China has one of the biggest and busiest rail networks in the world, and trains link almost every town & city. Chinese trains are a safe, comfortable & cheap way to travel around China, and a Chinese train journey is an experience in itself, a total contrast with environmentally-unfriendly internal flights.
How to buy tickets at the station...
- It's easy to buy tickets yourself at the station, but remember to take your passport with you.
- In big cities such as Beijing or Shanghai you should look for the special English-speaking ticket window for foreigners
- Tickets are best booked at least 2-3 days in advance, apart from peak periods (the Spring Festival, May Day 1st May, and 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 sometimes called 'Military Museum'). At Beijing Main station, the ticketing office for foreigners is on the northwest 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. Only domestic Chinese tickets are sold, not international tickets. At Beijing West station, one ticket window in the main hall is marked 'English speaking', open 24 hours. Service here is reported as 'fluent & efficient'.
- In Shanghai central station, the English speaking ticket window at the main station was window 43 though this has now been reported as changed to window 10 on the ground floor of the main ticket office to the southeast of the main station. At Shanghai's new Hongqiao station, from where most fast trains to Beijing now leave, head upstairs to the departures area on the 2nd floor. You'll need to go through X-ray and metal detectors security checks to reach the ticket office. The English-speaking window will be indicated by a sign.