Asia - Two days to kill in Beijing...

Taking a trip to Beijing this January, and the last two days don't have any scheduling yet. I would like to visit the Terra Cotta soldiers in Xian, but Xian seems like a long ways away from Beijing. What is the cheapest way to get to Xian and back to Beijing in two days? Cost effective is the key here. I am not opposed to taking an overnight bus if that's what it takes. Also, how much is an airline ticket to Xian from Beijing? Thanks everyone!

Taking a trip to Beijing this January, and the last two days don't have any scheduling yet. I would like to visit the Terra Cotta soldiers in Xian, but Xian seems like a long ways away from Beijing. What is the cheapest way to get to Xian and back to Beijing in two days? Cost effective is the key here. I am not opposed to taking an overnight bus if that's what it takes. Also, how much is an airline ticket to Xian from Beijing? Thanks everyone!

you can get from pek to xiy for y530 (maybe less; i just plugged in a few random dates) each way by air or Y280 by train (hard sleeper),... but there are many other places i would go in china in january if i had two days to kill. actually, i'd probably just stick around beijing and explore on my own. imo, you can get a much better feel for the place (or anywhere, for that matter) outside the group tour context.

Overnight trains are cost effective, as you save on hotels. Multiple departures between the two cities each evning, taking about 11-13 hours. Soft-sleepers are not that much more expensive, at around 400 yuan (or US$50). 4 berths in a cabin, and is much more comfortable than hard-sleepers, where there are 3 berths on each side, and the berth is not enclosed with doors.

Thanks for the help everyone!