Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In each class of sleeper, linen is clean and changed for each journey; beds
are generally bedbug-free. Staff rarely speak English, except sometimes on
the high-speed express trains.
If taking a sleeper train, you will be required to exchange your paper ticket
for a plastic or metal card with your bunk number on it. The conductor then
knows when you are due to disembark, and will awake you in time to return
your ticket returned to you.
TICKET TYPES
It is possible to
upgrade
(
bupiao
) your ticket once aboard your train.
Ticket types
TICKET TYPE PINYIN
CHINESE
Soft sleeper
ruanwo
Hard sleeper
yingwo
Soft seat
ruanzuo
Hard seat
yingzuo
Standing ticket wuzuo or zhanpiao
Soft Sleeper
Soft sleepers are a very comfortable way to travel and work perfectly as mo-
bile hotels; tickets cost much more than hard-sleeper tickets and often sell out,
however, so book early. Soft sleepers vary between trains and the best are on
the more recent D and Z class trains. Tickets on upper berths are slightly
cheaper than lower berths. Expect to share with total strangers. If you are
asleep, an attendant will wake you to prepare you to disembark so you will
have plenty of time to ready your things.
Soft sleeper carriages contain:
