. Tickets cannot be posted abroad, but can be delivered to your hotel in China to be picked up when you get there. This will cost more than you'd pay at the ticket office, but if you really need to be on a particular train on a particular date, it can be worth booking ahead, especially at peak times, such as around the time of the the Spring Festival, 1st May, or 1st October. Fares are shown below. Both agencies are reputable, and chinatripadvisor has been recommended by at least one seat61 correspondent. If you have any feedback from using either of these agencies, please e-mail me.

How to buy tickets - ask your hotel
Alternatively, your hotel may be able to arrange tickets if you book accommodation with them, and this may be the cheapest way to arrange tickets in advance. Remember that reservations for the best Z-category express trains open 20 days in advance, but for most other trains bookings only open 5-10 days before departure. Even an agency cannot positively confirm your booking before reservations open and they buy your ticket..!

How to buy tickets - departures from Hong Kong
You can book departures from Hong Kong to Beijing and Shanghai by email at no extra charge through KCRC (Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation) Customer Services. Visit their website at www.kcrc.com (the official website of the Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation) for train times & fares for the Hong Kong to Shanghai and HK to Beijing trains. You will be given a reference number and can then pick up and pay for tickets at Hong Kong Kowloon (Hung Hom) station. Note that Hong Kong ticket office does not accept credit cards, only cash. However, there is an ATM just round the corner from the station.