China By Train
China is a vast country. This fact can sometimes be lost on you as you fly from place to place. To truly grasp the enormity of this fascinating country, China really has to be seen by train.
The high-speed rail system in China has seen some huge development over the past few years, and it is now not only fast and easy to get from one place to another, but it is also still remarkably cheap. And with the variety of classes on offer, you can now travel in comfort and style.
A select few routes offer a luxury, private 2-bed cabin, with ensuite bathroom facilities for your overnight journey. On lesser trains however, you may have to settle for a 4-bed soft-sleeper cabin, with shared bathroom facilities for the carriage, which is a perfectly comfortable experience, provided you aren’t sharing with a dreaded snorer… But comfort yourself by remembering that you are not stuck at the back in the ‘hard-seat’ carriage, without a seat on a crowded overnight journey (an experience one of our team has endured)!
Train travel in China is extremely efficient, and even the longest routes arrive at their destinations with minimal delays. The same goes for the underground train systems in the major cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai. For less than a pound, you can access the whole city at ease, and most major tourist attractions have their own dedicated subway stop.
Our new tour, The Fast Train to Shanghai takes you on a journey from the imperial grandeur of Beijing and Xi’an, stopping to take in the irresistable beauty of some of China’s most important sacred mountains, then dropping in to visit the hometown of the forefather of Chinese thought, Confucius, before taking a break to breathe in the sea air at Qingdao. Finally we finish up in the dazzling city of Shanghai, the face of China’s future. So why not settle in for the ride, and let the ever-changing scenery fly by as you traverse this enormous and unpredictable country.
We have first-hand experience of long-distance train travel in China, and with routes now stretching out to almost every corner of the country, it is easy to incorporate a rail journey into any of our existing or tailor-made trips, whether for a part of your trip or the whole time!