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Travel By Train
"I have only two weeks..."
...so where should I go?
If you are limited in your time in China things can get a bit complicated. Without advance
bookings you have to organize your onward tickets after arriving in town and this can
take anywhere from one hour to three days.
So rule number one is: DonŽt try to do all of China in two or three weeks!
You can have a hugely enjoyable two weeks of travelling in China if you limit yourself
to two or three destinations.
Route Five for instance can be done in three weeks. Or how about
Beijing - Xi'an - Beijing in two weeks? HereŽs another one: Shanghai - Qufu - Beijing can
easily be done in three weeks.
Just donŽt overdo it.
Other hints for the Chronologically Challenged
- Start organizing tickets directly after arriving in a new place
- Ask other travellers you meet on their experiences getting tickets at your
next destination
- Leave a few extra days at the end - just in case you have to wait for that one
critical ticket back to Beijing or Hong Kong
- Be flexible. If the trains are full, how about taking an overnight bus? Flights
can work out as a quick getaway, but youŽll have to be lucky to get a seat on the
next flight out
- If everything fails, get a Hard Seat train ticket and try to upgrade to a Sleeper
on the train. If that doesnŽt work, at least you are on your way...
- Get a really good guide book. Not the one with 200 pictures, youŽll need one that
gives you addresses of CITS and train and bus stations
- If this sounds like way too much trouble, maybe you should think about a tour trip
to China. At least youŽll get there and you donŽt have to worry...
- But you could of course also quit your job and spend a decent three months
travelling around China in leisure. Yes, people do that...
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