China Travel Forum

[Clifford]

We want to go to China this august/september and have 5 weeks time. We are thinking of starting in Beijng, from there (with loops) to Shanghai. What we are not yet sure about is whether we should also go to Hong Kong and fly back from there. Could anyone tell us how long it takes ny train from Shanghai to Hong Kong and would it be worth to go there extra after seeing Beijing and Shanghai? Hopefully somebody could help us make the decision so we can book the tickets! (If we're not going to HK, we'll fly back from Shanghai)
How's travelling by train in China anyways? Thank you for your reply.

[Alex]

Traveling by train in China is great, but it's a big country and will cost you time. I also vote for flying into shenzhen or guangdong and taking the boat over. If you do take the train, you want a hard sleeper, probably the top bunk. They're a bit cheaper, you're a bit more isolated (that's good) and you can keep a close eye on you bags on the luggage rack. Soft sleepers are only vaguely different and much more expensive.

HK rocks. Especially after seeing Beijing and Shanghai, you'll very much appreciate the contrast. It's also worth noting that the vast majority of China is not like these places and if you limit your experience to them alone you will get something of a distorted picture of the country. Having said that, they're all great towns and you'll love them!