Train Travel

Trains in China are cheap and safe. China’s rail network is extensive and it is possible to get to most places via train. Tickets can be bought in person at train stations or booked at hotels and hostels for a minimal fee. Note that most train workers do not speak English.


Train Classes

A Chinese train has four different classes of ticket: hard sleeper, soft sleeper, hard seat and soft seat. Generally speaking, the more expensive the type of ticket you buy, the more comfortable your ride will be.

Hard sleepers (卧铺 wopu) is the most common way for tourists to travel. A hard sleeper consists of a six-bed cabin without a door. There are three beds on either side and lower beds are slightly bigger (and more expensive) than the upper ones. Despite the name, hard sleepers are actually quite comfortable and come with clean bedding. A full-day, cross-country ride from Beijing in the north to Guangzhou in the south is about 450 RMB.

Soft sleepers (软卧, ruanwo) are substantially more expensive than hard sleepers. The berths in a soft sleeper are bigger and more comfortable and there are only four berths per cabin. Soft sleeper cabins have doors that shut. A ride from Beijing to Guangzhou in a soft sleeper is about 700 RMB.

Hard seats (硬座, yingzuo) are most uncomfortable way to travel. Often overcrowded, a hard seat consists of a padded bench, with a row of two people facing a row of three others. A very small table is shared between all five people. At 250 RMB to go from Beijing to Guangzhou, hard seats are the cheapest way to travel, but overnight journeys can be extremely uncomfortable. Note that on long rides, crowded hard seats cars can get very dirty.

Soft seats (软卧, ruanwo) are not offered on most trains. Generally only inter-city express trains have soft seats. These are comparable to flying coach class on an airplane and are perfectly comfortable for the short rides between cities.
   

An up-to-date train schedule can be found here, including prices, times and destinations.

Ticket Scarcity

When travelling during peak travel seasons such as Chinese New Year, it might be impossible to buy the type of ticket you want. Sometimes it is only possible to buy a standing ticket (无座, wuzuo or 站票, zhanpiao). This means that you can board the train but there might not even be a hard seat available for you.

In this case, there are two choices. You can stand or sit until you get to your destination. People with standing tickets often sit on their luggage or lay down newspapers on the floor to sleep. This is very uncomfortable and should be avoided.

The other choice is to ask the train staff if you can upgrade your ticket (补票, bupiao). As other passengers with soft sleeper and hard sleeper tickets get off, their spots become available and you can pay for the price of the sleeper to take their spot. If there are no free spots available when you ask, just keep asking every few stops and eventually one will clear up.


Train Facilities

Most toilets on trains are Chinese-style squat toilets. Passengers are expected to bring their own toilet paper.

Trains come with dining cars but the food is often not very good and always overpriced. Train workers will occasionally come through the aisle with carts of selling instant noodles, beverages, fruit and other snacks. When the train stops at a station you can get out and buy food from the vendors on the platform, but make sure you get back on the train before it leaves without you.

Each train car has a hot water machine where you can get free hot water for tea and instant noodles.
 

Safety on Trains

While Chinese trains are usually safe, it is always best to excercise caution. The biggest danger is petty theft. Make sure you keep you bag secured at all times, and if possible you might consider tying it shut or putting a lock on it to delay a thief that tries to get into your luggage while you're in the bathroom.

 

Getting Off the Train

It can be confusing to try to orient yourself when you get off the train in an unfamiliar city. If you already know where you’ll be staying in the city, just look for a bus stop or hail a taxi. Only use official taxies and insist that the driver uses the meter.

There will often be people outside of train stations that try to convince you to stay at a particular hotel. While these are usually not always scams, it is best to exercise caution. Never let someone lead you to a place where no one else can see you or you can’t easily get help. Feel free to leave whenever you feel that someone is not being honest or straightforward with you.