Buying train ticket at PVG?
#1
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CPH
Programs: UAMP S, TK M&S E (*G), Marriott LTP, IHG P, SK EBG
Posts: 11,095
Buying train ticket at PVG?
Hello fellow FTers,
We'll be flying into PVG and we will be heading towards Xuzhou right after we landed.
From what I have learned from FT, I reckon the best way to go to the train station is by bus (we have got a lot of luggage - you know bringing stuffs for Chinese friend + presents for all the friends and their families).
Is it possible to buy train ticket at PVG? I'd like to buy it after getting to land side since we have a better idea when we will be at Hongqiao.
Any suggestions? Also do they take foreign credit cards?
I'm Chinese so language is not a problem for me.
TIA!
We'll be flying into PVG and we will be heading towards Xuzhou right after we landed.
From what I have learned from FT, I reckon the best way to go to the train station is by bus (we have got a lot of luggage - you know bringing stuffs for Chinese friend + presents for all the friends and their families).
Is it possible to buy train ticket at PVG? I'd like to buy it after getting to land side since we have a better idea when we will be at Hongqiao.
Any suggestions? Also do they take foreign credit cards?
I'm Chinese so language is not a problem for me.
TIA!
#2
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: BRS; PVG
Programs: BA Gold, A3 *G, EY Gold, AZ CFP (ST E+). Hilton Gold
Posts: 271
Unfortunately you cannot buy train tickets at PVG.
However with plenty (more than 20) of G trains from Hongqiao to Xuzhou, your chance of getting tickets on the spot should be ok, unless you entounter peak travel during Chinese holidays. I have done that from various stations in Jiangsu to Xuzhou and vice versa and often get tickets departing within an hour.
If, however, the Shanghai - Xuzhou tickets are sold out on the G trains, what I would do is to buy a Shanghai - Nanjing ticket on a train that also stops at Xuzhou (not all the Jinghu line 京沪线 G trains do), board the train and then buy the Nanjing - Xuzhou portion from the train crew/attendant/hostess 乘务员 (This is known as 补票). The downside of course is that I probably don't have a seat for 1hr15mins. But personally I can live with that.
Note the order of stations are Shagnhai - Nanjing - Xuzhou - Beijing on the Jinghu line 京沪线.
I think right now the most sought-after present in China would be iPhone 6
However with plenty (more than 20) of G trains from Hongqiao to Xuzhou, your chance of getting tickets on the spot should be ok, unless you entounter peak travel during Chinese holidays. I have done that from various stations in Jiangsu to Xuzhou and vice versa and often get tickets departing within an hour.
If, however, the Shanghai - Xuzhou tickets are sold out on the G trains, what I would do is to buy a Shanghai - Nanjing ticket on a train that also stops at Xuzhou (not all the Jinghu line 京沪线 G trains do), board the train and then buy the Nanjing - Xuzhou portion from the train crew/attendant/hostess 乘务员 (This is known as 补票). The downside of course is that I probably don't have a seat for 1hr15mins. But personally I can live with that.
Note the order of stations are Shagnhai - Nanjing - Xuzhou - Beijing on the Jinghu line 京沪线.
I think right now the most sought-after present in China would be iPhone 6
#5
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Indore
Posts: 335
You can book the tickets online and use your passport numbers or can ask a friend in China do that for you and get the booking number, then all you need to do is collect the ticket from the windows.
My suggestion, take a taxi-van to hongqiao and go to the window to get the tickets.
Train around 3.5 - 4 hours after your flight landing time should be comfortable.
My suggestion, take a taxi-van to hongqiao and go to the window to get the tickets.
Train around 3.5 - 4 hours after your flight landing time should be comfortable.
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,040
You can book the tickets online and use your passport numbers or can ask a friend in China do that for you and get the booking number, then all you need to do is collect the ticket from the windows.
My suggestion, take a taxi-van to hongqiao and go to the window to get the tickets.
Train around 3.5 - 4 hours after your flight landing time should be comfortable.
My suggestion, take a taxi-van to hongqiao and go to the window to get the tickets.
Train around 3.5 - 4 hours after your flight landing time should be comfortable.
Furthermore, the ticket window at PVG happens to be extremely close to the bus stop between the terminals. I wouldn't bother with any sort of van taxi unless my party was big enough to fill it up because the bus is a straight shot, and leaves every 10-15 minutes.
#7
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: China and Canada
Posts: 1,886
I often do something similar. Fly into Pudong then I take the rain in Hongqiao to Nanjing.
I usually book a train at a comfortable time and if I arrive early in Hongqiao then I go to the counter and exchange for an earlier train. This way I am sure of having something.
Last time it was fairly quick. I was out of the airport in 45 minutes. I jumped on the Maglev then switched to the subway. All in less than 2 hours. Travel time via Maglev-subway is quite predictable. Getting through immigration can take an additional 15 minutes if things are bad. The wild card is time of arrival of your flight.
I usually book a train at a comfortable time and if I arrive early in Hongqiao then I go to the counter and exchange for an earlier train. This way I am sure of having something.
Last time it was fairly quick. I was out of the airport in 45 minutes. I jumped on the Maglev then switched to the subway. All in less than 2 hours. Travel time via Maglev-subway is quite predictable. Getting through immigration can take an additional 15 minutes if things are bad. The wild card is time of arrival of your flight.
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,040
I often do something similar. Fly into Pudong then I take the rain in Hongqiao to Nanjing.
I usually book a train at a comfortable time and if I arrive early in Hongqiao then I go to the counter and exchange for an earlier train. This way I am sure of having something.
Last time it was fairly quick. I was out of the airport in 45 minutes. I jumped on the Maglev then switched to the subway. All in less than 2 hours. Travel time via Maglev-subway is quite predictable. Getting through immigration can take an additional 15 minutes if things are bad. The wild card is time of arrival of your flight.
I usually book a train at a comfortable time and if I arrive early in Hongqiao then I go to the counter and exchange for an earlier train. This way I am sure of having something.
Last time it was fairly quick. I was out of the airport in 45 minutes. I jumped on the Maglev then switched to the subway. All in less than 2 hours. Travel time via Maglev-subway is quite predictable. Getting through immigration can take an additional 15 minutes if things are bad. The wild card is time of arrival of your flight.
#10
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
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ETA: *I meant to say this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...n-station.html
#11
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Asia/Europe
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The bus is a bit faster; the travel time isn't quite as predictable as Maglev/subway (which is more or less exact), but is pretty solid because traffic is almost never an issue on the outer ring. Apart from speed, the strongest arguments in favor of the bus are: 1) no need to transfer; 2) luggage goes underneath; 3) you get a seat; and 4) avoidance of Line 2.
Although I'd probably take the bus further out, at least to Suzhou or Wuxi but why not even to Nanjing?
Should be much easier to get train tickets once you are out of the Shanghai/Kunshan/Suzhou megacity commuter area (roughly 35 million inhabitants)
#12
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,040
The #1 bus only goes to Hongqiao. There isn't a long distance bus station at PVG. You could take a taxi to Kunshan or further, but that strikes me as a waste of $75.
#13
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: China and Canada
Posts: 1,886
Right, at the airport you can buy tickets but you cannot pick up tickets that were purchased online. Been there and tried it. Same at the Beijing airport. It might be possible once you 12306.com account has been "verified" but nobody knows how to do this.
Part of the new rules introduced March 1 this year.
Part of the new rules introduced March 1 this year.
#15
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