fifteen days. that is the entire booking horizon for almost every train in the country: tickets go on sale fifteen days before departure, counting the travel day itself, and on the popular routes the better trains thin out within minutes of release. the system that sells all of this, 12306, runs the world's largest high-speed network from one app, accepts foreign passports, and now accepts foreign bank cards. this page covers the whole chain: registering with a passport, paying from abroad, picking a class, getting through the station on time, and what the official rulebook says when plans fall apart.
the passport is the ticket. the gate reads it the way a metro gate reads a card, so there is nothing to print, nothing to collect, and no voucher to lose.
every rule below traces to a document you can open: the refund and change tiers come from China State Railway Group's fee notice, in force since January 2021; the child rules and ticketing process come from 12306's own passenger notices; the luggage limits come from the national catalog issued jointly by the National Railway Administration and the Ministry of Public Security, effective 1 July 2022; and the fares quoted for Beijing–Shanghai follow the price schedule the line's operator announced in May 2026. all sources checked 11 October 2026.
The 15-day window and what it means
on 12306, the official website and app, tickets open fifteen days before departure, and the departure day counts. a train leaving on the 20th goes on sale on the 5th. when the window opens for a holiday date, the whole country's inventory appears at once. during the two big travel rushes, the Spring Festival block in February and the National Day week of 1–7 October, the good trains sell out on release morning, which is one more reason the holiday calendar matters when you pick dates.
one route works differently for now. the Beijing–Shanghai corridor has been running a reservation trial since late September 2026, where you can reserve a seat between 30 and 17 days before departure; the railway plans to make that arrangement routine from late October. if your trip centers on that corridor, you get a longer runway than everyone else.
Registering 12306 with a passport
12306 has a full English website and an English mode in the app. registration takes a name, nationality, and passport number, plus a phone number that can receive an SMS code. the identity check usually clears automatically against passport records. when it does not, you can upload a photo of the passport data page for manual review, or take the passport to a station ticket window and verify in person once, which unblocks everything afterwards.
two details trip people up. first, the name field: long names get truncated at 30 characters, entered without spaces or punctuation, and the system is case-insensitive, which is exactly how the platform's own guidance describes it. second, the phone number: an overseas number works for registration, but keep that phone reachable on travel day, because the account and the SMS codes follow it. if you plan to set everything up after landing, sort the connectivity first; the SIM and eSIM options page covers that. doing registration at home, before the flight, saves you a tired puzzle at the arrivals hall.
Buying and paying
search by station and date, filter for the departure window you want, and pick a train. the app lets you choose a specific seat where the train's layout allows it. on high-speed trains the seats are lettered A, B, C, D, F: A and F are windows, C and D are aisles, B is the middle of the trio. if you travel with someone and care about sitting together, select rather than accept the auto assignment.
payment takes Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay cards, and foreign-issue Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and Diners cards. setting up Alipay before the trip makes everything else easier; the Alipay walkthrough covers the card linking. one warning belongs here, and it comes from 12306 itself: it is the only official seller. lookalike booking sites that promise English support or "foreigner-friendly" checkout are agencies at best and scalpers at worst, and refunds on a third-party purchase route back through that agency, not through 12306.
Choosing a class, with real fares
high-speed G trains connect the big cities at up to 350 km/h; D trains run a bit slower and often carry overnight sleeper stock; conventional K, T, and Z trains cover the long-distance and budget end. on high-speed lines you choose between three classes, and the differences are real: second class is a 2+3 layout with tray tables, first class is 2+2 with noticeably wider seats, and business class is a 1+2 pod that folds close to flat.
| Class | Layout | Typical 2026 fare | In other money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second class | 2+3 | RMB¥576–662 for most departures | ≈US$86–99 / ₹8,300–9,600 |
| First class | 2+2 | around RMB¥1,060 published | ≈US$158 / ₹15,300 |
| Business class | 1+2 pods | around RMB¥2,318 published | ≈US$346 / ₹33,500 |
the second-class range deserves a note, because Chinese high-speed fares float. the operator publishes a ceiling, then sells the same train at discount tiers below it depending on demand and departure time. on this route the ceiling was 20% higher after a May 2026 adjustment, so the most expensive second-class departures now push above RMB¥790, while off-peak trains sit well under it. the practical takeaway: the same seat on the same route can differ by RMB¥200 between a 7:00 departure and an 8:30 one.
overnight options exist on both D trains (bulleted sleepers in two classes) and conventional Z trains (four-bunk soft sleeper and six-bunk hard sleeper, the latter a genuine budget play). for a first trip the day train is easier, and the ride-hailing guide covers the last mile from whichever station you land at.
