How to take the train to China in 2025?

China boasts the world's longest high-speed rail network.
As of 2024, it will total 48,000 km, accounting for over 70% of the world's high-speed rail network.
Trains are the fastest and most convenient way to travel between cities.

🚆Understanding Rail Types

Chinese trains are categorized by their first letter. 👇
- G (高铁): High-speed trains, with a maximum speed of 350 km/h! The fastest and most comfortable.
- D (动车): Semi-high-speed trains, offering a good balance of speed and price.
- C (城际): Short-distance intercity trains.
- Z / T / K / L: Regular trains, with older facilities and many stops.

💡Travelers generally find G and D trains (high-speed rail) the most convenient.

🚄 China High-Speed Rail (G·D·C Trains)

These are the seat types:

- 💼 Business Class → The most spacious and comfortable. The seats are almost like first-class airplane seats!
- 🛋️ First Class → Spacious and quiet.
- 💺 Second Class → The most standard seating, most people use this.
- 🚶♂️ Standing Seat → Standing if no seats are available.

🚆 Regular Trains (K·T·Z Classes)

These are the seat and bed types:

- 💺 Hard Seat (硬座) → Hard regular seat (like a bus).
- 🛏️ Hard Bed (硬卧) → Three-tier sleeper compartment, basic sleeper.
- 😴 Soft Bed (软卧) → Two-tier sleeper compartment, has curtains and is quiet.

🧾 Here's How to Book!

Chinese train tickets can be booked starting 15 days prior to departure.

Competition for tickets is fierce during holidays (Lunar New Year, Labor Day, National Day, etc.), so it's best to purchase them as soon as sales open.

💻 How to Book Online

1️⃣ Trip.com
- Multilingual support (Korean, English, Japanese, etc.)
- Accepts Visa, MasterCard, JCB, and Apple Pay
- Simply enter your passport information to receive an e-ticket
- Cancellations and changes can be made through "Manage My Booking" in the app (one-time only)

2️⃣ 12306 China Railway (Official App)
- Official platform for the China Railway Administration
- Supports English and Chinese
- Passport verification required (3-5 days)
- Accepts Visa and Mastercard

👉 Tip: Trip.com offers convenient language support and makes booking easy, while 12306 is the official ticketing platform, so it has a high seat availability rate.

🏷️ Offline Reservation

- Purchase at the station ticket window with your passport.
- Cash, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay cards accepted.
- Tickets include the train number, seat, time, and station name. Save a photo for later reference.

🚉 Pre-Boarding Checklist

Big Chinese cities have multiple train stations.
Be sure to check the departure station name and arrive at least an hour before departure for safety. (During the holiday season, we recommend arriving an hour and a half in advance!)

1. Before entering the station: ID verification with your passport + X-ray of your luggage
2. Check boarding information: Check the train number on the electronic board in the waiting room
3. Ticket inspection begins: Line up when the "正在检票" sign appears about 15 minutes before departure
4. Board: Scan your passport or show it to the staff to enter
5. Seat confirmation: Find your seat using the train destination and seat number

🚨When getting off at intermediate stations, English and Chinese announcements will be made, so be sure to check them to avoid missing your stop!

✅ In summary

✔️ Book via the Trip.com / 12306 app
✔️ Select G/D trains (high-speed rail)
✔️ Use your passport for e-tickets
✔️ Be sure to check the departure station and time
✔️ Book early during the holidays!

Now you're ready for your train trip in China! Fast and comfortable high-speed rail travel from Beijing to Shanghai in just 4 hours 🚄

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