Seeing China by rail

Forget standing in long check-in lines or flight delays; travelling by train is the way to go when in China – here’s why

Shanghai and Beijing are often the first cities that come to mind when people think of China. However, in a country with dozens of regions — each with their own unique cuisine, culture and dialect — it is clear that China has much more to offer to visitors.

With the second largest train network and the longest high-speed rail network in the world, train travel is a great way to see China. Here are six reasons why you should consider traveling by train during your visit to the country.

1. Punctuality

Most trains in China arrive and leave on time. This is a welcome change from delayed or cancelled flights — typically a consequence of weather conditions and competition for airspace.

In fact, during peak travel periods, up to 80 per cent of flights are rescheduled or delayed. Trains in China have a reputation for punctuality, with only bad weather at times delaying departures.

2. Hassle-free travel

Train stations are generally located near city centres, saving time and reducing arrival and departure hassles.
Take flying from Beijing to Shanghai, for example.

Though the flight time is only two hours, you will also need to travel from the Beijing city centre to the airport and go through check-in and immigration processes.

Not to mention waiting for your suitcases when you arrive and travelling to your hotel in Shanghai.

3. More leg room

Airplane seating is sometimes uncomfortably cramped, especially on budget airlines. You might spend a good deal of the flight passively fighting for the armrest, repeatedly brushing arms and legs with a stranger or awkwardly waking the person next to you so that you can go to use the restroom.

Train travel has few of these hang-ups. High-speed trains have comfortable seats and are clean and safe.

4. You’re always online

In China’s trains, you can keep your devices on at all times — that means not having to turn off your mobile phones or electronic devices, such as during the take-off or landing of a plane.

Being online gives you a chance to catch up on some work, get the latest gossip from your friends or post a picture from your trip on social media. If you are going on Facebook or other social media that are blocked in mainland China, remember to use a reliable VPN (virtual private network).

5. The chance to create memories

You’ll travel at speeds of up to 300 km/hour, catch glimpses of towns and villages that lie in between major cities and meet people from all over the country along the way.

If you’re traveling with friends, high-speed trains often have four-seat rooms that make it easy to enjoy the ride together. Many travelers find that a train journey becomes a memorable part of their trip.

6. You’ll stretch your dollar

Train tickets are often half the price of economy airfares. What you save on transport you can put towards shopping and dining at your destination, for starters.

With everything else that train travel has going for it, the reduced impact on your wallet is just icing on the cake.
Ctrip.com, one of the world’s largest online travel portals, has just launched in Singapore. Along with purchasing China train tickets, Singapore-based travellers can log on to www.ctrip.sg to easily book flights and hotels anywhere in the world.
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