China's High-Speed Rail: How to Book, What It Costs, How Fast It Goes

How fast is China's high-speed rail, and how far does it go?

China runs more than 48,000 km of dedicated high-speed line, more than the rest of the world combined, with Fuxing CR400 trains holding 350 km/h in daily commercial service. That makes the 1,318 km from Beijing to Shanghai a 4h 24m trip, faster than the flight once you count airport time.

Nearly every city a visitor wants is on the network. Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Guilin, Guangzhou, Kunming and Harbin are all connected, and the Beijing–Guangzhou corridor runs 2,298 km in about eight hours.

The next generation is already testing: the CR450 prototype is designed for 400 km/h in service, which would cut Beijing–Shanghai to under four hours. Expect it on the busiest lines rather than everywhere at once.

How to book a ticket with a foreign passport

Two options work: the official 12306 app, which now accepts foreign passports and international cards, or Trip.com, which is simpler in English, charges a small service fee and delivers the same seat inventory. Tickets are released 15 days before departure.

Register your passport on 12306 first and wait for verification, which can take a day. Enter your name exactly as it appears in the passport — including the order of given name and surname — or the gate reader will reject you.

For popular Friday evening and holiday departures, tickets sell out within minutes. Set a reminder for the release moment, or have us hold your seats: our tours include all rail tickets pre-booked at the 15-day mark. Details at /china-tours/.

Second, first or business class?

Second class is the honest default: two-plus-three seating, a tray table, power sockets at every pair of seats and a 350 km/h ride for RMB 553 on Beijing–Shanghai. Legroom is about the same as a premium economy cabin.

First class gives two-plus-two seating, a wider seat and a quieter carriage for roughly 1.7 times the fare. It is worth it on journeys over four hours or when you want to work.

Business class on the Fuxing trains is a lie-flat pod with a privacy shell, meals and a lounge in some stations, at about RMB 1,748 on Beijing–Shanghai — about three times second class. Choose it for the longest legs only.

All three classes include a hot-water dispenser, a Western and Asian toilet in each carriage, and luggage racks at both ends. There is no catering included below business class; bring food or buy from the trolley.

The station ritual, step by step

Arrive 45 minutes before departure at Beijing South, Shanghai Hongqiao or Xi'an North. These are airport-scale buildings: security and ID check, then a walk of 10–15 minutes to the platform, which is announced roughly 20 minutes before the train leaves.

You do not need a paper ticket. Your passport is swiped at the automatic gate, and the barrier reads it directly. Keep the passport in hand, not in a bag, from the moment you enter the station.

Boarding is quick: find the carriage number painted on the platform, queue at the doors, and be aware that trains stop for two to five minutes only. Latecomers are genuinely left behind.

Routes worth planning a trip around

The Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai triangle is the classic: 4h 30m and 4h 24m legs, both under RMB 600 in second class, connecting the three cities with the most concentrated sightseeing in the country.

Two shorter legs punch above their length: Shanghai to Hangzhou in 45–60 minutes for the West Lake and Longjing tea villages, and Chengdu to Xi'an in about 3 hours across the Qinling mountains.

Guangzhou to Guilin takes about 3 hours and puts you in the karst landscape by lunchtime; from there the Li River runs south to Yangshuo. Both fit inside the 24 provinces covered by 240-hour visa-free transit.

Last updated: 2026-10-02 · Reviewed by JoyoTour