China Travel Forum

[Adolphus]

Hi!

I want to travel from Xi'an to Beijing and from Beijing to Harbin which is the best way to travel: air/ bus/ train? Is there any budget airlines in China? Is the train/ bus seats comfortable? Thanks!

[Murat John]

Hello,
With the train, you can buy "hard seat" or "hard sleeper" or "soft sleeper". The "hard sleeper" is usually a row of triple bunk beds in a carriage (you can then ask for "shang"/top; "zhong"/middle, or "xia"/bottom bunk. That way, you can sleep/lie down.

During the day most people in the hard sleeper section will sit down on the bottom bunks, as there is not enough room to sit upright on the middle and top bunks. So, if you ask for the bottom bunk, just remember that until lights-out you will have people sitting, chatting, eating on the bottom bunk bed.


"Soft Sleeper" is more expensive because it is 2 x double bunk beds in a lockable compartment. "Hard seat" is a seat, not a bed.