China Routes: Getting From A to B
Specific routes with real departure frequencies, journey times and what each option costs.
What is in this section
This section currently holds 12 guides: Taking A Sleeper Train In China, Beijing To Shanghai, Beijing To Xi’an, Shanghai To Hangzhou, Shanghai To Suzhou, Chengdu To Chongqing, Xi’an To Chengdu, Guilin To Yangshuo. Each one is written against published timetables, current fare tables and the version of the rules that is actually enforced — not against what a booking site claims.
How current it is
The most recently checked page here is Taking A Sleeper Train In China, verified on 2026-10-16. Every guide carries its own date: if a figure is more than six months old, treat it as a starting point and confirm the official source before you spend money on it.
Taking A Sleeper Train In China
A comprehensive guide to sleeping trains in China, helping you decide if a night on the tracks is worth it.
Beijing To Shanghai: High-Speed Rail Vs Flying, With Real Numbers
Take the train unless your onward flight leaves from Pudong.
Beijing To Xi’an: 4h30 By Train, And The Station Trap
Book to Xi’an North, then ride metro line 2 straight into the walled city.
Shanghai To Hangzhou: A Day Trip That Genuinely Works
Take an 08:00 train from Hongqiao, and book the return while you are still at breakfast.
Shanghai To Suzhou: 25 Minutes, Two Stations, One Wrong Choice
Book to Suzhou station, not Suzhou North, and start with the Humble Administrator’s Garden.
Chengdu To Chongqing: Two Cities, Ninety Minutes, Two Kinds Of Day
Ninety minutes apart, and completely different cities. Do them in that order.
Xi’an To Chengdu: Three Hours Through The Qinling Mountains
Three hours, ¥263.50, and the best mountain scenery of any Chinese high-speed route.
Guilin To Yangshuo: River, Rail Or Road
Take the boat down once and the bus back — and check where Yangshuo station actually is.
Beijing Airports To The City: Capital, Daxing And What Each Costs
The express train is ¥25 or ¥35 and beats a taxi at any hour except the middle of the night.
Shanghai Pudong To Central Shanghai: Maglev, Metro Or Taxi
Twenty to thirty minutes of planning saves an hour at the arrivals kerb.
Xi’an To Shanghai: Train Or Plane, And What Each Really Costs
Fly when your time is short. Take the train when you want the day, not the airport.
Hangzhou To Suzhou: Which Train To Take And Where To Get Off
Fast train to Suzhou, then twenty minutes on Line 4 into the old town.