Train Travel
If you are traveling long distance within China, taking the train may be your best choice. Compared to buses, it is safer. Compared to flying, it is cheaper. You may think of it as the best middle alternative. Plus, you will be able to enjoy the many colorful sights of China which are unique and truly Oriental.
To begin, you may want to visit www.travelchinaguide.com to get the schedules for your trip. It is very easy to navigate. On the left side of the screen, you will see some menus. In the China Tour Toolkits menu, choose China Trains. Enter your points of departure and destination. Wait for a second or two. You will find basic information such as fares, departure and arrival times.
You may book train tickets online by using www.chinatripadvisor.com or www.china-train-ticket.com in advance. If you are not in China, the tickets will not be sent to your home country and can only be sent to the hotel you are residing in China. Of course, this will cost more. You may also purchase your train tickets at the reservation counters in the train stations. There are special offices that cater to foreigners in the Beijing and Shanghai stations so be sure to check them out. It is best to buy the tickets about one week before your departure. Be advised that the trains are especially packed during the Spring Festival, Labor Day and the National Day celebrations.
There are different berths available on the trains. Seats are the cheapest. Two rows of seats are placed facing each other with a small table in between. This is to facilitate communication among the passengers. If you are embarking on a long distance trip which includes spending a night on the train, do not use the seating berths. If you think you can save a few dollars and hope that you get a row of seats all to yourself, forget it. Trains in China are almost always packed.
Generally, sleeping berths are divided into two categories: soft beds and hard beds. Hard beds are open dormitory style sleeping berths. There are six beds in one compartment. The dimensions of the beds are about 180cm x 55cm. Please check to see if you can fit in these beds. There are three levels in these hard beds. You can pretty much sit up in the bottom level beds. You have a small table to be shared with all six passengers. The table is really so small (slightly bigger than a standard closed up notebook) that it becomes the sole temporary property of the bottom level occupants. If you get the middle and upper berths, you will not be able to sit up unless you are an expert yoga exponent. You crawl into the bed by the ladder at the foot of the bed and once you tuck yourself in, reading a book or playing a mini game may be the best way to kill time. When you get bored or lethargic, you may go to the seats placed along the aisle for a breather. Lights go off at around 10.30pm.
If you are claustrophobic, the hard sleeping berths may be your worst nightmare. Go for the soft sleeping berths. Soft beds are enclosed berths with four passengers in a room. It is the most comfortable way to travel in the trains. The dimensions of the beds are about 180cm x 65cm. Besides the comparative luxury of space, there is more privacy and tranquility. Like the hard sleeping berth, bathrooms are shared but they are cleaner and less crowded. On some lines like the Beijing-Hong Kong line, there is the Deluxe soft sleeping berth where you get two beds to a room with attached bathrooms. These are the most luxurious berths in train travel and cost about the same as an economical airplane ticket. If you have time and like to travel on trains, the soft sleeping berths may be the most choice.
There are dining cars in all the trains. This is where you get piping hot Chinese train food. The food is of acceptable quality because extra efforts have been made to maintain a standard level of hygiene and freshness. If you cannot consume pork, make sure you check with the attendants before placing your order because most of the food is cooked with some pork. Alternatively, you may buy food at the train stations whenever the train stops. Each city or town has their specialty so you can sample authentic local inner Chinese cuisine. Bear in mind that the train stops at some of these stations for a few minutes while it stops in others for a longer time so you have to be alert.