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Train - Deluxe Sleeper - Guangzhou/Beijing/Shanghai
As I am in Australia I need to arrange for a booking agent to get some train
tickets for us (there are 3 couples travelling). This all seems too hard as we have not booked our accommodation yet, and IF the booking agent can get the tickets, they will then leave at the hotel. As we don't know where we will be staying, this seems to be in the "too hard" basket. So, my question is........... is it likely to be a problem getting deluxe sleepers once we are there, ie, can we arrive one day and book our train ticket for the next day successfully???? Our itinery for the train is Guangzouh to Beijing, Beijing to Shanghai and Shanghai to Hong Kong. Cheers Sue |
#2
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Train - Deluxe Sleeper - Guangzhou/Beijing/Shanghai
In article , Sue says...
As I am in Australia I need to arrange for a booking agent to get some train tickets for us (there are 3 couples travelling). This all seems too hard as we have not booked our accommodation yet, and IF the booking agent can get the tickets, they will then leave at the hotel. As we don't know where we will be staying, this seems to be in the "too hard" basket. So, my question is........... is it likely to be a problem getting deluxe sleepers once we are there, ie, can we arrive one day and book our train ticket for the next day successfully???? Our itinery for the train is Guangzouh to Beijing, Beijing to Shanghai and Shanghai to Hong Kong. Why don't you fly? Would make a lot of sense, given the large distances you are planning to cover. Instead of spending a day or two in the train you spend one hour or two in the plane. Plane tickets are quite cheap and can be booked in any travel agency in China on very short notice (no problem on the same day or even just a few hours before departure). Check my travelogues: http://www.molon.de/travelogues/China/2006/ http://www.molon.de/travelogues/China/2005/ http://www.molon.de/travelogues/China/2004/ -- Alfred Molon http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe |
#3
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Train - Deluxe Sleeper - Guangzhou/Beijing/Shanghai
On Aug 18, 9:09 pm, Alfred Molon wrote:
In article , Sue says... As I am in Australia I need to arrange for a booking agent to get some train tickets for us (there are 3 couples travelling). This all seems too hard as we have not booked our accommodation yet, and IF the booking agent can get the tickets, they will then leave at the hotel. As we don't know where we will be staying, this seems to be in the "too hard" basket. So, my question is........... is it likely to be a problem getting deluxe sleepers once we are there, ie, can we arrive one day and book our train ticket for the next day successfully???? Our itinery for the train is Guangzouh to Beijing, Beijing to Shanghai and Shanghai to Hong Kong. Why don't you fly? Alfred Molon ******Probably because they want to travel by train you dolt. Stop spamming and being bossy Alfie. |
#4
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Train - Deluxe Sleeper - Guangzhou/Beijing/Shanghai
"Alfred Molon" kirjoitti s.com... you spend one hour or two in the plane. Plane tickets are quite cheap and can be booked in any travel agency in China on very short notice (no problem on the same day or even just a few hours before departure). Unless there aren't seats available, of course. |
#5
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Train - Deluxe Sleeper - Guangzhou/Beijing/Shanghai
"LarbGai" wrote in message ups.com... On Aug 18, 9:09 pm, Alfred Molon wrote: In article , Sue says... As I am in Australia I need to arrange for a booking agent to get some train tickets for us (there are 3 couples travelling). This all seems too hard as we have not booked our accommodation yet, and IF the booking agent can get the tickets, they will then leave at the hotel. As we don't know where we will be staying, this seems to be in the "too hard" basket. So, my question is........... is it likely to be a problem getting deluxe sleepers once we are there, ie, can we arrive one day and book our train ticket for the next day successfully???? Our itinery for the train is Guangzouh to Beijing, Beijing to Shanghai and Shanghai to Hong Kong. Why don't you fly? Alfred Molon ******Probably because they want to travel by train you dolt. I wouldn't have put it quite so rudely, but I too would want to travel by train as a choice. It is dissapointing that it seems to be impossible to make pre-bookings to travel between major cities in comfort, without paying well over the odds, And as the OP has implied, the possibility of booking for a few days ahead is big unknown. tim |
#7
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Train - Deluxe Sleeper - Guangzhou/Beijing/Shanghai
"A Mate" wrote in message u... Travel Agent!! We used Lily Xie - and she was superb. Booked a whole heap of stuff - and colected tickets when we got to Hong Kong - paid when we got to Beijing. But what did they charge. Face value plus a reasonable (local) booking fee or the 10 (or 20) times face value that most people advertise. tim |
#8
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Train - Deluxe Sleeper - Guangzhou/Beijing/Shanghai
tim - you're a 'misery guts' - always negative!
