High speed train Beijing – Shanghai
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at 16:56 by samidxb.
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stephenschunParticipantSimon the 3.5 hours is possible but not traveling at safety speed.
To save everyone money, always ask the concierge to the nearest train ticket station and have the concierge write in Chinese your travel destination and date and return ticket also. They only charge the “True” train ticket price plus 5RMB surcharge. Travel companies and tour operators price hike the tickets.
Now China government must have your passport number on the train tickets.
16 Feb 2012
at 01:46
AuldReekie39ParticipantMy wife and I and a friend took the train from Shanghai to Bejing return about 10 days ago. Excellent service. Speed is restricted to 300 k/hr. First train leaves Shanghai at 0700 and last leaves Bejing at 1755. There are 3 or 4 trains an hour. Journey time is just under 5 hours based on 2 stops. Some trains are slightly longer with additional stops. Costs are 550 CNY each way for standard/economy. Schedule and fares are set out on an excellent web site called http://www.seat61.com
There are also business class seats. A word of advise is that they assign seats from row 1 upwards. Hence, if the train is not full you will find that passengers are crowded into the front of each carriage. So look around after the train starts.
17 Feb 2012
at 01:28
SimonRowberryParticipantMr Edinburgh,
Thanks a lot. Having just today determined the dates of my next trip to China, your comments are extremely valuable. Thank you.
Is it correct that business class fares are about twice that of standard/economy? Also, how easy is it to get tickets – should I, as Stephen above suggests, get them through the hotel concierge?
Thanks for positive and helpful advice, as opposed to the axe-grinding on some other threads….!!
Simon
17 Feb 2012
at 02:27
AuldReekie39ParticipantSimon,
Check http://www.seat61.com/ for all fares.
You can book through local agents for a nominal fee. The hotel concierge may be the best option for a quote or ask if they can direct you to a local agent
17 Feb 2012
at 03:05
stephenschunParticipantSimon:
Ask the Concierge to write in Chinese if you want 2nd class(economy) for 1st class. To/From, date, time, and number of tickets. Be sure to bring your Passport because China law now requires ID on train tickets.
Then have Concierge direct you to train ticket outlet. fee is 5RMB. Do not go to travel agency or website, they will charge more. http://www.cnvol.com/ is the China Train Schedule website.I live in Shanghai for many years. Do not go to any website if you want to pay hire fees. Some of the people writing on the blogs are solicitors.
17 Feb 2012
at 03:14
stephenschunParticipanthttp://www.cnvol.com Can check China train schedules and can give you locations of train ticket outlets. They only accept cash. Ask for a Fapiao (Fa-pee-O) This is a legal receipt you can turn into your company.
17 Feb 2012
at 03:17
SimonRowberryParticipantMr Edinburgh39 and Stephen,
Many thanks indeed for your advice and help. I will report back on my experiences in due course.
All the best, Simon
17 Feb 2012
at 03:17
samidxbParticipantI have just returned from a holiday to China and we took the bullet train from Shanghai to Beijing. It was an excellent trip and a great experience. We took the business class seats which were the most luxurious seats ever seen and similar to flat beds of airlines with inseat TV and internet as well. Meals were served as in airlines. The station itself was more like an airport. The speed reached upto 310km/hour and it was a very smooth and hassle free trip.
11 Jul 2012
at 16:56 -
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