AFrom Moscow Train K20 leaves Moscow at 11.58pm on Saturday, arriving at Běijīng Train Station the following Friday at 5.32am. Departure and arrival times may fluctuate slightly.
BUYING TICKETS
Book well in advance (especially in summer); in Běijīng tickets can be conveniently purchased and booked in advance in central Běijīng from CITS (China International Travel Service; 中国国际旅行社; Zhōngguó Guójì Lǚxíngshè GOOGLE MAP ; %010 6512 0507; 9 Jianguomennei Dajie, Běijīng International Hotel, Dōngchéng; h9am-noon & 1.30-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat; bLines 1, 2 to Jianguomen, exit A), for a ¥50 mark-up. Tickets can also be booked with a mark-up through China DIY Travel (www.china-diy-travel.com; 6 Chaoyang Park Nanlu; 朝阳公园南路6号 commission per ticket $10).
VISAS
Travellers will need Russian and Mongolian visas for the Trans-Mongolian Railway, as well as a Chinese visa. These can often be arranged along with your ticket by travel agents such as China International Travel Service (CITS; www.cits.net).
Train Types
Chinese train numbers are usually (but not always) prefixed by a letter, designating the category of train.
The fastest, most luxurious and expensive intercity trains are the streamlined, high-speed C, D and G trains, which rapidly shuttle between major cities.
D class trains were the first high-speed trains to appear and breathlessly glide around China at high speed, offering substantial comfort and regular services. Their temperature-regulated 1st-class carriages have mobile and laptop chargers; seats are two abreast with ample legroom and TV sets. Second-class carriages have five seats in two rows. G class trains are faster than D class trains, but have limited luggage space.
Less fast express classes include the overnight Z class trains, while further down the pecking order are older and more basic T and K class trains.
Regular Trains
Type Pinyin Chinese Top Speed
Z class (express) zhídá 直达 160km/h
T class tèkuài 特快 140km/h
K class kuàisù 快速 120km/h
Tickets
It is possible to upgrade (补票; bǔpiào) your ticket once aboard your train. If you have a standing ticket, for example, find the conductor and upgrade to a hard seat, soft seat or hard sleeper (if there are any available).
Soft Sleeper
Soft sleepers are a very comfortable way to travel and work perfectly as mobile hotels; tickets cost much more than hard-sleeper tickets and often sell out, however, so book early. Soft sleepers vary between trains and the best are on the more recent D and Z class trains. All Z class trains are soft-sleeper trains, with very comfortable, up-to-date berths. A few T class trains also offer two-berth compartments, with their own toilet.
Tickets for upper berths are slightly cheaper than for lower berths. Expect to share with total strangers. If you are asleep, an attendant will wake you to prepare you to disembark so you will have plenty of time to ready your things. Available on some lines, two-bed deluxe soft sleepers usually have a toilet and sink. VIP sleepers, essentially three-bed compartments which one person can book in its entirety, are available on the Kūnmíng–Lìjiāng route.
Soft sleeper carriages contain:
Afour air-conditioned bunks (upper and lower) in a closed compartment
Abedding on each berth and a lockable door to the carriage corridor
Ameals, flat-screen TVs and power sockets on some routes
Aa small table and stowing space for your bags
Aa hot-water flask for drinking (plain or for tea) or instant noodles, filled by an attendant (one per compartment).
Hard Sleeper
Hard sleepers are available on slower and less modern T, K and N class trains, as well as trains without a letter prefix. As with soft sleepers, they serve very nicely as an overnight hotel.
There is a small price difference between the numbered berths, with the lowest bunk (下铺; xiàpù) the most expensive and the highest bunk (上铺; shàngpù) the cheapest. The middle bunk (中铺; zhōngpù) is a good choice, as all and sundry invade the lower berth to use it as a seat during the day, while the top one has little headroom and puts you near the speakers. As with soft sleepers, an attendant will wake you well in advance of your station.
Hard-sleeper tickets are the most difficult of all to buy; you almost always need to buy these a few days in advance. Expect:
Adoorless compartments with half a dozen bunks in three tiers
Asheets, pillows and blankets on each berth
Aa no-smoking policy
Alights and speakers out at around 10pm
Aa hot-water flask, filled by an attendant (one per compartment)
Atrolleys passing by selling food and drink
Aa rack above the windows for stowing your baggage, though anything heavy or larger than a carry-on suitcase will need to be stored in the aisle.
High-Speed Trains
Type Pinyin Chinese Top Speed
C class chéngjì 城际 350km/h
D class dòngchē 动车 250km/h
G class gāotiě 高铁 350km/h
Seats
Soft-seat class is more comfortable but not nearly as common as hard-seat class. First-class (一等; yīděng) and 2nd-class (二等; èrděng) soft seats are available in D, C and G class high-speed trains. G class trains also offer business class and/or VIP seats, which include a hot meal and added comfort. High-speed trains are truly nonsmoking, unlike other trains, which allow smoking between carriages, inevitably carrying through into the carriages.
