Traveling by train

After sixty years’ development in railway trasportation, China has built up a huge and well-developed railway system. Nowadays, railway is the most common way for domestic Chinese people to travel around. You can nearly reach any place in China by train. However, for some particular periods, such as holidays, you may suffer from overcrowdedness and difficulty to buy one ticket.

The trains in China are divided into several classes. You can judge which class you will take by checking the capital letter of the train number:

- Category 1, train number beginning with capital G, it means high-speed train, which is the latest developed train with the best facility in China. And the maximum speed can reach 350km/h. Of course, the price is nearly as high as its speed.
- Category 2, train number beginning with capital D, which is CRH (China Railway High-speed). This kind of train is also well facilitated and punctual. It is a good choice, if you plan to leave for Shanghai, Nanjing or other cities near Hangzhou.
- Category 3, train number beginning with capital Z or T, it means the trains traveling directly to the destination. The speed is lower than the previous two categories. And the facility is not as good as them.
- Category 4, train number beginning with capital K or merely number, without any English letter. These are the oldest versions of trains in China. Apart from they're usually overcrowded, being late is also the problem you have to face.

If not for special purpose, we strongly recommend you not to take the train in Category 4.

How to buy a ticket.

1. Generally, train tickets can be purchased 10 days in advance only in train station and official ticket agency.

2. None of the railway stations in China could supply on-line train tickets booking service. You may find some agents offer this service. Or you can ask the receptionist of your hotel to book a ticket for you. One thing need to mention, most train ticket assistants don't speak English.

Four ways of travelling by train

	1. Soft berth Generally four person share one carriage. There are TV, hot water, sofa, shower and toilet in every carriage. There are also beds for you to sleep. It’s the most comfortable and the most expensive.
	2. Soft seat There are only seats but they’re soft and comfortable.
	3. Hard berth There are three kinds of beds in the hard berth carriage, the upper one, the middle one and the lower one. It may be crowded. There are also TVs and hot water.
	4. Hard seat Four or six persons share one desk with seats around. It’s usually crowded because travelers with tickets for standing will also in the same carriage. You can hardly sleep because the light is on during the night.