Traveling By Train

Traveling by train is one of the cheapest ways to travel some of the long distances in China and is increasingly popular, also among foreign travelers. It is important to have a basic idea of what trains in China are like if you decide to travel China or parts of it by train.

So how’s travelling by train like in China? Here are some useful information and tips!

English is generally not spoken by any of the staff on the trains or in the railway stations. Few English signs are available every now and then, depending of course where in China you are. In China, there is an E-ticket system for holders of Chinese ID cards only (status summer 2017). For trains in Yunnan, the tickets are open for sale about 30 days before departure. The number of days of pre-sale tickets may be adjusted temporarily during busy Chinese holidays or festivals, such as Chinese New Year, National Holiday and summer vacation, as coach, airline and train tickets are always heavily demanded on busy routes to popular travel destinations. Telephone booking is available in several cities but also only for local citizens. Foreigners of course can always purchase their train tickets on their own at railway stations or ticket offices (see tab ‘Useful tips’). A bit of Chinese should be available in these situations. To avoid non-availability, we suggest to book the train tickets as early as possible.

Regular trains don’t have western-style toilets, but generally, the higher the travel category, the cleaner and better the facilities. To the toilets in the hard-seat category it may be hard to get into because there are only few compared to the number of people. Also, they will probably be relatively dirty. However, train ticket prices are cheap compared to airplane fares, and because you can see the scenery and maybe meet some interesting people, it might be a good way to travel and to get to know China. There are four kinds of train tickets available in Yunnan, hard seats, hard sleepers, soft sleepers and for some selected connections also the VIP category (for further information please see tab ‘Train Classes & Pictures’). Wonders Of Yunnan Travel recommends booking VIP, soft sleeper or hard sleeper. The hard seat tickets are in compartments that can get very crowded that even a short trip may be very uncomfortable. The compartments may be packed with people standing or sitting in the aisles. Also, foreigners may find it difficult to get a hard seat or a no-seat ticket since the ticket sellers may not issue these to foreigners.

Train Classes & Pictures

The Business Class

The business seat of a high-speed train can be called luxury. There are only three seats in a row, one seat on the left, and two seats side by side on the right. The space is extra spacious. The seats can be adjusted to a 180-degree lying state, which is comparable to the first-class aircraft. After lying down, even a 1.81 meters height person could straighten his legs and turn around. Not only that, each business seat is also equipped with an independent electronic display screen and reading light, passengers can easily watch movies and other entertainment programs on the way, and the train also provides passengers disposable slippers and snacks.

The First Class

The First Class seat of a high-speed train are four seats in a row, two seats on the left, and two seats on the right. The space is spacious. There is a radio on the left side of each seat, which can insert earphones to listen to the music and radio. The writing board is in the right armrest. There is a charging socket under the seat, one in the front and one in the back, so it can charge two people at the same time.

The Second Class

The Second Class seat of a high-speed train are five seats in a row, two seats on the left, and three seats on the right. The space is limited and the environment is relatively crowded. Passengers are mostly families and visitors with their children so will be a little noisey. There also has a charging socket under the seat which can charge two people at the same time.

Booking Procedures

Bus & Train Ticket Booking Services

We provide cost-effective and timely train ticketing services. You just need to send us your specific inquiry for bus or train via the tool above and we’ll get in touch with you regarding the details.

Please note that train tickets are personlazed and have your name written on them. Therefore we need your passport information for train ticket bookings. Passports and tickets are checked for conformity when entering the train station. The price includes free delivery within Kunming City.

Since 1.April 2017, also bus tickets are personalized, please click here for more information, thank you.

Useful Tips

How to board the train /Check In and Check Out

Passengers should arrive at the train station 30-60 minutes before departure and check in with a valid ID card or passport. Make sure you get to the correct station. In some cities, there are 2 or several train stations, which are far away from each other. Before you start, please make sure from which station you are going to board the train.
Pass security control: When you arrive at the station, you first need to go through the security control at the entrance. Please put your luggage on the X-ray machine like at airports. Animals, knives, flammable, toxic and explosive goods are forbidden on the train.
Find the correct waiting hall: The electronic message boards at the entrance will show the correct waiting lounge for each train. You will easily find which one is yours as long as you know your train number and departure time (see your ticket!). You can also always ask the uniformed staff for help. Tickets will often be double checked when you enter the waiting hall, so you can be sure you are waiting at the correct place. Often, a separate waiting lounge is available in the railway stations for passengers traveling in the soft sleeper section. Preferential boarding is available for those passengers.
Go to the platform about 10 minutes before the train departs (20-30 minutes before possible if you are departing from the train’s starting station), the boarding will be announced (Chinese and sometimes also in English) and the conductor will direct passengers to the appropriate track to check in and go to the platform.
Board the train: you can easily find your carriage because the numbers are marked clearly on the carriage. A train attendant waits at the door of each carriage and checks the tickets. After you board the train, find your seat or bunk, and put your luggage in place. Please keep an eye to your belongings, and always keep your valuables securely close to you.
After the train departs, a train attendant will walk through the carriages to check and sometimes collect tickets. Insteadt, the passenger receives a plastic card. Please keep the card safe. Passengers are required to present the card about half an hour before reaching the destination, when your ticket will be returned to you.
Keep your ticket until you have left the railway station upon arrival as tickets might get checked before exiting the train station.

