How to Purchase Chinese Train Tickets

China's train system offers a fantastic means of traversing the country, particularly on high-speed trains. These trains stand out for being budget-friendly, luxurious, and consistently punctual.

Nonetheless, procuring train tickets during peak seasons and holidays can occasionally induce stress due to the overwhelming demand compared to the supply. Worry not, as purchasing tickets for Chinese trains may prove simpler than anticipated. However, it is still suggested to do some preparation and research work.

Things to do before purchasing train tickets

To ensure a smooth train ride and sightseeing experience in China, it's important to plan carefully before booking your tickets and other travel arrangements.

Decide When to Travel

It's recommended to visit China at the beginning of the peak season for your chosen destinations. This way, you'll enjoy better scenery without the crowds that arrive later. Avoid traveling during major public holidays like the Spring Festival (January 27 to February 4, 2025) and the National Day Holiday (September 30 to October 8, 2025), as these are the two longest holidays in China. During these times, millions of domestic tourists are on the move, leading to overcrowded trains and attractions.

When to book train tickets?

Most train tickets in China are released 15 days before the departure date. Regardless of how far in advance you make the payment for your trip, you'll need to wait until 15 days prior to your travel date to get the tickets. China Railway does not permit booking earlier than this. However, many of our customers prefer to book one or two months in advance, and we monitor ticket availability for them. As soon as their tickets are released, our system automatically books them.

Which documents are needed to book train tickets?

To book train tickets in China, passengers can use one of four types of documents: a passport, Chinese ID, Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents, or Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents. Whichever document you use to purchase the ticket must be the same one you present when boarding the train. This rule applies to all document types.

Good to Know:

• The personal information you submit when booking tickets must exactly match the information on the document you're using.
• If your documents are updated after purchasing a ticket, you'll need to bring both the original and new documents when traveling. Alternatively, you can cancel the original ticket and buy a new one with the updated document, although a cancellation fee may apply.
• Passengers from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan can only book tickets with their names written in Simplified Chinese.

Once everything is prepared, it’s time to book your tickets. Foreign travelers can choose from four different methods to purchase train tickets in China.

1. Purchase Train Tickets Online with a Travel Agency

To save time and effort, it is strongly recommended to purchase Chinese train tickets online through a reputable travel agency like Train Spread.

Train Spread is one of the best online ticketing platforms, providing a fast ticket booking service and the best after-sales support. More than 95% of the company’s customers have given 5-star reviews on social media sites including TripAdvisor and Trustpilot.

Train Spread is connected to China Railway’s ticketing system to give real-time domestic train timetables, prices, and availability. Apart from tickets for domestic trains, international train tickets from China to Laos.

Why Choose Train Spread:

• Easy-to-use English ticket booking service
• Real customers' feedback on TripAdvisor and Trustpilot
• 24/7 after-sales support
• Customized one-on-one consulting service

Tips for Booking China Train Tickets

China Railway releases train tickets 15 days prior to the departure time but you can purchase train tickets via Train Spread months ahead of time if you want to.

Train Spread will hold your booking and purchase your train tickets on your behalf as soon as the reservations at China Railway open. Booking tickets more than 30 days ahead of the scheduled departure therefore improves the possibility of getting your tickets successfully.

It is recommended to book your tickets as early as possible for popular rail routes (Xi’an–Chengdu, Xi’an–Shanghai, Guilin–Guangzhou, etc.), during Chinese holidays (May Day holiday, National Day holiday, summer vacation, the Spring Festival, etc.).

2. Purchase Train Tickets Online at China Railway’s Official Website

China Railway has launched an English ticket booking website at www.12306.cn/en, where you can view real-time timetables and book tickets for trains within Mainland China, as well as for trains between Mainland China and Hong Kong or from China to Laos.

However, booking train tickets through China Railway's English website can still be a bit challenging.

• Signing up for an account on the China Railway English ticket booking website can be complicated. Before purchasing tickets, you must create an account, which requires a Chinese SIM card for verification.
• There is no English-language customer service or after-sales support available.
• The ticket booking service is suspended between 1:00 AM and 5:00 AM (0:00 to 5:00 AM on Tuesdays) Chinese time, so be sure to calculate the time difference for your country. Bank cards from foreign banks may not be supported, but you will only know for sure when you try to use them on the website.
• International passengers must submit their passport photos for verification by China Railway. This process can take up to a month and is not always successful. China Railway does not provide reasons if the verification fails.

3. Purchase Train Tickets at a Train Station in China

Domestic passengers can purchase tickets either at the ticket office windows in any train station or through vending machines using their Chinese ID cards. However, vending machines do not support passports, so international passengers can only buy train tickets at the ticket windows.

Here are a few tips for buying train tickets at a ticket window:

• Do your research and check real-time train timetables via Train Spread in advance.
• Write down the dates and train numbers on a note beforehand to show to the train station’s staff.
• Prepare alternative options in case your first choice isn’t available.
• Accepted payment methods include Alipay, WeChat Pay, cash in CNY, and Chinese bank debit or credit cards.
• Take all passengers’ original passports with you.
• Don’t buy tickets at the ticket refund window (退票窗口) or ticket change window (改签窗口) because they are only for canceling or changing tickets.
• Double check your tickets before leaving the counter to make sure they’re correct.
• You need to speak Chinese at most tickets windows in China.

4. Purchase Train Tickets via Phone Calls

If you're in China, you can conveniently purchase train tickets by calling your area code followed by 95105105. For example, in Beijing, dial 010-95105105.

Tips for Booking Train Tickets by Phone:

• Operating Hours: Phone booking is available from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
• Booking Window: You can book tickets for trains departing between 4 and 15 days from the date of the call. For instance, on October 1st, you can book tickets for trains departing between October 5th and 15th.
• Confirmation and Payment: Once your tickets are confirmed, you’ll receive a booking number. You must complete payment and collect the tickets at the ticket office of any station on your train’s route. For example, if you book a ticket for Train No. One from Beijing South to Shanghai Hongqiao, and the train will also stop at Tianjin South and Suzhou North, you can pay and pick up the tickets at Beijing South, Shanghai Hongqiao, Tianjin South, or Suzhou North.
• Payment Deadline: Payment must be completed within 24 hours after the booking number is generated. You will need to present the passports of all passengers at the ticket office to retrieve the tickets.
• Language: Phone booking service is available only in Chinese.

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