18 routes · checked October 2026
China train guides
Every high-speed train leg on our itineraries: how long it takes, what second class costs, which station to use – with the names in Chinese to show your taxi driver.
Beijing, Tianjin and Xi'an
Shanghai, Hangzhou and the Yangtze
Sichuan and Chongqing
Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Guangzhou and Hong Kong
Yunnan
How to buy train tickets in China
- Buy on Trip.com (English, foreign cards) or in the official 12306 app – tickets go on sale 15 days before departure.
- Your passport is your ticket: you book with its number and scan it at the gates. Bring the same passport you booked with.
- Be at the station 40–60 minutes early: there is a security check at the entrance, and gates close a few minutes before departure.
- Big suitcases fit at the end of each carriage or on the racks above the seats.
More on booking hotels, trains and flights with a foreign passport in our guide Hotels, trains and flights in China.
Want the whole route planned?
Our itineraries put these trains together day by day – with times, addresses in Chinese, food and costs. See the China itineraries.