2014 China Train Reviews

It was indeed a great experience to travel in the high speed train from Xi'an to Beijing. We are most astonished to find our tickets waiting for us when we checked into our Hostel in Xi'an as you've couriered the package over ahead of our arrival. The follow-up email to enquire whether we have received our tickets were ever so thoughtful, we truly appreciated it. Overall, I would definitely recommend anyone to use your service and we intend to use your service too in the near future :)
On the speed train, we would recommend that customers be reminded to bring a termo flask in order to fill hot water from the train's dispenser as our common plastic containers could not be used to fill with hot water. Here's some travel photos on the train :)
Special thank you to both Ms Ivy Zheng and Ms Amy Jian for their kind follow-up and prompt response to our enquiries.
Thank you again and have a pleasant weekend.

For the last 9 month I have been traveling to Shanghai once a month. Usually I take a high speed train to Changzhou, which my Chinese colleague would arrange. However, this was the first time I booked a ticket online.
The booking was very easy; website was clear and easy to understand and by paying with Pay-pal it is secure.
However, picking up the ticket could be improved. You still have to line up at the normal ticket window line. These lines are very long (at Shanghai Hongqiao railway station).
But once at the counter, just show the E-ticket number and passport and the ticket is released immediately.
The train journey is comfortable, although this time the train was already a bit older.
Anyway, I am glad it worked out well and will used your service in the future.

First, the service provided by TravelChinaGuide was excellent. Before going to China, I had several questions, and you sent clear answers to all questions. Second, getting the paper tickets, because I ordered tickets on the internet. This worked out fine. I made printouts of what you sent and took them to the Beijing main railway station. I paid a 5 RMB service fee for tickets not departing from Beijing, and I received all paper tickets quickly. The line to get the paper tickets was not long. Third, the waiting rooms and boarding procedures. This also worked out fine. There are electronic boards in all of the stations that indicated which waiting room for which train, and we made sure by asking other (Chinese) passengers if we were in the right spot. Even though they didn't speak English (a few did) and we didn't speak very much Mandarin, I just showed my ticket. Fourth, the boarding procedure. Again no problem. About 20 or 30 minutes before departure, either someone made an announcement or the electronic board changed, and a large crowd ran to the gate. We just followed and got to the right platform and the right train each time. Also the signs in the station indicated which platform to go to. All of this was not as difficult as I had originally thought it might be. Also, although I had your phone number with me just in case, I didn't need to call since we were able to figure everything out ourselves. Thanks for your part in helping us with our trip to China.

We were very impressed with the service provided by TravelChinaGuide. Throughout the booking process we were always kept informed of the progress and status of our booking. The tickets, (for the G87 high speed train to Xian), when purchased by your local representative in Beijing, were promptly forwarded to our hotel. Again, emails were sent to say when the tickets were despatched and delivered.
The train journey itself was memorable. The train began to roll out of the station completely silently within 1 second of the scheduled departure time. The track was unbelievably smooth and the train effortlessly glided along in almost complete silence at just over 300kph. Attendants cleaned the floor a couple of times during the trip as the train was spotlessly clean throughout including normal, western style toilets. Jasmine tea was served at regular intervals plus a couple of not very interesting snacks, all at no charge. The only downside to the train was insufficient rack space for large suitcases. Overhead racks are provided but will only accommodate fairly small cases.
The train station in Beijing was another matter! The waiting rooms were hopelessly overcrowded and there was no segregation of the different classes of travel. When a train changed from ‘waiting’ to ‘boarding’ on the indicator board it simply triggered a mass stampede in the crowd. The one small cafe within the waiting room was not only very expensive but nowhere near large enough to accommodate all the passengers wishing to use it. When it was time to board our train we emerged on the platform near the centre of the train which was still being cleaned and polished by a team of workers. You needed a telescope to see either end of the train it was so long. It took us several minutes walking at a brisk pace to reach our carriage which was the second one behind the driver’s carriage. Security checks at the station were similar to airline checks.
Overall, a very interesting experience and probably a little more enjoyable than travelling by air. The scenery is a bit dreary for the first couple of hundred kilometres after leaving Beijing being almost exclusively cornfields. After that, it becomes a bit more varied. There were a few large towns or cities where the train slowed down considerably for no discernible reason as the tracks were always silky smooth. I am sure there must have been a valid reason to slow down as the train soon got back up to speed after passing through these regions. I would travel by train again in preference to air and cannot fault the service provided by TravelChinaGuide.