First-class comes with TVs, mobile phone and laptop charging points, and seats arranged two abreast.
Second-class soft seats are also very comfortable; staff are very courteous throughout. Overcrowding is not permitted and power points are available. On older trains, soft-seat carriages are often double-decker, and are not as plush as the faster and more modern high-speed express trains.
Hard-seat class is not available on the faster and plusher C, D and G class trains, and is only found on T and K class trains and trains without a number prefix; a handful of Z class trains have hard seats. Hard-seat class generally has padded seats, but it’s hard on your sanity: often unclean and noisy, and painful on the long haul.
Since hard seat is the only class most locals can afford, it’s packed to the gills.
You should get a ticket with an assigned seat number; if seats have sold out, ask for a standing ticket, which gets you on the train, where you may find a seat or can upgrade. Otherwise you will have to stand in the carriage or between carriages (with the smokers).
Hard-seat sections on China’s newer trains are air-conditioned and less crowded.
Buying Tickets
The Achilles heel of China’s overburdened rail system, buying tickets can be a pain.
Most tickets are one-way only, with prices calculated per kilometre and adjustments made depending on class of train, availability of air-con, type of sleeper and bunk positioning.
Some tips on buying train tickets:
ANever aim to get a sleeper ticket on the day of travel – plan and purchase ahead.
AMost tickets can be booked 18 days in advance of your departure date when booking in person at ticket offices and 20 days when booking online.
ABuying tickets for hard-seat carriages at short notice is usually no hassle, but it may be a standing ticket rather than a numbered seat.
ATickets can be purchased only with cash or bank cards that are part of the Chinese UnionPay network.
AYou will need your passport when buying a ticket (the number is printed on your ticket) at all train ticket offices. Your name will also appear on tickets bought online.
AAll automated ticket machines (eg at Shànghǎi Train Station) require Chinese ID – your passport will not work, so you will need to queue at the ticket window.
AAs with air travel, buying tickets around the Chinese New Year and the 1 May and 1 October holiday periods can be very difficult.
> ATickets on many routes (such as to Lhasa) can be very hard to get in July and August; consider flying to distant destinations.
AExpect to queue for up to 30 minutes or more for a train ticket at the station; ticket offices outside of the station are often less busy.
AAvoid black-market tickets: your passport number must be on the ticket for it to be valid.
ARefunds for lost train tickets are arduous and involve purchasing a new ticket and getting a refund at the other end once it has been proved no one occupied your seat.
AIf you miss your D or G class train, you will be allowed to take the next available train on the same day only at no charge. For all other trains, your ticket is forfeited (unless your connecting train was late).
ABooking tickets on apps lets you avoid missing out. A fee of ¥20 to ¥40 applies, and tickets still need to be picked up from a ticket collection window (often with a queue) at any train station.
Your ticket will display:
Athe train number
Athe name of your departure and destination stations in Chinese and pinyin
Athe time and date of travel
Ayour carriage and seat (or berth) number
Athe ticket price
Ayour passport number (second from bottom).
TRAIN TICKETS
Ticket Type Pinyin Chinese
soft sleeper ruǎnwò 软卧
hard sleeper yìngwò 硬卧
soft seat ruǎnzuò 软座
hard seat yìngzuò 硬座
standing ticket wúzuò or zhànpiào 无座站票
Ticket Offices & Buying Online
Ticket offices (售票厅; shòupiàotīng) at train stations are usually to one side of the main train station entrance. Automated ticket machines operate on some routes but never accept foreign passports as ID. At large stations there should be a window staffed by someone with basic English skills.
Alternatively, independent train ticket offices usually exist elsewhere in town, where tickets can be purchased for a ¥5 commission without the same kind of queues; we list these where possible. Larger post offices may also sell train tickets. Your hotel will also be able to rustle up a ticket for you for a commission, and so can a travel agent.
It’s cheaper to buy your ticket at the station, but tickets can be bought online at the following (China DIY Travel is the cheapest) and collected from any train before travel:
A China DIY Travel
A Ctrip
AChina Trip Advisor (www.chinatripadvisor.com)
You can also find English-language train timetables on these websites.
For trains from Hong Kong to Shànghǎi, Guǎngzhōu or Běijīng, tickets can be ordered online at no mark-up from KCRC (www.mtr.com.hk); however, for Běijīng or Shànghǎi a faster alternative is the high-speed trains from Shēnzhèn to Shànghǎi (D train) and Běijīng (G train), which take around 10 hours compared to 20 to 24 hours for departures from Hong Kong.
To get a refund (退票; tuìpiào) on an unused ticket, look for the specifically marked windows at large train stations, where you can get from 80 to 95% of your ticket value back, depending on how many days prior to the departure date you cancel.
