Buying Tickets

Travelers who like planning and prefer a smoother start to their trip may consider pre-booking their train tickets.

Online Booking

Trip.com and Railway 12306 are well-known ticketing Apps for online train ticket bookings in China. These apps support international payments and are available in English.

1.Download Trip.com, Railway 12306.

2.Select departure and arrival stations, travel dates, and number of passengers.

3.Enter passenger details as they appear on your passport.

4.Proceed to payment.

5.An e-ticket will be issued through the app/email after confirmation. Keep it somewhere safe and accessible!

Booking for a family / friend / someone else:

You may need to book train tickets for families and friends, and you can do this in person at train stations (see below) and also through booking apps such as Trip.com. Here's how!

1.Open the ticket booking app and sign in to your account.

2.Add the passenger’s information, select ‘Passport’ under valid document ID type, and fill in the rest of the details.

3.The screen will show 'Identity Verification Pending' after submission, which is standard procedure in China - tickets may still be purchased as usual.

4.Select the added passengers and proceed with the payment!

Offline Booking

If preferred, you can buy train tickets in person at the train station. Be sure to seek assistance from staff.

Onboarding

Getting Ready

Prepare your valid passports and Travel Permit and arrive at the station 30-60 minutes in advance.

Pre-Departure Checks

Original passports will be scanned at manual check-in instead of paper tickets being checked.

All luggage will go through security screening, so be sure to check your luggage before boarding!

Boarding the Train

1.Check the electronic screen for train status and waiting room location.

2.Proceed to the secondary ticket inspection at the boarding gates.

3.You can now proceed to your carriage and wait for the train to arrive!

Some Helpful Tips

Tickets sell out quickly especially during peak seasons. Book your tickets up to 15 days prior.

Note that trains run on time and it's unusual for disruptions such as strikes or cancellations.

Your train seats are reserved, so don't worry about missing out during peak periods.

Many Chinese cities have multiple departure stations. Make sure to find the route to the correct one!

Passport details should be accurately provided to avoid complications.

Fast-entry tips: Use automated passport scanning at the station for quick entry, and bypass the ticket counter line!

Note: Foreign travelers must bring their original passport used for ticket purchase to the counter for ID verification. A maximum of four tickets can be bought online.