The service and rates we received from Travel China Guide were second to none! We traveled in China during Golden Week, but TCG got all the train tickets we wanted as soon as they were available. The information TCG provided to help us pick up the tickets, get to the stations and find our trains were excellent. I would definitely use them again next time I need train tickets but don't want to worry about waiting in long lines and dealing with all the hassles of buying tickets in China. Thank you so much!

Your job was Perfect! Always I had my aswers when I need it. I recieved my 3 train tickets in time in my first hostel like you said to me. My only suggestion is that you could put together in the same compartment or bagon all foreigners who have booked ticket in advance. Travel in train in china is an amazing experience.. but could be hard and never recommended seat ticket.

We were really happy to find TCG website during our travel through China. Almost nobody in this country speaks English and even the easiest thing to do here was like an each day impossible goal. In most of international hostels there were possibility to buy train tickets (the best way of travelling in China) for some fee, but we had to rely only on hostel staff. TCG website gave us the possibility to plan all our trip in advance, making changes on all the way of trail, choosing places and comfort of journey.
I have suggestion to the following aspects: first, inform the client which tickets exactly should buy in advance (may be which months are pick months for travelling) to avoid situation that there is no tickets for many days or the worst ones; f. eg. train from Shanghai to Hong Kong was visible but there was no possibility to buy tickets (it looked like there were available). And (may be) find the way the client could choose exact places, not those available; if family is travelling they want to seat together not separately. Travelling by train in China is really very comfortable and the best way to see many places in short time (unless to choose airplane). Difference between soft and hard sleeper is important if: the family is travelling (first option is of high class, in "closed" wagon; the second is cheaper but like in bad quality dorms and never know who is going to travel with us; Chinese are specific in general). Soft seats are wider and looks nicer, hard seats - opposite. All trains has got its restaurants, and it even looks like airplane food, was really good and not so expensive. Taking tickets from train station personally is easy and does not matter which cashier window to choose; The importance is to have reservation number of tickets and to take it different date than the day of train leaving.
We were impressed of waiting room or all hall are look like because most of them were really elegant, sometimes luxury and clean (instead of public toilets). All seems to be organized perfectly and save. You have to get used to situations that Chinese always want to be first in the queue so be prepared to fight for your place in it.

Overall it was an excellent experience.
The experience of online booking was fine. Maybe a seat map (like in airplanes) would be useful.
I was expecting a Business Class (VIP ticked) waiting room but that was not available - otherwise the boarding process was quite good. Instead I spent the time in a restaurant. The company during the trip was great as the fellow passengers were quite communicative and helpful. Toilet cleanliness could be improved. I was really surprised that the Dining Car had such little selection & a very limited menu - that certainly needs improvement. The Train itself was outstanding - fast, comfortable, timely & painless.

Perfect, good contact and good service.
I booked a business ticket, and in the train it was great, very comfortable with good service.
I was bit afraid for the check in as my ticket was bit different than other passengers (mine was orange and larger than other passenger that had a blue one, smaller and that can enter in terminal) and I try to find assistance in order to be sure that I'm waiting at the right place (it was the case but I prefer to double check) and it was very difficult to find someone to help me as nobody is speaking English, even at the info point. Hopefully I met an American group with a Chinese guide who help me.
Otherwise, the platform, the boarding and the trip were perfect, train on time and arrival on time.

My booking experience through TCG booking center is good and I had a nice train journey in China. I have no suggestion for improvement.