A Chinese class K train.

Trains are a primary form of transport and certainly the most widespread for extra-urban movement in China, by which you can reach just about every corner of this immense country.

How to buy a train ticket in China

First of all, it’s important to understand that if you plan to buy your train ticket at the train station, or using the official China Rail website, you can only buy a train ticket starting from 28 or 30 days before your trip, respectively (even if for some trains of C and D categories the period is even shorter).

Reservations usually open 30 days before departure for online bookings and 28 days before departure for sale at stations, for most long-distance trains. Some overnight D-category sleeper trains only open 20 days ahead, some C-category trains only 10 days ahead. You cannot buy tickets before reservations open.

The problem is that, in particular during peak seasons – Spring Festival (in January or February), May Day (May 1st), National Day (October 1st) and Summer Holidays (from July to August) – you should buy your ticket as soon as possible or you’ll risk that tickets will already be sold out. [Read more…]

China is a popular travel destination thanks to its size, old history, distinct cultures, food, and beautiful landscapes. Truth be told, it’s probably one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, traveling to China is one of the most memorable experiences among foreign travelers.

Yet, before you travel to China, you must do research, deciding where to go and making an itinerary. Most people don’t spend more than a month when traveling a China, a reason why you should do thorough planning beforehand.

After many years of starting this website, we decided that we should write an article that lists some of the best travel destinations for China. Let’s get started and review one of the biggest and oldest cities in the world, Beijing.

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Foreigners who visit China rarely leave without making a set of clothes at local tailor-markets. It’s not strange, as prices are incomparable to tailors in Western countries. Quality suits can cost as little as 600 RMB (85 US dollars), which is 10 to 20 percent of the prices back home.

Not to forget, the tailors are generally friendly and efficient. You can make suits, dresses, and shirts in as little as 2 to 3 days. The tailors also allow a couple of fittings and can often send the clothes to your home country, if you don’t have enough luggage or simply don’t have the time to pick up the clothes.

However, before you visit any of China’s acclaimed tailor-markets, you first need to do some research. Where are the best tailor markets located? Can I pay by credit card? These are just a couple of questions that you shouldn’t leave unanswered.

[Read more…]