China Train Tickets: How to Book as a Foreigner
China's trains are booked on 12306, the railway's own platform, and it now works in English with a foreign passport. Here is the whole process in order: when tickets go on sale, what the passport rules actually require, which seat to pick, and how boarding works when there is no paper ticket.
Book on 12306 (12306.cn in English, or the Railway 12306 app) with your valid foreign passport. Tickets go on sale 15 days before departure. China uses e-tickets: there is no paper ticket to collect, and the original passport you booked with is what gets you through the gate and onto the train. If 12306 feels like too much friction, an agent can book on your behalf — but 12306 is the official channel, and the railway will not handle problems that occurred on other websites.
Step 1 — Register on 12306 with your passport
12306 is the official website of the China Railway Customer Service Center. Its English website offers purchase, endorsement (change), refund and change-of-destination services. The Chinese-language version is built around Chinese ID cards; the English website accepts only valid foreign passports that can be used under the relevant regulations.
Register before you need a ticket, not on the day you want to travel:
- Register on 12306.cn/en or in the Railway 12306 app and switch the app to English if it opens in Chinese.
- Enter your passport details exactly as printed — name, document type and number. China uses real-name ticketing, so the name on the booking must match the passport you will carry.
- Wait for your identity status to clear. Registered users whose ID information is "verified" or "ready to be verified" can buy tickets for themselves or for others. Add fellow travellers under My Passengers with their own passport details before you try to book for them.
- Remember the sales hours. Ticket sales and endorsement run from 05:00 to 01:00 Beijing time the next day, and from 05:00 to 23:30 on Tuesdays. Information queries and refunds are available 24 hours a day.
A valid ID document can be used to buy only one ticket for the same train on the same date of travel. If you are booking for a group, every traveller needs their own verified passenger record — you cannot stack several seats under one passport.
Step 2 — Know when your tickets go on sale
The advance ticket sales period is 15 days, according to China Railway. That is a much shorter window than most travellers expect, and it is the single biggest planning difference from booking flights or hotels: you cannot lock in train seats a month ahead on 12306.
Two details decide whether you get the train you want:
- Release times are per station, not national. Each departure station releases its tickets at its own time of day. Check the release time for your departure station on the 12306 platform and be ready at that moment for popular routes and holiday periods.
- Holiday and weekend-evening trains sell out first. Chinese New Year, the early-May break and the October Golden Week are the peak periods. If your train is sold out, check other departures, other seat classes and nearby stations before giving up.
Agents that take orders earlier than the 15-day window are collecting your request in advance and submitting it when sales open — they cannot buy a seat before 12306 releases it. Judge them on that basis, not on the promise of an earlier booking.
Step 3 — Pick the right stations, then the right seat
Chinese cities usually have several large stations, and the station name is part of the ticket. Beijing South is not Beijing West, and Shanghai Hongqiao is not Shanghai station. Confirm the departure and arrival station on your booking before you pay — a ticket for the wrong station is a ticket for the wrong end of the city.
| Class | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Second Class | The standard seat and the most widely available class | Most trips, especially under five hours |
| First Class | More space and a quieter cabin than Second Class | Longer daytime trips where legroom matters |
| Business Class | The most spacious seats, on G trains | Working, resting, or the longest routes |
| Sleeper berth | A berth instead of a seat, on overnight services | Overnight routes, where you sleep instead of losing a day |
For a first trip, Second Class is the sensible default. Upgrade only if the journey is long enough that the extra space is worth the higher fare shown at booking. Some G trains also list premium or first-class variants above First Class; treat those as train-specific options, not as a separate system to learn.
Under the rules published on 12306, child discount tickets apply to children over 6 and under 14, full-price tickets apply from age 14, and each adult with a paid ticket may take one child under 6 free, with no reserved seat. Further children travel on discount child tickets. If a child has no valid ID document, the accompanying adult's identity information can be used to buy the child ticket under the same order.
Step 4 — Boarding: your passport is your ticket
China runs on railway e-tickets. The e-ticket is an electronic record of the transport contract, tied to the identity document used to buy it. You show that document to check in and out of the station and to get aboard the train.
