Take a Train in China

To take a train ride in China is not very complicated. Just following the steps. It’s very easy for you to get on the train and to enjoy the train trip in China

1.Book your train Ticket on G2rail.com

2.Get to the right station plenty of time ahead of departure

3.  Find the right waiting room

4. Check in

5. Find your train and seat

6. Get off the train

7. Check out

What You Need to Board a Train in China:

• A train ticket
• The passport/travel permit you used to buy the ticket

1.Book your train ticket

Check the infomation on the website www.g2rail.com, for example you need to book the train from Beijing to Shanghai 

If you know exactly the train station names， just put the exact train station like in beijing, you put beijingnan（ Beijing south ） ，  And in shanghai, the exact train station name is  shanghai hongqiao.  If you do not know the exact name, just choose the station with  Capital letter such as BEIJING. SHANGHAI.  The  Booking system will give you automatically the optional solutions.

Then you can choose from all the connections one of the best Connection  which fits your journey .  Be aware that in China those high speed trains normally have three classes

The tourist class standard or which called second class.  From the price. It is very attractive, but also very comfortable.

If you want more comfortable, you can choose the first class

And for the people who really have money and would like to have a deluxe trip, you can choose the business class which is limited up to around 10 seats on average train in China

The price is showing in original currencies, but will be transmitted into your own currencies as the step of booking. That next step, just put your passenger names into this page and press next

After you press the next you’re going to the payment site .  You can use your credit card to pay the bill or use any kind of mobile payment  which list and this page

After the payment, you will get a confirmation EMAIL with all the necessary pick up numbers.  Use this pickup number and with your passport, you can pick up your ticket at any train station in China.

2. Get to the Station.

We recommend arriving at the station at least 1 hours in advance for security check and queuing in line to board the train. You need to pick up number and your passport to pick up the ticket at the ticket office .  Nowadays it will not taking too much longer in the queue because most of the Chinese people will not go to the ticket office to buy the train ticket or pick up a train ticket. They are going to the vending machine . In average, it takes about 5 to 10 minutes to get your ticket

Check the information on your ticket – train station, date and departure time – and arrive at the station plenty of time ahead of departure. . Get a visual idea of how to read train tickets

3. Find the Right Waiting Room.

After the security check, you will find a LED screen showing which train is allocated to which waiting room. There is usually Chinese only on the screen, please see the table below for translation help,  Most of the big train stations you just need to follow the sign to the right gate.

4. Check In

There are several platform access gates in a waiting room. Just find the LED screen or card with your train number on it. You can also see the train status on the LED screen, in Chinese only.

You may find your platform access gate number on your ticket. There may be the Chinese characters 检票口 followed by some numbers at the bottom of your ticket

Usually check-in starts 115-30 minutes before departure. Barriers close 5 minutes before departure.

Don’t lose or throw away your ticket as you will need to show your ticket again at the exit of the station.

Ticketless Train Travel in the Future

Thanks to the fast development of Internet, E-tickets will be rolled out nationwide since the year of 2019. In fact, high-speed trains on Hainan Island already offer e-tickets since the end of 2018. Passengers who take high-speed train on Hainan Island don’t need to pick up paper tickets before boarding.

Intercity trains between major cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Changsha, can be boarded with Chinese ID cards or smartphones.

5. Find Your Train and Seat

After your ticket has been checked, check the LED screen or follow everyone else entering through your ticket gate to find your platform. When you are boarding your train, show your ticket to a staff member and make sure you are boarding the right train.

After getting on the train, you can find your seat/bunk according to your ticket. Put your baggage on the rack overhead or under your seat/berth. On high-speed trains, luggage can also be put in the special luggage space between 2 carriages.

During the journey, your ticket and passport might be checked by the train staff. When you exit the destination train station, your ticket will be checked one more time.

If you take a sleeper train, your ticket will be exchanged for a plastic bunk card by staff shortly after boarding. Staff will come to return your ticket, in exchange for your bunk card, about 30 minutes before arriving at your destination.

6. Get Off the Train

Pay attention to the announcements about the arriving station. Announcements on most of the trains are in Chinese only. Bilingual announcements are available on some of the high-speed trains. If you need to get off at an intermediate station, it is advisable to remember your arrival time. You can also ask the conductor or other passengers to remind you. If you need to transfer to another train: You don’t need to get out of the station and re-enter if you transfer for a train at the same station. Follow the signs and LED screen and you will find the waiting room for your connecting train directly. 

7. Check Out

Follow the crowd or the signs at the station (usually only in Chinese) and you will get to the correct exit (出站口). You may need to carry your luggage to be able to negotiate long staircases to reach the exit.

A ticket-check is required at the exit: Remember to have your ticket readily accessible as the ticket will be inspected again at the exit gate, either by a member of staff or a machine. Sometimes, if you are unable to present your ticket, a fine of up to 150% of your ticket price will be charged.

City Transportation From a Train Station

You can find transportation signs for taxi/bus/subway easily around the station. Usually the operating time of buses and subway is from 05:00 to 23:00. Taxies are available 24 hours a day. But in large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xi’an, you might need to wait in long queues for taxis, especially during rush hour. Buses and subways are always crowed.

So are you ready to go?  You can try to book a ticket  with  this link

[maxbutton id=”2″ url=” http://www.g2rail.com/?fromName=Beijing&from=Beijing&toName=Shanghai&to=Shanghai” text=”Beijing – Shanghai ” ]

Or visit our website www.g2rail.com