Hong Kong to Guilin
Apr 15, 2018, 1:18 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,097
From Shenzhen North there are trains to Guilin at 7:21, 11:45, 13:05 and 14:26. Travel time is about 3 hours.
Get to Shenzhen North by MTR to Lok Ma Chau, cross the border on foot, then take the Shenzhen Metro to Shenzhen North.
Buy your ticket beforehand. You can do this on ctrip, which has an English website and accepts foreign credit cards. You'll get a confirmation number you exchange for the actual ticket at the station. This can involve some waiting, so allow extra time.
Get to Shenzhen North by MTR to Lok Ma Chau, cross the border on foot, then take the Shenzhen Metro to Shenzhen North.
Buy your ticket beforehand. You can do this on ctrip, which has an English website and accepts foreign credit cards. You'll get a confirmation number you exchange for the actual ticket at the station. This can involve some waiting, so allow extra time.
Apr 15, 2018, 8:46 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: MPC,CA,MU,AF
Posts: 8,171
From Shenzhen North there are trains to Guilin at 7:21, 11:45, 13:05 and 14:26. Travel time is about 3 hours.
Get to Shenzhen North by MTR to Lok Ma Chau, cross the border on foot, then take the Shenzhen Metro to Shenzhen North.
Buy your ticket beforehand. You can do this on ctrip, which has an English website and accepts foreign credit cards. You'll get a confirmation number you exchange for the actual ticket at the station. This can involve some waiting, so allow extra time.
Get to Shenzhen North by MTR to Lok Ma Chau, cross the border on foot, then take the Shenzhen Metro to Shenzhen North.
Buy your ticket beforehand. You can do this on ctrip, which has an English website and accepts foreign credit cards. You'll get a confirmation number you exchange for the actual ticket at the station. This can involve some waiting, so allow extra time.
Apr 15, 2018, 11:47 am
#5
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Apr 16, 2018, 12:58 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Norway
Posts: 14
Apr 16, 2018, 1:20 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,097
For a HK person who just wants to get up to Guilin, going overland will seem a terrible time-consuming burden. Maybe they've done it before. So they'll tell you just to fly. Because that's what they would do. Assuming they'd even consider going to Guilin.
But for a traveller from overseas, it's sort of a half-the-fun-is-getting-there experience. It's a good chance to see what China really is today, from the crowds at the border crossing, to the crowds on the Shenzhen Metro, to the vast and crowded train stations, to the train that'll get you to Guilin in just three hours (it used to be a long overnight journey).
Which is to say: of course you should take the train.
But for a traveller from overseas, it's sort of a half-the-fun-is-getting-there experience. It's a good chance to see what China really is today, from the crowds at the border crossing, to the crowds on the Shenzhen Metro, to the vast and crowded train stations, to the train that'll get you to Guilin in just three hours (it used to be a long overnight journey).
Which is to say: of course you should take the train.
Apr 16, 2018, 1:25 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Norway
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Apr 17, 2018, 2:56 am
#10
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highway bus drivers are over worked so ure more prone to accidents
train conductors are well paid so not overworked, but they hv a general neglegence in rail safety.
ymmv.
Apr 17, 2018, 11:32 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: CX MPC DM
Posts: 416
What kind of experience are you looking for? If you want to get there fast, take the high speed train from Shenzhen North, 3 hours. Traditionally, flights into China from HKG can be fraught with delays due the air space restrictions. Many times, the high speed train can get you there quicker.
The route @889 laid out works well. Shenzhen metro is very good, clean and convenient. MTR -> Lok Ma Chau -> Futian Checkpoint -> Line 4 Shenzhen Metro -> Shenzhen North. Depending on the lines at the checkpoint, I'd say 1:30 - 2 hours time on the safe side, possibly much less depending where in HK you're starting from.
Shenzhen north is a fairly big station but it is very navigable. You might experience some typical rude behavior, people cutting lines and pushing etc. I take the high speed rail from Shenzhen to Changsha or Guangzhou fairly often. I've traveled in every class, 2nd, 1st and business. If you want to pay up (about 600RMB) one way, business class is very nice and comfortable better than most airlines business class seat. 1st class is usually twice as expensive as 2nd with seating 2-2 with plenty of room. 2nd class is similar to most airlines economy seat, possibly a little bigger with 3-3 seating.
I've not experienced the level of "torture" that @kaka describes. The only frustrations I experience is if my train is significantly delayed or canceled. Then it's a mad scramble to get on another train with a lot of accompanied pushing a shoving. They'll let you on with your ticket, but you lose your seat unless you want to wait for your original train that can be delayed by a few hours. This happens to me more often on the trains to Guangzhou.
I wouldn't say the trip by train is very scenic. The train is barreling though the countryside at 300 km/h with not much to see, although I've never done a trip to Guilin. Taking a bus would be a long trip. The slow train takes about 13 hours, I would think a bus would take that long or longer.
Speaking to what @kaka is describing, if you want a truly local experience with all the "benefits" of being in China, the cheapest travel arrangement would generally offer that. Bus or sleeper slow train will let you experience all of that. The more you pay the more "civilized" your experience will be, hence the business class ticket on the high speed train. My girlfriend in Shenzhen always yells at me when I buy more expensive train tickets. I try to explain that I am willing to pay a bit more for some comfort and the price difference is fairly negligible. She stops complaining when she's sitting in a business class seat!
The route @889 laid out works well. Shenzhen metro is very good, clean and convenient. MTR -> Lok Ma Chau -> Futian Checkpoint -> Line 4 Shenzhen Metro -> Shenzhen North. Depending on the lines at the checkpoint, I'd say 1:30 - 2 hours time on the safe side, possibly much less depending where in HK you're starting from.
Shenzhen north is a fairly big station but it is very navigable. You might experience some typical rude behavior, people cutting lines and pushing etc. I take the high speed rail from Shenzhen to Changsha or Guangzhou fairly often. I've traveled in every class, 2nd, 1st and business. If you want to pay up (about 600RMB) one way, business class is very nice and comfortable better than most airlines business class seat. 1st class is usually twice as expensive as 2nd with seating 2-2 with plenty of room. 2nd class is similar to most airlines economy seat, possibly a little bigger with 3-3 seating.
I've not experienced the level of "torture" that @kaka describes. The only frustrations I experience is if my train is significantly delayed or canceled. Then it's a mad scramble to get on another train with a lot of accompanied pushing a shoving. They'll let you on with your ticket, but you lose your seat unless you want to wait for your original train that can be delayed by a few hours. This happens to me more often on the trains to Guangzhou.
I wouldn't say the trip by train is very scenic. The train is barreling though the countryside at 300 km/h with not much to see, although I've never done a trip to Guilin. Taking a bus would be a long trip. The slow train takes about 13 hours, I would think a bus would take that long or longer.
Speaking to what @kaka is describing, if you want a truly local experience with all the "benefits" of being in China, the cheapest travel arrangement would generally offer that. Bus or sleeper slow train will let you experience all of that. The more you pay the more "civilized" your experience will be, hence the business class ticket on the high speed train. My girlfriend in Shenzhen always yells at me when I buy more expensive train tickets. I try to explain that I am willing to pay a bit more for some comfort and the price difference is fairly negligible. She stops complaining when she's sitting in a business class seat!
Apr 18, 2018, 12:13 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Norway
Posts: 14
What kind of experience are you looking for? If you want to get there fast, take the high speed train from Shenzhen North, 3 hours. Traditionally, flights into China from HKG can be fraught with delays due the air space restrictions. Many times, the high speed train can get you there quicker.
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Apr 18, 2018, 10:19 am
#13
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For travel within Mainland China, the less the better because there are simply too many uncertainty. Even for flying, you can get delayed for 6 hours at no fault of the airline.
Beside - unless you have your own MB to drive, any public transportation is not as comfortable as you think.
Apr 18, 2018, 12:23 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Norway
Posts: 14
By the way, I was planning to go to Guilin in early August. How is the climate there compared to HK? Is it warmer and more humid or the opposite?
Last edited by bjonil; Apr 18, 2018 at 12:23 pm Reason: typo
Apr 18, 2018, 9:01 pm
#15
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