How To Survive A Train Ride In China

China is huge and gorgeous. Filled with culture, history, and people it is one of the best countries to visit. Since the country is so large it shouldn't come as a surprise that one of the best ways to travel is by train. Almost everyone travels by the train. So that means you will be doing so too! But there are some things that you will need to know before you can just board. That is, if you don't want to feel like a tourist and get ripped off.



Tip #1 - Some people buy food on the train (tourist), but real Chinese know that you should never buy food on the train. Its overpriced, small-portioned, and has a terrible taste. So be prepared to buy a sandwich from Subway, a few sodas or beers.



Tip #2 - If you are planning on traveling during a holiday, or a week or two before it get ready for a trip! Book your trip as early as possible. In China students are able to book their trips early and there are a ton of students. I can't stress the importance of booking early, showing up early, and boarding early.

Tip # 3 - Get there on time because almost all the time the trains will leave on time. You will rarely encounter a train ride that leaves after 5 minutes of its scheduled departure time.

Tip # 4 - The best places to buy your tickets are at the kiosks in most cities. I can't tell you how many times I have had to delay a trip because of the ridiculous line at the station. Most kiosk will only charge you a small 5 kuai fee. Its worth it when you get to where you need to go on time.

Tip # 5 - Traveling by train is not exciting by any feat so buy some entertainment. You can have a portable dvd player, ipod, magazines, or perhaps even a book? Your entertainment is up to you but just be sure you have enough to last your trip. You will mostly be traveling by night so you won't see too much scenery.

Tip # 6 - Theft is common on Chinese trains so make sure you are very careful with your belongings. Keep everything close to you and invest in something to secure money and other essential paperwork to you.

Please keep in mind that you are in China on a Chinese train. You will see things that normal Chinese do on your trip. Such as spitting on the floor. I know it's disgusting but there isn't much you can do about it. So just sit tight and get through it!