China Guide
Getting around
By train
China's rail network is vast and efficient, and the safest, most reliable way to get around.
Booths outside train stations sell national train timetables but these are all in Chinese only, and can be very complex. Two good online train schedules in English are 
www.chinahighlights.com/china-trains/index.htm and www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains .
Tickets become available up to five days in advance, though demand frequently outstrips supply. Station ticket offices are almost all computerized, and while queues can tie you up for an hour or more of jostling, you'll generally get what you're after if you have some flexibility. In cities, you'll also find downtown advance purchase offices, where you pay a small commission; it makes sense to try these places first as train stations are often located far from city centres. The easiest option – especially if you don't speak Chinese – is to book tickets through an agent, such as a hotel travel service, though you'll pay a commission of ¥30 or more per ticket. At present, the best way to book tickets online, and have them delivered to your hotel door in major Chinese cities, is through www.chinatripadvisor.com – you'll pay a surcharge of about 25 percent.
There are four ticketclasses: soft sleeper, hard sleeper, soft seat and hard seat, not all necessarily available on each train. Soft sleeper (ruanwo) costs around the same as flying, and gets you a berth in a four-person compartment with a soft mattress, fan, optional radio and a choice of Western- or Chinese-style toilets. Hard sleeper (yingwo), about two-thirds the price of ruanwo, is the best value. Carriages are divided into twenty sets of three-tiered bunks and every carriage has a toilet and washbasin, which can become unsavoury.