Hi, we are going to travel from Beijing to Urumqi by train this summer. We'll have only 3 days in Beijing (and in China) before train departure. Plan on traveling in soft sleeper. There are web sites which allow to purchase tickets 15 days in advance, but they have all kind of fees on top of the normal price.
Is it safe to fly in to China and be able to get soft sleeper on t69 with 3 days before departure?
thanks!
Reply to this I have traveled to China twice and can tell it's safe to fly.On the other hand the first time I was there it was 1990 and flying could make you a bit on edge all old Russian planes.But since then with the push to modernizing for the past Olympics they have come a long way,new airports and using western made aircraft,I will tell you don't worry about it.I don't know about the purchase of train tickets I had that arranged through an agent here and I know I paid a premium.If you have the luxury of some time you shouldn't have a problem getting them in China,you could try to use any hotel to guide you along .I have few suggestions for you if your not in hurry,please try to get to Dug ha to see the Buddhist caves ,they are unbelievable.If you can go further then Urumqi check out Kashgar and Hotan before they change to look like the rest of China .I was in that part of China before the current problems so please be careful.
Reply to this It‘s will cost you 40 hours travelling from Beijing to Urumqi by train. And that will make you tired. "Plan on traveling in soft sleeper",The ticket of thiat will cost 1000RMB. Meanwhile, the ticket of planes will just cost about the same. so my advise is to go by plane.
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By the way, I'm a chinese. Reply to this thanks, we might fly, we might take train. riding chinese trains is an experience of its own.
Reply to this Hi Chert, Indeed riding trains is an experience. There are both positive and negative aspects, and if this is your first time in China I would say take the plane. I have been flying quite a lot, the airplanes are new, the crews professional, airports are all brand new, check-in smooth and generally speaking there is no major difference from flying in Europe. And you can book e-tickets over the net. The train system however is old, the trains rather dilapidated, the toilets impossible to describe and the food is also not great. Only to get ON the train in huge train stations with masses of people is an experience difficult to describe. Do book soft sleeper if you decide for the train, but don't expect any luxury. The advantage is that it is closed compartment for four instead of an open wagon. The wash room and toilets are common for the whole wagon. Also you have access to the soft seat waiting room, which gives you priority for boarding the train, avoiding running among hundreds of people with lot's of luggage. One weird thing is that there is nowhere to sit but on your berth during the day, the compartments are not made up like on European trains. Meaing that if you have the lower berth other people will sit on your bed too. Maybe you could fly part of the distance (Xian to Urumqi for example) and take the train Beijing to Xian which is an overnight ride. Then you could also visit Xian which is a wonderful city. Enjoy your trip Inga
Reply to this Thanks Inga, I lived in China in early 90th and took trains everywhere, very familiar with what to expect. This time around I'd rather fly, but my 14 years old daughter wants to have some train experience. Idea about train to Xian and then flying from there is a good one and we'll see if we can work it into our trip. Otherwise we probably just fly from Beijing to Ulumuqi.
Reply to this I got one more question about current day China, related to their currency. They don't have foreign exchange certificates anymore and dual pricing for locals and foreigners, is that correct? Back in early 90th there was dual system, one for Chinese, one for foreigners. We use to change dollars for renmibi on the black market, most hotels accepted only foreigh exchange certificates etc. I'm pretty sure all that is long history now, but just want to verify...
Reply to this It is now like in any other country - you pay in yuan everywhere, same price for everyone. There are ATM machines in major places where you can withdraw yuan and in more fancy hotels you can pay with your credit card. I have not been successful using a European credit card in normal shops, although they take Chinese cards. You can also change money (at least major currencies) in big hotels and Bank of China (doesn't seem to be possible in other banks). Don't think there is any reason to use black market (I wouldn't know how to do it anyway). I usually keep all receipts from ATMs and exchange but I have never been asked to show them when leaving. I am sure your daughter will love it - China is just amazing and VERY different from 20 years ago.
Reply to this I want to travel from ireland to thailand overland as much as possible, was wondering if anyone had any info or tips regarding the best route to take, visas etc. thanks
Reply to this It is now like in any other country - you pay in yuan everywhere, same price for everyone.
This is true
Reply to this The soft sleeper is a pointless rip-off for stupid foreigners and Chinese snobs. The hard sleepers is comfortable and much more interesting and fun.
The soft sleeper people are crashing, pompous bores.
Reply to this It is safe safe to fly in to China and be able to get soft sleeper now. If you have any problem ,Please feel free to get in touch with me . Ben .
Reply to this As a chinese, we never take train from Beijing to Urumuqi. take flight or train to Xian only.
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