- Arrive early. Security checks are compulsory for all passengers and their belongings, and queues form at the security check, ID verification and ticket gates. Ticket sales and check-in stop before departure, at the time shown in the station announcement — do not plan a last-minute arrival.
- Go through security, then the gate, with your original passport. Use the passport reader lane, or the staffed lane if the reader cannot read your passport.
- Keep the same passport for the exit. You show the document again when leaving the destination station.
- Do not rely on a printout. After buying an e-ticket you can print or download an itinerary sheet, or have one printed at a station counter or machine — but neither the itinerary sheet nor a reimbursement receipt can be used as a ticket, and neither will get you through the gate.
Book China trains through Trip.com
If you would rather not register on 12306, an agent books on your behalf in English and handles the same seats. Check what service fee it adds before you pay, and make sure the booking uses the exact passport you will travel with.
Book China train tickets on Trip.comWe may earn a commission if you book through this link. It does not affect what we recommend.
Step 5 — If plans change: one change, and a sliding refund fee
Changes and refunds are handled on 12306 itself, and the rules are stricter than most travellers assume. Read them before you buy a non-refundable-feeling ticket — the fee depends entirely on how close to departure you act.
| When you refund | Service fee |
|---|---|
| 8 or more days before departure | Free |
| More than 48 hours before departure | 5% of the ticket price |
| Between 24 and 48 hours before departure | 10% of the ticket price |
| Less than 24 hours before departure | 20% of the ticket price |
The minimum refund fee is RMB 2, and refunds through 12306 are returned to the original online payment method. A ticket can be endorsed (changed) only once, and only when seats are available — the date, train number or seat can change, but the departure and arrival stations cannot, except between stations in the same city. Changing the destination station is a separate service, available at least 48 hours before the original departure, and also only once. If you think your plans may move, buy the ticket you can afford to change, not just the cheapest departure.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners book China train tickets on 12306?
Yes. The 12306 English website and app accept valid foreign passports for registration and booking, and cover purchase, changes, refunds and change of destination in English.
How far in advance can I book a China train ticket?
Tickets go on sale 15 days before departure, according to China Railway. Each departure station has its own daily release time, which you can check on the 12306 platform. Online sales run from 05:00 to 01:00 Beijing time, and from 05:00 to 23:30 on Tuesdays.
Do I need a paper ticket to board a train in China?
No. China uses railway e-tickets tied to the identity document used to buy them. Show the same original passport to enter and leave the station and to board. The printed itinerary sheet and any reimbursement receipt are not tickets and cannot be used to check in.
What seat classes do Chinese high-speed trains offer?
High-speed trains generally offer Second Class, First Class and Business Class, with sleeper berths on overnight services. Not every train offers every class, and fares vary by route, train and class — check what your train actually lists at booking.
Can I change or refund a China train ticket?
Yes. A ticket can be changed once, subject to seat availability. Refunds are free 8 or more days before departure, then 5% more than 48 hours before departure, 10% between 24 and 48 hours, and 20% less than 24 hours before departure, with a minimum fee of RMB 2.
Should I book on 12306 or through an agent like Trip.com?
12306 is the official channel, and the railway states it will not handle ticketing problems that occurred on other websites. An agent can be simpler if you want an English interface outside 12306, but check what service fee it adds, and keep the booking under the passport you will travel with.
Before you book: sort out the visa first
Train tickets do not replace a visa. If you still need one, sort it before you lock in non-changeable travel dates — a ticket you cannot use because your visa is late is still a ticket you paid for. See China visa: everything you need to check whether you need a visa at all, and the step-by-step application guide if you do.
Where to confirm all of this
Train rules, sale windows and refund fees change. The official sources worth bookmarking are the 12306 English FAQ at 12306.cn/en, which publishes the real-name, e-ticket, change and refund rules used on this page, and China Railway (china-railway.com.cn), which states the 15-day advance sales period. If anything on this page conflicts with what 12306 shows at booking, 12306 is right.
This page deliberately quotes no route fares and no payment-method list: neither was stated on the official 12306 FAQ pages checked on 29 October 2026, so both are left to the figures and options 12306 shows at booking rather than filled in from third-party guides.