Resources
The Man in Seat 61 (www.seat61.com/China.htm)
Travel China Guide (www.travelchinaguide.com)
China Tibet Train (www.chinatibettrain.com)
Health
Before You Go
In China
Health
China is a reasonably healthy country to travel in, but some health issues should be noted. Pre-existing medical conditions and accidental injury (especially traffic accidents) account for most life-threatening problems, but becoming ill in some way is not unusual. Outside of the major cities, medical care is often inadequate, and food and waterborne diseases are common. Malaria is still present in some parts of the country; altitude sickness can be a problem, particularly in Tibet.
In case of accident or illness, it’s best just to get a taxi and go to hospital directly.
The following advice is a general guide only and does not replace the advice of a doctor trained in travel medicine.
Before You Go
Health Insurance
AEven if you are fit and healthy, don’t travel without health insurance – accidents happen.
ADeclare any existing medical conditions you have (the insurance company will check if your problem is pre-existing and will not cover you if it is undeclared).
AYou may require extra cover for adventure activities such as rock climbing or skiing.
AIf you’re uninsured, emergency evacuation is expensive; bills of more than US$100,000 are not uncommon.
AEnsure you keep all documentation related to any medical expenses you incur.
Vaccinations
Specialised travel-medicine clinics stock all available vaccines and can give specific recommendations for your trip. The doctors will consider your vaccination history, the length of your trip, activities you may undertake and underlying medical conditions, such as pregnancy.
AVisit a doctor six to eight weeks before departure, as most vaccines don’t produce immunity until at least two weeks after they’re given.
AAsk your doctor for an International Certificate of Vaccination (otherwise known as the ‘yellow booklet’), listing all vaccinations received.
AThe only vaccine required by international regulations is yellow fever.
Proof of vaccination against yellow fever is only required if you have visited a country in the yellow-fever zone within the six days prior to entering China. If you are travelling to China directly from South America or Africa, check with a travel clinic as to whether you need a yellow-fever vaccination.
Recommended Vaccinations
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the following vaccinations for travellers to China:
Adult diphtheria and tetanus (ADT) Single booster recommended if you’ve not received one in the previous 10 years. Side effects include a sore arm and fever. An ADT vaccine that immunises against pertussis (whooping cough) is also available and may be recommended by your doctor.
Hepatitis A Provides almost 100% protection for up to a year; a booster after 12 months provides at least another 20 years’ protection. Mild side effects such as a headache and sore arm occur in 5% to 10% of people.
Hepatitis B Now considered routine for most travellers. Given as three shots over six months; a rapid schedule is also available. There is also a combined vaccination with hepatitis A. Side effects are mild and uncommon, usually a headache and sore arm. Lifetime protection results in 95% of people.
Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) Two doses of MMR is recommended unless you have had the diseases. Occasionally a rash and a flu-like illness can develop a week after receiving the vaccine. Many adults under 40 require a booster.
Typhoid Recommended unless your trip is less than a week. The vaccine offers around 70% protection, lasts for two to three years and comes as a single shot. Tablets are also available; however, the injection is usually recommended as it has fewer side effects. A sore arm and fever may occur. A vaccine combining hepatitis A and typhoid in a single shot is now available.
Varicella If you haven’t had chickenpox, discuss this vaccination with your doctor.
The following immunisations are recommended for travellers spending more than one month in the country or those at special risk:
Influenza A single shot lasts one year and is recommended for those over 65 years of age or with underlying medical conditions such as heart or lung disease.
Japanese B encephalitis A series of three injections with a booster after two years. Recommended if spending more than one month in rural areas in the summer months, or more than three months in the country.
Pneumonia A single injection with a booster after five years is recommended for all travellers over 65 years of age or with underlying medical conditions that compromise immunity, such as heart or lung disease, cancer or H
IV.
Rabies Three injections in all. A booster after one year will then provide 10 years’ protection. Side effects are rare – occasionally a headache and sore arm.
Tuberculosis A complex issue. High-risk adult long-term travellers are usually recommended to have a TB skin test before and after travel, rather than vaccination. Only one vaccine is given in a lifetime. Children under five spending more than three months in China should be vaccinated.
Pregnant women and children should receive advice from a doctor who specialises in travel medicine.
Medical Checklist
Recommended items for a personal medical kit:
AAntibacterial cream, eg mucipirocin
AAntibiotics for diarrhoea, including norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin or azithromycin for bacterial diarrhoea; or tinidazole for giardia or amoebic dysentery
AAntibiotics for skin infections, eg amoxicillin/clavulanate or cephalexin
AAntifungal cream, eg clotrimazole
AAntihistamine, eg cetrizine for daytime and promethazine for night-time
AAnti-inflammatory, eg ibuprofen
AAntiseptic, eg Betadine
AAntispasmodic for stomach cramps, eg Buscopan
ADecongestant, eg pseudoephedrine
ADiamox if going to high altitudes
AElastoplasts, bandages, gauze, thermometer (but not mercury), sterile needles and syringes, safety pins and tweezers
AIndigestion tablets, such as Quick-Eze or Mylanta
AInsect repellent containing DEET
AIodine tablets to purify water (unless you’re pregnant or have a thyroid problem)
Lonely Planet China Page 214