They charged the going rate plus a reasonable commission. "tim....." wrote in message ... "A Mate" wrote in message u... Travel Agent!! We used Lily Xie - and she was superb. Booked a whole heap of stuff - and colected tickets when we got to Hong Kong - paid when we got to Beijing. But what did they charge. Face value plus a reasonable (local) booking fee or the 10 (or 20) times face value that most people advertise. tim |
#9
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Train - Deluxe Sleeper - Guangzhou/Beijing/Shanghai
Sue wrote:
As I am in Australia I need to arrange for a booking agent to get some train tickets for us (there are 3 couples travelling). This all seems too hard as we have not booked our accommodation yet, and IF the booking agent can get the tickets, they will then leave at the hotel. As we don't know where we will be staying, this seems to be in the "too hard" basket. The best way to approach independent travel in China is not to plan in detail, but to make a rough plan as to route, and adjust it as to what is found. Booking accommodation in advance can easily lead to paying twice what's necessary (depending on the level of accommodation chosen). Booking train tickets through unscrupulous on-line agencies can lead to paying as much as 70% over the top for train tickets on some of the routes mentioned. Accommodation rates can almost always be bargained well down over the counter, rail tickets are no longer very hard to obtain on most routes unless you absolutely MUST travel on a particular day, and even there there are fall-back options such as flying (sometimes little more than the train fare these days depending on route and time of year) and even long-distance buses (many of which are air-con and comfortable), although not really an option on the very long routes you mention. So, my question is........... is it likely to be a problem getting deluxe sleepers once we are there, ie, can we arrive one day and book our train ticket for the next day successfully???? If 'deluxe' means the standard soft sleeper, then the answer is that very often you will indeed by able to do that. But in general it's better to be looking a little further ahead to increase your chances of success. Our itinery for the train is Guangzouh to Beijing, Beijing to Shanghai and Shanghai to Hong Kong. I haven't had a problem getting out of Guangzhou, but that station does have a reputation for being difficult with tickets. If you don't want to tackle the station itself, then using an agency (likely found in your hotel) may be a better choice. Let them do the running around for a commission of Y20 per ticket or so. There's an assortment of trains on the Beijing to Shanghai route, some of which are of a super deluxe variety not found on most other routes, including two-berth rooms with private bath (I'm told--I haven't personally used these). These are at least as expensive as flying (again depending on time of year) and intended to compete for overnight traffic from that market. The Shanghai to Hong Kong route is a different kind of train again, still treated as an international trip, also with more up-market facilities, and it only runs every other day. You may need to show a passport in order to buy a ticket. If, by any chance, your first point of arrival is not Guangzhou but Hong Kong, then you may be able to by some of these tickets for fair prices while you are there. CTS Kowloon sells some of them (although is should be avoided for many other services, for which it charges more than most other agencies). You might be able to buy the Shanghai to Hong Kong ticket from KCR (the railway that runs it) in Hong Kong, but I think that regulations may require you to buy it in Shanghai. Have a look at this page: http://www.ctshk.com/english/train/t...ble/formgz.htm And there are links on the right, under Price Enquiry for other options, but certainly they will sell you the Guangzhou to Beijing ticket, and they claim to sell on-line. For details and schedule of direct trains between Hong Kong and mainland China destinations, see: http://www.kcrc.com/html/eng/service...assenger_servi ces/index.asp Hope that helps. Peter N-H http://www.datasinica.com |
#10
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Train - Deluxe Sleeper - Guangzhou/Beijing/Shanghai
In article , Markku
Grönroos says... "Alfred Molon" kirjoitti s.com... you spend one hour or two in the plane. Plane tickets are quite cheap and can be booked in any travel agency in China on very short notice (no problem on the same day or even just a few hours before departure). Unless there aren't seats available, of course. I did three trips across China, always booking at the last minute. Did lots of flights, always found seats availabe, just in one case I had to purchase a first class ticket because the economy was full. -- Alfred Molon http://www.molon.de - Photos of Asia, Africa and Europe |
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