How can travelers book train tickets in China?

Travelshorts recommends Trip.com because it shows timetables and prices and provides booking options. The guide also notes that it can offer a full refund if plans change.

What is second class like?

The Beijing-to-Xi’an segment has three-and-two seating, which Travelshorts finds roomy. The carriage has bathrooms, hot water, USB charging, luggage storage, and food ordering by QR code, though the QR process can be unreliable.

How do the train classes differ?

Second class uses three-and-two seating, first class uses two-and-two seating and includes complimentary drinks and snacks, and business class has a fully reclining bed, entertainment, meals, and station lounge access. Premier class is shown on a short Yangshuo-to-Guilin trip.

What is the sleeper train cabin like?

The Xi’an-to-Shanghai train has a four-berth soft sleeper cabin with a door, storage, USB ports, and a privacy blind. Bathrooms are shared and include Western and Asian-style toilets.

What food did they try on the trains?

The business class meal included curry pork with rice for Travelshorts, while Matthew and Holly chose Kung Pao chicken and did not enjoy it as much. The host describes the business class meal as acceptable rather than especially memorable.

China Train Travel Guide: A Comprehensive Look at Different Classes

Name: CHINA TRAIN GUIDE - How to Travel By Train in China | 1st, 2nd, Business Class, Sleeper, Premier
Uploaded: 2024-12-11
Duration: 1 h 11 min 40 s
Channel: travelshorts
Description: In this China Train Guide I will show you all the different classes of train you can travel on in China on the China High Speed Train Network including First Class, Second Class, Business Class, Premier Class and a Sleeper Train. If you want to travel around China by train you need to watch this...

CHINA TRAIN GUIDE - How to Travel By Train in China | 1st, 2nd, Business Class, Sleeper, Premier

Destination:ChinaProvince:SichuanCity:Leshan

Watch "CHINA TRAIN GUIDE - How to Travel By Train in China | 1st, 2nd, Business Class, Sleeper, Premier" on YouTube

travelshorts2024-12-111 hr 11 min

China travel video

CHINA TRAIN GUIDE - How to Travel By Train. This China travel video was filmed by travelshorts. Watch the full journey and explore the filming details and destinations on this page.

In this China Train Guide I will show you all the different classes of train you can travel on in China on the China High Speed Train Network including First Class, Second Class, Business Class, Premier Class and a Sleeper Train. If you want to travel around China by train you need to watch this China Travel Guide.

We then tour and review every class of train on the China Train Network.

Starting with 2nd Class we will look around our carriage on our high speed China train from Beijing to Xi'an exploring the Buffett car, seat configuration, bathrooms and all the amenities on board. China Second class trains have seats in a 3 and 2 configuration.

We then travel on 1st class, our First Class China Train was from Chengdu to Leshan, I show you the seats, bathroom on board, the free drinks and snacks available to passengers. First class is arranged in a 2 and 2 seat configuration.

Then it is Business Class, the best way to travel on China Trains if you can afford it. If you travel Business Class you have access to the Business Lounge in China Train Stations where you can get free drinks and snacks as well as going though different security to get straight in. On board a China Business Class Train you have a private seat that can recline into a bed, an entertainment system, free refreshments, and a meal on board.

Sleeper trains offer a great way to travel on China trains over a long distance and they are made up of soft sleepers and hard sleepers. We travelled by soft sleeper from Xi'an to Shanghai in a room with four beds.

Finally we travel Premier Class, this is a step up from First Class but below Business Class, it is usually 1st class seats but in a more private room.

--- travelshorts

December 11, 2024, Winter in China

Travel Guides & Tips in this video

Travelshorts tours China’s high-speed and sleeper train options, covering second class from Beijing to Xi’an, first class from Chengdu to Leshan, business class toward Guilin, a soft sleeper from Xi’an to Shanghai, and premier class between Yangshuo and Guilin. The guide compares seats, food, lounges, charging, bathrooms, and booking through Trip.com, including a carriage assignment mix-up near the end.

More about the current video:(Published on 2024-12-11)

Comparing train classes in China

Travelshorts uses several journeys to explain what different train classes are like. The second-class segment runs from Beijing to Xi’an and provides a baseline for the later comparisons. The carriage has three seats on one side of the aisle and two on the other. The host finds the seats roomy and comfortable. Passengers can store luggage, charge devices with USB ports, use a hot-water dispenser and order food through a QR code. The QR ordering process is not always reliable, and the frequent tannoy announcements may be distracting. The shared bathrooms include both Western-style and Asian-style toilets, and the host comments on their space.

The first-class trip is from Chengdu to Leshan. Its two-and-two seat arrangement gives passengers more room than second class, and the service includes complimentary drinks and snacks. Travelshorts shows how to choose tickets online and describes Trip.com as a convenient way to check timetables, compare prices and reserve seats ahead of time. The guide also recommends the site for bookings that may qualify for a full refund if plans change. These observations come from the journeys in the video, while the seats, service and route vary between trips.

Business, sleeper and premier class

For business class, Travelshorts takes a train from Chengdu toward Guilin. The station lounges provide refreshments and expedited security before boarding. On board, the seat reclines fully into a bed, with an entertainment system and meal service. The host shows the lounge and cabin amenities. The higher fare is part of the choice, and finding a direct ticket to Guilin proves difficult, so the trip extends to Guangzhou. The meal is described as acceptable rather than exceptional: the host has curry pork with rice, while Matthew and Holly choose Kung Pao chicken, which they do not enjoy as much.

A separate overnight journey from Xi’an to Shanghai uses a four-berth soft sleeper cabin. The compartment has a door, storage space, USB ports and a blind for privacy. It does not have an ensuite bathroom; passengers share the train's facilities, including Western-style and Asian-style toilets. Travelshorts says the night was comfortable despite sharing the bathroom. The video also tours common areas, including a water dispenser, restrooms and crew quarters. Travelshorts demonstrates boarding, finding the compartment and settling in for the night, as well as using the shared facilities and walking through common spaces. The privacy blind closes across the four-berth cabin, while its bunks and storage make clear what passengers share on this route.

The final example is a short premier-class ride between Yangshuo and Guilin. A booking mix-up initially places Travelshorts in a second-class carriage. They locate the premier compartment before arriving and show its seating arrangement. Across these trips, the video compares seat layouts, refreshments, meals, lounge access, bathrooms and storage, while also recording practical details such as online reservations, unreliable QR food ordering and the initial carriage assignment error. Each example is tied to a particular route and journey rather than presented as a promise about every train.

FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)

Q: How can travelers book train tickets in China?: A: Travelshorts recommends Trip.com because it shows timetables and prices and provides booking options. The guide also notes that it can offer a full refund if plans change.

Q: What is second class like?: A: The Beijing-to-Xi’an segment has three-and-two seating, which Travelshorts finds roomy. The carriage has bathrooms, hot water, USB charging, luggage storage, and food ordering by QR code, though the QR process can be unreliable.

Q: How do the train classes differ?: A: Second class uses three-and-two seating, first class uses two-and-two seating and includes complimentary drinks and snacks, and business class has a fully reclining bed, entertainment, meals, and station lounge access. Premier class is shown on a short Yangshuo-to-Guilin trip.

Q: What is the sleeper train cabin like?: A: The Xi’an-to-Shanghai train has a four-berth soft sleeper cabin with a door, storage, USB ports, and a privacy blind. Bathrooms are shared and include Western and Asian-style toilets.

Q: What food did they try on the trains?: A: The business class meal included curry pork with rice for Travelshorts, while Matthew and Holly chose Kung Pao chicken and did not enjoy it as much. The host describes the business class meal as acceptable rather than especially memorable.

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China Train Travel Guide: A Comprehensive Look at Different Classes

China High-Speed Train Travel Guide: Classes & Tips

This China Train Guide explores various classes on China's high-speed rail network. Starting with second class from Beijing to Xi'an, the video showcases the carriage, buffet car, seating, bathrooms, and amenities. Next, it covers first class from Chengdu to Leshan, highlighting seating, bathrooms, and complimentary refreshments. Business class travel is detailed, emphasizing the exclusive lounge access, private reclining seats, entertainment, and meals. The guide also features sleeper trains (soft sleeper from Xi'an to Shanghai), and premier class, a step above first class but below business class, offering more private seating.

Attractions in this video: Giant Buddha