Chinese trains are usually very punctual and connect all of China's major cities. Since China built the world's largest high-speed rail network (expanding rapidly since around 2008-2011), journeys between major cities that once took a day or more by conventional train now often take just a few hours by high-speed train (G or D trains) — for example, Beijing to Shanghai is about 4.5-6 hours. Tickets are checked when entering the station (especially in big cities), and luggage is often X-rayed. There is usually a second check when entering the platform, and a third when boarding the train.
The ticket shows the carriage number and seat number.
Always keep your ticket for the whole journey, as it is checked again when leaving the platform at your destination.
Train tickets in China
Since 2012, train tickets in China require real-name registration (your passport is checked and linked to the ticket), and most travelers now book online via the 12306 app or third-party platforms like Trip.com rather than queueing at station counters. Travelers who don't speak much Chinese may find it easier to book through a travel agency, which typically charges a fee of 5–10% of the ticket price.
There are four classes:
- Hard seat – the cheapest option, sometimes just hard benches with a thin cover. Not recommended for long journeys, especially overnight ones. Don't give up your seat to an older gentleman or a nice young woman in a hard-seat carriage — if you end up standing or sleeping in the aisle at midnight, you'll regret it. If you get up to use the toilet, don't count on your seat still being free when you return.
- Soft seat is available on some daytime routes, e.g. between Shanghai and Hangzhou.
- Hard sleeper is perfectly adequate for overnight journeys — open compartments with 6 narrow bunks, a good way to chat with Chinese fellow travelers. Hard sleeper berths are often sold out around public holidays.
- Soft sleeper – the luxury class, where you'll often find wealthy locals or officials (when they're not flying). Comfortable compartments for 2 or 4 people, though with less luggage space than hard sleeper. Soft sleeper can cost almost as much as a plane ticket.
