Booking and riding China's high-speed trains with a passport

Can foreigners book China high-speed train tickets online?

Yes. China Railway sells tickets to foreign passport holders on its English website and in the official 铁路12306 app, which has an English option. Before your first purchase you register, add your passport and pass an identity verification; after that you can pay with a Chinese or foreign bank card or a mobile payment app, according to China's official 2026 guide for foreign visitors. Tickets are real-name: each one is tied to the passport used to buy it, and you show that same passport to enter the station, board and leave.

How do I book a train on 12306 with a passport?

1. Create an accountRegister at 12306.cn/en or in the 铁路12306 app with the language set to English. Choose passport as your ID type and enter your name, nationality and passport number exactly as printed.
2. Get verifiedThe system tries to verify you automatically. If it cannot, upload a photo of your passport information page for manual review, or verify at a station ticket counter.
3. Search and compare trainsEnter the departure and arrival cities, then check which station each train uses: big cities have several, such as Beijing South and Shanghai Hongqiao. Train numbers starting with G are the fastest high-speed services; D trains are also bullet trains but usually slower.
4. Pick a seat class and seatChoose second class, first class or business class. When plenty of seats are left, you can pick a seat letter, with A and F by the window.
5. Pay and check the orderPay before the on-screen timer runs out. Your order shows the train number, date, car number (车厢, chēxiāng) and seat. There is nothing to print.

Tickets go on sale 15 days before departure, and the release time varies by station; the app lists each station's sale time. Trains around Spring Festival and the October 1 holiday can sell out within moments of release. The English website sells and changes tickets from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Beijing time (until 11:30 p.m. on Tuesdays), while searches and refunds work around the clock.

Which seat class should I book on a Chinese bullet train?

There is no seat E: the letters skip it so that A and F are always the window seats. If you are traveling as a pair in second class, D and F put you side by side with a window and no stranger in the middle.

How early should I get to the station, and how do the checks work?

Leave more time than you think. Major stations can be as big as airports, and you pass two checkpoints before the platform: ID and security at the entrance, then the ticket gate for your train. At a large station, aim to arrive at least 45 minutes before departure, and more around public holidays.

1. Enter with your passportAt the entrance, staff or machines check your ID against your ticket. Some automatic lanes can read foreign passports and some cannot; if yours is rejected, use the staffed lane (人工通道, réngōng tōngdào).
2. Go through securityBags go through an X-ray scanner. Flammable and other dangerous items are banned; China Railway publishes the full list on 12306.
3. Find your gateLook for your train number on the departure boards. They show the time, destination and the gate (检票口, jiǎnpiàokǒu), such as A12. Wait in the seating area near that gate.
4. Board when checking startsWhen the board shows 正在检票 (zhèngzài jiǎnpiào, now boarding), scan your passport at the gate or show it at the staffed lane. Each station sets its own cutoff: China Railway says checking usually stops 2 to 7 minutes before departure, and earlier at a few deep underground stations.
5. Find your carSigns or markings on the platform show where each car stops. Wait at your car number from your order, and board quickly: high-speed trains stop only briefly at intermediate stations.

The free signs lesson and the platforms and transfers lesson cover the words you will see and say in a station.

How much luggage can I take on a Chinese train?

Under 12306 rules, adults can carry 20 kg of luggage free (children 10 kg), and on high-speed trains each item should measure no more than 130 cm in total length, width and height. Large suitcases go on the racks at the end of each car or behind the last row; smaller bags fit overhead. Pack so you can lift your own bag onto the rack.

Keep your passport within reach for the whole trip. Conductors may check tickets on board, and you need the same passport to exit at your destination. Smoking is banned on high-speed trains, including in the toilets.

Can I change or refund a China train ticket?

Yes, on the 12306 website or app if you booked there, or at any station ticket counter. Refunds go back to the original payment method. As of October 2026, the 12306 English FAQ sets these refund fees:

Bought the wrong ticket? Since January 2026, 12306 refunds one mistaken order per day for free if you cancel within 30 minutes of paying and at least 4 hours before departure, as Beijing News reported. Changed, waitlisted and some other ticket types are excluded.

To change the date, train or seat (改签, gǎiqiān), you get one change per ticket, subject to availability. Changes made more than 48 hours before departure carry no change fee; closer to departure, your options narrow and fees can apply, and the app shows the cost before you confirm. Changing the destination is a separate process that must be done at least 48 hours ahead. Tickets bought through Trip.com or another agent are changed or refunded through that agent, so check its terms too.

Delays do happen, for example in storms or at holiday peaks. The delays and last train lesson and the wrong train lesson give you the questions to ask staff.