How to Book China Train Tickets as a Foreigner (12306 and Trip.com)

The short version

You can book China’s trains yourself with a foreign passport. There are three ways:

1. China Railway 12306, the official website, app and Alipay mini-program. No booking fee.
2. An English travel agency such as Trip.com. Easier to use, with a booking fee on each ticket.
3. A station ticket office. Bring your passport and pay by card, cash or mobile wallet.

Four rules matter most:

• Tickets go on sale 15 days before departure, counting the travel day. Book early for holidays and weekends.
• Each passenger’s passport number is part of the ticket. Enter it exactly as printed.
• Your original passport is your ticket. Bring it to the entrance, the gates and the exit.
• Big stations need time. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before departure.

Facts in this guide come from China Railway’s 12306 English FAQ and the Chinese government’s official guide for foreigners, checked on 29 September 2026.

Three ways to buy tickets

12306 is the only official China Railway platform. Agencies buy the same tickets, so seat availability is the same. They charge for the easier interface and customer service, and have their own rules for changes and refunds.

How to book on 12306, step by step

1. Create an account

Go to the 12306 English website (12306.cn/en) or install the China Railway 12306 app. Register with your name as in your passport, your passport number, nationality, an email address and a mobile number.

2. Verify your identity

China uses real-name tickets, so every passenger must pass identity verification before buying. According to the Chinese government’s guide for foreigners, there are three ways:

• Automatic verification after you enter your passport details
• Upload a photo of your passport photo page for manual checking
• Go to a station ticket office with your passport

Do this a few days before you need to book. Manual checks take time, and you do not want to wait while the train you want sells out.

3. Add everyone who is traveling

Add each traveler under My Passengers with their passport number, exactly as printed. Each passport can hold only one ticket for the same train on the same day.

4. Search and choose a train

Enter the departure city, destination and date. Tick high-speed trains only if you only want G and D trains. The results show departure and arrival stations, journey time, and prices and availability for each seat class.

Check the station name. Many cities have several stations. Beijing has Beijing South, Beijing West, Beijing, Beijing North and Beijing Chaoyang. Shanghai has Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai and others. Book the one closest to your hotel, and give that exact station to your driver.

5. Pick seats and pay

Choose a seat class. You can often pick a window or aisle seat. Pay with a foreign Visa or Mastercard, Alipay or WeChat Pay. The confirmation shows your car and seat number.

Opening hours: 12306 sells tickets and changes bookings from 5:00 to 1:00 the next morning, Beijing time, and 5:00 to 23:30 on Tuesdays. Searching and refunds work 24 hours a day.

When tickets go on sale

Tickets go on sale 15 days before departure, counting the travel day itself. Stations release tickets at set times.

• Weekdays outside holidays: you can often book a few days ahead, and sometimes on the day.
• Friday and Sunday afternoons: popular routes can sell out.
• Public holidays: book the moment your date opens. The busiest times are the Spring Festival travel rush (about 40 days around Chinese New Year), the May Day holiday (1 to 5 May in 2026) and National Day (1 to 7 October in 2026). See the best time to visit China.

If your train is sold out

• Try other times on the same day, or trains from another station in the same city.
• Try first class or business class. They sell out later.
• Use the waitlist. 12306 has a waitlist (候补购票, “alternate ticket”) for sold-out trains. You pay in advance, and 12306 buys a ticket for you if one comes back. If it fails, you get your money back.
• Book a stop further on or split the trip into two tickets.
• Take a standing ticket (“no seat”, 无座) for a short journey.
• Fly. For more than about six hours by train, a domestic flight may be simpler. See China domestic flights.

Train types and seat classes

Train types

Seat classes on high-speed trains

How much tickets cost

Fares depend on the distance, train type, seat class and, on some routes, the time and day. As a rough guide for second class on high-speed trains:

• Short hops of about an hour, such as Shanghai to Hangzhou or Suzhou: roughly RMB 40 to 150
• Three to four hours, such as Beijing to Xi’an: roughly RMB 500 to 700
• Beijing to Shanghai, 4.5 to 6 hours: roughly RMB 550 to 700

First class usually costs about 1.6 times second class, and business class around three times. These are rough estimates only. The price 12306 shows before you pay is the real fare.

Children

• Under 6: free with a paying adult, without their own seat. Each adult can bring one free child. More children need child tickets.
• 6 to under 14: child ticket, generally half price.
• 14 and over: full fare.

Children who have their own passport should be added as passengers with it. For more on traveling with children, see China with kids.

Changes and refunds

Refund fees on 12306 (from the 12306 English FAQ):

The minimum fee is RMB 2. For tickets booked on 12306 with online payment, the refund goes back to your card or wallet.

Accidental booking? For travel from 2 February 2026, if you buy on an official 12306 platform with online payment, you can refund one order per day free within 30 minutes of buying, as long as the train leaves at least four hours later. Waitlist, changed and group tickets are not included.

Changing a ticket. You can change the date, train, seat class or arrival station once. Changes more than 48 hours ahead are free. Later changes to a later date cost 5% or 15% of the fare, depending on timing. You cannot change the departure station.

Agencies such as Trip.com follow the railway’s rules and may add their own service fees. Check before you pay.

On the day: how to board

1. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early at big stations. Security, passport checks and long walks all take time.
2. Go through the entrance check with your original passport, the one you booked with.
3. Pass security. All bags are X-rayed.
4. Find your gate. Screens list the train number, gate (检票口) and status. Waiting halls are large, so find the gate first, then relax.
5. Go through the ticket gates. Scan your passport at an automatic gate, or use the staffed gate if it will not read.
6. Be on time. Gates close several minutes before departure, and the train leaves exactly on time.
7. Find your car. Car numbers are marked on the platform floor. Your seat number shows the row and a letter: A and F are windows, C and D are aisles in second class.
8. Keep your passport for the exit. You pass through gates again when you leave the destination station.

Luggage

Each adult can bring 20 kg of luggage free, 10 kg for children. On high-speed trains, each item should be no larger than 130 cm when you add its length, width and height together. Big suitcases go on racks at the end of each car. Fireworks, flammable liquids and other dangerous goods are banned.

Food on board

High-speed trains have a dining car or trolley with meals, snacks and drinks, and hot water for tea or instant noodles. See how to order food in China.

Common problems and fixes

• Verification is stuck. Upload a clear photo of your passport page, or verify at a station ticket office with your passport.
• Your card is declined. Pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to the same card, try another card, or book through an agency.
• The name does not match. The name and passport number on the booking must match the passport you carry. Change or rebook before you travel.
• The automatic gate will not read your passport. Use the staffed gate. That is normal for many foreign passports.
• You lost your passport. Report it to the police at once. The railway accepts a passport loss report certificate for some ticket transactions. Ask station staff.
• You are at the wrong station. Check the station name on your booking. A taxi between two stations in the same city can take an hour.

12306 or Trip.com: which should you use?

Use 12306 if you want the lowest price, direct changes and refunds, and you do not mind some setup.

Use Trip.com or another agency if it is your first trip, you want everything in English, or you are booking several things together. Expect a booking fee on each ticket.

Use a station ticket office if you are already in China and need help, cash payment or a same-day ticket.

Need train tickets booked for you?

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