Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and cacophonous karaoke looped on overhead TVs. Drivers continuously lean
on the horn (taking an MP3 player is crucial for one's sanity). Note the follow-
ing when travelling by bus.
» Seat belts are a rarity in many provinces.
» Take plenty of warm clothes on buses to high-altitude destinations in winter.
A breakdown in frozen conditions can prove lethal for those unprepared.
» Take a lot of extra water on routes across areas such as the Taklamakan
Desert.
TRAIN
Trains are the best way to travel long-distance around China in reasonable
speed and comfort. They are also adventurous, exciting, fun, practical and effi-
cient, and ticket prices are reasonable to boot.
THE CHINESE TRAIN NETWORK
One of the world's most extensive rail networks, passenger railways penetrate
every province in China and high-speed connections are suddenly every-
where. The network was due to total 110,000km by the end of 2012. Thou-
sands of miles of track are laid every year and new express trains have been
zipping across China since 2007, shrinking once daunting distances.
With the advent of high-speed D-, G-, and C-class express trains, getting
between major cities is increasingly a breeze (albeit far more expensive than
regular fast trains). In 2011, an ultra-high-speed railway was unveiled between
Beijing and Shanghai, compressing the journey to around five hours. A high-
speed link should connect Beijing and Xi'an by 2014.
For international trains to and from China,
Click here
.
TRAINS
Chinese train numbers are usually (but not always) prefixed by a letter, desig-
nating the category of train.
High-Speed Trains
The fastest, most luxurious and expensive intercity trains are the streamlined,
high-speed 'C', 'D' and 'G' trains, which rapidly shuttle between major cities.