Luggage

Baggage space is limited and must be stored in the sitting/sleeping compartment along with the other passenger’s luggage. It is wise to travel with limited baggage, which should not be left unattended. Most stations have a considerable number of stairs to climb to reach the platforms. Bags have to be carried up and down. Most stairs have a steep ramp so that wheeled bags can be dragged up as you walk up the stairs. The ramps are usually narrow and not very convenient to use. Some stations have porters who will carry luggage for RMB 5-10 per piece of luggage. Follow them closely and keep eyes on your luggage. The new policy said: the external dimension (sum including the length, width and height) of every luggage taken by passengers should not be bigger than 160 cm (5.3 ft), and the bar-type article should not be longer than 200 cm (6.6 ft); while that for Multiple Unit Trains or Bullet Trains (Dongche) is 130 cm (4.3 ft) with a weight of less than 20 kg.

Children Tickets

The standard for a child getting half-price ticket has changed from 1.1 (3.6 ft)–1.4 (4.6 ft) meters to 1.2 (3.9 ft)–1.5 (4.9 ft) meters. Every adult passenger only can take one child with the height less than 1.2 meters (3.9 ft) for free (if taking more than one child smaller than 1.2 meters, the others need to use children tickets), and the child taller than 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) needs to buy full price ticket. A child travelling by train individually is not allowed.

Kunming Railway Station

Kunming Railway Station, also called Kunming Southern Railway Station, was finished and put to use in 1958. It is more than 2700 km (1677 miles) from Beijing, 1,100 km (683 miles) from Chengdu, and 811 km (504 miles) from Nanning, the capital city of Guangxi Province. Kunming is Yunnan’s main railway hub. Because of the complex terrain of Yunnan, it takes a comparatively longer time to travel by train. If you would like to take the opportunity to enjoy the scenery along the way, traveling by train will be an interesting experience though. Kunming Railway Station provides passenger transportation to China’s major cities, such as Beijing, Guilin, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Xiamen and Zhengzhou. Within Yunnan, trains from Kunming Railway Station depart to destinations like Shilin, Yuxi, Dali and Lijiang every day.

You can reach the station either by metro line 1 (Kunming Railway Station / 昆明站) or by public buses (numbers 2, 3, 23, 47, 68 and K1). It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to go by taxi from the city center to railway station and it costs about 10 yuan (1.5 USD). By taking public bus No 2, you can also get off at Zhengyi Road Station to visit and do some shopping at the Bird & Flower market and the nearby pedestrian street (Nanping Jie / 南屏街). If you get off at Xiaoximen Station, the Green Lake is very close for you to take a walk.

Kunming Railway Station Information:

Full Chinese Name: 昆明火车站

Location: At the soutnern end of Beijing Road in Guandu District, Kunming City
Full Chinese Address: 昆明市官渡区，北京路尽头
Telephone: 0871-3511534
Number of platforms: 5

Other tips when travelling by train in China

There’s a restaurant carriage in some trains, depending on the route. The choice of food is limited (only Chinese food). Most local people buy food in advance or get it from the vendors on board the trains or on passing stations.
Trains between larger cities are always superior to those on lesser routes and will most likely run close to schedule.
If you choose to travel by train in Yunnan and China, Wonders Of Yunnan Travel will be happy to help you out and design a trip for you.
Apart from buying your train tickets with a travel agency like us, you can also buy them directly at the railway station (ticket windows are often open 24 hours in major cities) or at designated ticket offices which can be found in all bigger cities in China (An additional service charge of RMB 5 per ticket is demanded).
‘Real-name train ticket selling’ policy in implemented in some cities during high travel seasons. Do remenber to bring your valid ID and/or passport when buying train tickets.
Ticket scalpers (Huangniu or Piaofanzi in Chinese) are people who buy tickets repeatedly and resell them at higher prices. They will often contact you at railway stations wanting to sell their tickets to you with a profit. This practice is of course illegal in China and it is not recommended to buy tickets from them. Some even sell fake tickets that are difficult to distinguish from the real ones.