Train travel in China is always exciting, I just love it. But Chinese high speed train is even more scintillating! With an influx of new routes, super clean, super fast trains, the age of smoky, shaking Chinese carriages are fading out. In the last year I have taken a few trips on the high speed rail in China. And even splashed out on "First Class" just to sample it! That's a "backpacker" travelling First Class (and guess what even the First Class was cheap enough!).
Try taking the epic Shenzhen North to Shaoguan train. This is not a very common route but is marvellous for getting a good experience on a high speed trains in China. If you're heading there the mountains of Danxiashan with some groovy rock formations are worth a look.
How to book your train in China
It's best not to book anything in advance - remember this is China! Head to the train station on the day and book your ticket for that day when you're there. If you do have to wait a few hours that's no problem. Or there might be another route you can take. Make sure you have cash - it's payment in cash at these stations in China.
You WILL have trouble communicating to the workers in the train station, so make sure you know how to correctly pronounce the name of your destination and if you have the Chinese characters written down (or in a guidebook) it will be a lot easier to get it booked. All seats are allocated and you have to sit where your ticket says.
My Journey from Shenzhen North to Shaoguan
11.51 - You start at Shenzhen North train station. Head on past the barrier with your ticket and get on the train. You have a seat number so make sure you sit in it. It leaves fast and Shenzhen is soon left behind!
12.26 pm - Stop at Guangzhou South for a few minutes. I've opened a can of Guinness and we leave Guangzhou trailing in our wake. A tough ask, given that it's a massive city. We reach a speed of 308 kilometres per hour at 12.44pm - this turns out to be the maximum speed we reach on the trip.
1.46 pm - After a very fast journey we are now in Shaoguan train station. Time to get off and go sightseeing, but you can stay on and get the train much further north.
What can you do onboard a High Speed train in China?
- Keep your travel blog up to date
- Check out the amazing views
- Open a can of beer
- Have a sleep
- Just sit back and relax
- Stare in awe at the pure speed of the train
- Get some food - you can order from the trolley on the train
- Read a travel book
That's my guide - high speed trains in China are excellent!
Try taking the epic Shenzhen North to Shaoguan train. This is not a very common route but is marvellous for getting a good experience on a high speed trains in China. If you're heading there the mountains of Danxiashan with some groovy rock formations are worth a look.
How to book your train in China
It's best not to book anything in advance - remember this is China! Head to the train station on the day and book your ticket for that day when you're there. If you do have to wait a few hours that's no problem. Or there might be another route you can take. Make sure you have cash - it's payment in cash at these stations in China.
You WILL have trouble communicating to the workers in the train station, so make sure you know how to correctly pronounce the name of your destination and if you have the Chinese characters written down (or in a guidebook) it will be a lot easier to get it booked. All seats are allocated and you have to sit where your ticket says.
My Journey from Shenzhen North to Shaoguan
11.51 - You start at Shenzhen North train station. Head on past the barrier with your ticket and get on the train. You have a seat number so make sure you sit in it. It leaves fast and Shenzhen is soon left behind!
12.26 pm - Stop at Guangzhou South for a few minutes. I've opened a can of Guinness and we leave Guangzhou trailing in our wake. A tough ask, given that it's a massive city. We reach a speed of 308 kilometres per hour at 12.44pm - this turns out to be the maximum speed we reach on the trip.
1.46 pm - After a very fast journey we are now in Shaoguan train station. Time to get off and go sightseeing, but you can stay on and get the train much further north.
What can you do onboard a High Speed train in China?
- Keep your travel blog up to date
- Check out the amazing views
- Open a can of beer
- Have a sleep
- Just sit back and relax
- Stare in awe at the pure speed of the train
- Get some food - you can order from the trolley on the train
- Read a travel book
That's my guide - high speed trains in China are excellent!
About the Author:
For a stack of marvellous articles like high speed train travel in china check out the best travel blog in the world by Jonny Blair for ongoing travel advice.
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