Getting through the station
Chinese stations run like airports without the boarding passes. you enter through a security scan (bags through the x-ray, people through the gate), find the waiting hall on the departure boards, and wait for your gate number to appear. railway guidance puts gate openings per train and, crucially, closes check-in three to five minutes before departure. miss it and the gate will not open, so the advice the railways themselves give is to arrive 30 to 60 minutes early, more at the giant stations and during holiday weeks.
boarding is where the e-ticket shows its point: you walk to the gate, present the passport you booked with, and the reader checks you in. no printing, no collection. one boundary to know: self-service ticket machines accept only the Chinese permanent residence card from foreigners, so passport holders use counters or the app for anything that needs a machine, and staffed gates handle boarding fine. metro connections at both ends are their own fare system; the maps guide covers navigating a station as large as a small town.
Refunds and changes: the official tiers
the fee schedule is published, tiered, and consistently applied. refunds scale with how close to departure you cancel:
| Cancelled before departure | Refund fee |
|---|---|
| 8 days or more | none |
| 48 hours to 8 days | 5% |
| 24 to 48 hours | 10% |
| Less than 24 hours | 20% |
changes have their own ladder. moving to a different train is free 48 or more hours before departure. inside 24 to 48 hours, a move to a later date costs 5% of the lower fare; under 24 hours it costs 15%. once the train has left, one change is still possible, but only onto another train the same calendar day, and that one is free. two hard edges worth remembering: a ticket changed after departure can no longer be refunded, and refunds route back to the original payment method.
What you can carry on board
the free allowance is 20 kg per adult with total dimensions under 130 cm on high-speed trains, and nobody weighs a backpack. the catalog that actually bites is the prohibited-and-restricted list the railway regulator publishes with the police. the traveler-relevant parts: power banks up to 100 Wh ride along (that is the rating printed on the pack, and unbranded units without a clear rating get confiscated); perfume and gels in non-spray containers up to 100 ml per bottle, one each; aerosols like hairspray up to 150 ml per can and 600 ml total; nail polish up to 50 ml; alcohol between 24% and 70% ABV up to 3,000 ml sealed. anything sharper than a kitchen paring knife goes in checked luggage or stays home.
one rule has teeth and a price tag: every high-speed train is fully no-smoking, including vestibules and toilets, and the sensors are sensitive enough that even aerosol sprays can trip them. lighting up costs a fine of RMB¥500 to RMB¥2,000 and, on some violations, a ride ban on top.
Common questions about buying train tickets in China
Can I buy a train ticket in China with a foreign passport?
Yes. A passport is a valid ID for 12306 registration, online purchase, counter purchase, and boarding. The platform verifies passport details automatically in most cases, with a manual photo review as the fallback.
Do I need to print my 12306 ticket?
No. China Railways runs on e-tickets: the passport you booked with is the travel document at every gate. The itinerary printout the app offers is for reference and expense claims, and the rules say plainly that it is not a boarding document.
How much is a high-speed train ticket in China?
Depends on distance and class. The reference route, Beijing to Shanghai, runs RMB¥576 to RMB¥662 in second class for most 2026 departures, around RMB¥1,060 in first, and around RMB¥2,318 in business. Shorter hops cost far less: a Beijing–Tianjin second-class seat is a fraction of that.
What happens if I miss my train?
You lose the refund, not the trip. Before midnight on the departure day you can change once onto another train the same day, free of charge. What you cannot do after departure is cancel for money back.
Do children pay full price on Chinese trains?
No. Ages 6 to 13 ride at half the second and first class fare (and 80% in business); under 6 rides free without a seat, one child per adult. The age counts on the travel date, and the child needs their own ID, which for foreign families means the child's own passport.
Can I use Trip.com instead of 12306?
You can book through agencies, and they handle the passport details for you. The trade-offs are service fees and a refund path that runs through the agency. 12306's own notice is blunt about being the only official seller, so for anything refund-sensitive, booking direct keeps the official fee tiers in your hands.
Why did my passport verification fail on 12306?
Usually a name-entry mismatch: the 30-character limit without spaces or punctuation trips up long names. Fix the format first. If it still fails, upload the passport photo for manual review or verify once at any station window, and the account unlocks for online purchases afterwards.
Are power banks allowed on Chinese trains?
Yes, up to 100 Wh per battery, clearly labeled. Check the printed rating on the pack before you pack it, because units without a legible rating get taken at security, and stations do not hold confiscated items for pickup.
Do Chinese trains have WiFi and food?
On high-speed trains, seats have power sockets and the trolley comes through with snacks and box meals; longer routes have a dining car, and the app-based meal delivery to your seat exists on major lines but the coverage changes often enough that the train's own food is the safe assumption. WiFi exists but is rarely good enough to stream, so download before boarding.