anacapamalibu

I have first hand knowledge from a foreigner about this.
The train stations and ticket agencies require the physical
passport.

To the bottom left on the ticket, your passport number is printed,
if its a Chinese ID the number would be longer and would easily identify
if the ticket was issued to a foreigner.

ID's are not checked before you board the train. ID's are not checked
when you are on the train, if you are standing they might ask to verify
you have a ticket. For sleeper trains they radomly check for ID
after the train has started moving. But then its too late anyway.

anacapamalibu

The routes you are taking would not require purchasing tickets in advance.
Just buy your tickets at your time of travel. You will not be there in heavy travel season, as Oct holiday will be over with on the 7th. So no worries
about sold out trains. You might have to wait an additional 20-30 minutes
in line to get tickets, but no big deal.

anacapamalibu

PS: The ticket agents at the stations don't speak english. So practice
the prononunciation of the city you want to go to. Hang-zoo or Su-zo
won't work too well. Also don't expect the electronic boards displaying
the information on the trains to include any english.

anacapamalibu

Its easy to verify if that would work. Just call up 5 high end hotels
and ask them.

I made a random sample of one hotel. They said they only need passport number, not physical passport,
and can get ticket if ordered at least one day in advance , before noon.
They don't have the ability to scan passports, only Chinese Id cards. The
ticket agents can't read english, they manually input your passport number.
Not visa number.

susiesan

Everything I've read indicates that even on these short routes, especially for the bullet trains,that I do need to tickets a few days in advance. I'm looking at Shanghai-Suzhou or Shanghai-Nanjing, Nanjing-Hangzhou or Suzhou Hangzhou as the trains I will be taking. All trips will be taken between Oct. 18-24.

What is everyone else's opinion-buy in advance or just go to station and get on the next train.

As I just finished six months of Mandarin classes, I at least learned correct pronunciation of words when spelled out in pinyin.

susiesan

This contradicts what you said above about train stations and ticket agents needing the actual passport to be presented. I thought it wasn't a good idea to give your actual passport to anyone in China.

moondog

The only "source" you've provided here thus far is a web site that sells train tickets at a 250% mark up. Like I pointed out before, it's in their best interest to instill fear in you. I would tend to think anacapamalibu's personal accounts are significantly more reliable.

anacapamalibu

This is an evolving situation. Updates show that physical passport is not necessarily required as a matter of fact, not law. Basically they just need
the number.

susiesan

I know I've read advice here on FT and on Fodors about the need to buy tickets in advance. It"s also here on seat61.com:

"Tickets are best booked at least 2-3 days in advance, apart from peak periods (the Spring Festival, May Day 1st May, National Day 1st October) when they should be booked as soon as reservations open."

The first thing I was going to do on arrival in Shanghai on Oct. 15 was to get the train tickets for either Suzhou or Nanjing on Oct. 18. Then when I arrive in that city, before leaving the train station, get the tickets to Hangzhou on Oct. 21. If it's possible to view these short haul trains like a local commuter, and just show up at the station and buy a ticket for the next train, it would allow me to be more spontaneous in where and when to go next. The only frame of reference I have for intercity train travel is Japan.

I looked at that picture posted of the Guangzhou train station and am fearful of getting stuck at a train station for hours, with luggage, waiting and waiting and waiting...

moondog

Like I've said in the past, if you're really nervous about this stuff, I am willing to try my best to get you train tickets in advance of your trip from origins pretty much anywhere in China. Basically, I have friends in many cities that are willing to walk up to the ticket window and make things happen. While I would expect you to pay for their taxi fares to/from the kiosk and a pittance for their time, you're looking at a surcharge of ~y30. IMO, this represents a better value than throwing an extra y500 towards one of those web based companies from which you've been getting your information.

BTW, in the case of your BJ/SH originating trains, you can avail of my services for free. I am not the least bit worried about this "snafu" that we're senselessly debating.

susiesan

Thanks for the offer, moondog. I will take you up on it when it's closer to my trip time. I will only have one departure from Shanghai, to either Nanjing or Suzhou. I'm continuing to research about changing my proposed itinerary and spend less time in Suzhou and add on Nanjing. I'm more than happy to pay your friends for their time and effort in helping me with train tickets.

travelinmanS

Going from Shanghai to Nanjing or Suzhou there are about 2 departures every hour. You can buy your tickets day of travel and get on the next train or if not the next train the one after that. Don't waste either time or money buying your tickets in advance...just show up at the station and buy them when you need to go. This works for the short routes from Shanghai as well as the Beijing-Tianjin line and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen trains. Anyone who tells you to buy in advance is either wrong or trying to get some extra cash from you.

anacapamalibu

That's true if its not peak travel time. But still a PIA to wait at the window
if you can get the ticket in advance for a small fee.

William S

Too bad. I want to try the bullet train to tianjin but since they do not speak any english i may reconsider that. My hotel/hostel (hybrid kinda) sends people who wants to buy train tickets to an agency in the other side of town which needs a taxi. Met some people who arrived from tianjin and they had no problem getting tickets for the bullet train at the station there so maybe i should give it a try. Today i was on a private tour to the great wall. I got that for 250 rmb. Well he just drove me there and back again, but renting a taxi costs 450 i have heard so not too bad. And a tip here is to haggle about the prices for drinks on the wall. They demand 20 for water, but pay no more than 5. Ok this is offtopic. Okey maybe it is me being cheap here since they carry the stuff up, but i am cheap haha.

benzemalyonnais

Susie, I have done a similar sort of travel several times, and the last two times I have been able to buy all of my tickets at once, Shanghai-Hangzhou, Hangzhou-Suzhou, etc., at once from the automatic ticketing machines at Shanghai main station north ticketing office.

I have no idea if this has changed, as I haven't taken a train in about a month or more, but at the end of June I'll be off to Hangzhou and Nanjing so I'll see if I can get them all together and let you know....this makes it a lot easier on trips like yours so you won't have to buy them at each departure city like in the past.....