Originally Posted by
CrispyRice
Thank you both, moondog and jiejie!
I'm leaning toward just buying plane tickets, but I'm waiting to hear back from my friends as to just how set they are on taking the train. We can buy a multi-city plane ticket for less money, and it sounds like much less hassle.
Thanks for the other train options, too. Definitely something to keep in mind. If we go with the train, I'll contact our hotel ASAP.
Don't be intimidated by the logistics of the train option. I can all but assure you that you'll be able to (easily) find a hotel that is willing to purchase tickets on your behalf.
Insofar as the money part of the equation is concerned, I propose the following solution (assuming you are US based):
1) you and the hotel figure out the exact cost of your train tickets (including whatever service fee you agree upon; between y10 and y50 per person)... this can be tricky because they won't know what class they're going to nab until they (or their delegates) show up at the ticket window
2) deposit the USD equivalent of #1 into my BofA account, plus the costs of me sending money to them (very low)
3) I send the hotel the RMB needed to pull off your desired journey, directly to their bank account
4) if the cost of your train tickets is lower than the amount transacted, it's your responsibility to recover the difference
While the above might seem complex, it works. Email me (please, no more PMs!) if you're interested in exploring this option.