Trains

Trains are one of the best ways to get between your destinations. If you've booked your trip with us we will provide you with all your tickets so you don't need to worry about purchasing them yourself. 

If you do decide to purchase tickets for a trip yourself here are a few tips:

You will need your passport

Anytime you purchase tickets either online or through an agent you will need your passport. 

When Do Reservations Open

Most train tickets can be purchased up to 30 days before the departure day when you book online or by telephone, and 28 days in advance when you buy them at train stations or local train ticket offices. However, tickets on trains like D overnight trains and Y trains can only be purchased 20 days before the departure day. Some other train tickets can be purchased only 4 days ahead.

Buying tickets at a train station

Buying tickets at train stations can be difficult for foreigners who cannot speak Chinese. Train stations sell tickets 28 days before departure. You need to queue in front of a ticket window to buy tickets. There are always long queues in front of each ticket window at train stations in large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Xi’an and Chengdu, especially during holidays. An electronic board over the windows will update the information regarding the availability of tickets in Chinese only.

Book Online

The China Rail official website (www.12306.cn) sells tickets 30 days before departure. But it is also difficult for foreigners to use since the website is only in Chinese and only accepts Chinese bank cards. We would recommend using a travel agency site like www.trip.com to book your tickets. You can book in advance and the site will be in English. You will be charged an extra fee though and you will still need to go to the ticket counter to pick up your ticket.