Hong Kong - Beijing Train vs. Plane

There are high speed trains and flights available for passengers travelling between Hong Kong and Beijing. Passengers are advised to choose the fastest flight firstly, followed by high speed train with cheaper ticket fare. 
 

	Bullet Train G80	Flight
Schedule	One pair per day	More than 10 pairs per day
Travel Time	Around 8.5 hours	Around 3 - 4 hours
Ticket Price	Around 1,200 for a second class seat	Around CNY 1,000 - CNY 5,000 for an economy class seat
Recommendation Rate

See detailed: Hong Kong - Beijing High Speed Train

 

There is one pair of bullet trains operated between Hong Kong and Beijing every day. No less than 10 pairs of direct flights fly between Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) or Daxing International Airport every day.

However, passengers have around 4 pairs of high speed trains to choose from every day if transferring at Guangzhou South or Shenzhen North.
 

Overall, in comparison of time to the airport or train station, processing time, waiting time and time on board, the flight is faster than the bullet train. Flight takes only 3 to 4 hours, while high-speed train needs about 9 hours. However, airports in both cities are out of town and it takes more time to board a flight than a train. These shorten the gap of door-to-door travel time between flight and train.
 

The ticket fare from Hong Kong to Beijing bullet train is CNY 1,179.5 for second-class seat, and CNY 3,686.5 and CNY 1,888.5 for business class seat and first-class seat, respectively.
The ticket fare of an economy-class seat from Hong Kong to Beijing flight normally fluctuates between CNY 1,000 and CNY 5,000.
 

Currently, there are western toilets, air conditioning, electricity charging sockets and sofa-like seats on high speed trains, no big differences with those on a plane.

But the internal space of trains may be larger than an airplane, for instance, the distance between two seat rows, hence passengers can travel more comfortably. 
 

Passengers flying from Hong Kong to Beijing need to go through two customs clearance procedures at Beijing and Hong Kong airports, respectively. However, because of the implementation of the “cooperation immigration check” between China and Hong Kong, passengers only need to queue in one line to pass through customs of both sides at West Kowloon Station, which saves a lot of time for passengers.
 

The on-time rate of the flight is not as good as that of the high speed train. In case of inclement weather, the flight may be cancelled or delayed, affecting the passenger’s travel plans. However, most of the time, the departure and arrival of the high speed train are very punctual.
 

On the plane, passengers can appreciate nothing but the beauty of the sky. But, on the train, passengers can enjoy the beautiful scenery of different cities and different areas along the way and feel the different lifestyles from the southern China to the northern China.

Further Reading:
How to Travel between Beijing and Hong Kong