Originally Posted by
richardinmotion
Has anyone done either of these routes? I'm considering either destination. Each is about 19-20 hours. I'm looking at a luxury soft sleeper cabin. My goal is not to get to either location quickly and cheaply, but rather to be able to see the Chinese countryside. Is this a good way to do it? I'm open to train one way, then flying back. If I book the luxury soft sleeper cabin, which has 2 beds, will someone else be in the cabin with me, or do I get it all to myself?
Guilin will be more scenic I think in terms of the karst landscape, although Xian has more historical places of interest (i.e. terracotta warriors). So it depends which has more interest to you, natural landscape or historical places.
As for the train, make sure you buy the right ticket for the soft sleeper cabin (i.e. your own private cabin), as there are several options and its easy to be confused for the new train passengers.