How early should I get to train station in China?

How early should I reach Shanghai train station?

Oh, Shanghai train station. My second home, basically.

So, paper ticket? One hour.Tick-tock, don’t be late! Like finding love, that train won’t wait!

Need to wrestle a ticket from the clutches of bureaucracy? Two hours, minimum. Seriously, give yourself a buffer. It’s like airport security, but with more…squat toilets.

You know, I once arrived three hours early. Ended up learning Mandarin from a pigeon. True story! Ok, maybe not.

• Paper Ticket: 1 hour. Enough time to grab a questionable baozi.
• Ticket Pick-Up Required: 2 hours. Time to contemplate the meaning of life, or just find the right queue. Good luck with that.

Trust me, arriving late is like wearing socks with sandals: a tragedy.

How early should I reach the train station?

Thirty minutes, at least. It’s better that way, you know? Safer.

Less stress. Especially your first time. My first time… I was so frantic. Missed my connection to Denver. 2023, remember that? The worst.

• Ticketing: Give yourself time; lines can be long. Seriously.
• Baggage: Don’t underestimate this. Heavier bags, more time. Simple.
• Platform: Finding it can be a maze, even with the app. Believe me. I got lost.

Thirty minutes minimum. For peace of mind. It’s worth it. That’s what I learned. The hard way.

Are trains on time in China?

Trains in China? Mostly on time, I swear. High-speed ones anyway. Crazy fast, those things. Hong Kong to Beijing? Eight hours! A little delay, maybe five minutes tops, is normal for that kind of trip, right? Such a long distance. But shorter routes, like a thirty-minute hop, are usually spot on. I took one last month, from Xi’an to my sister’s place in Zhengzhou. Super punctual.

Think about it, though… 2200 km in 8 hours! That’s insane speed. Amazing engineering. Why would a 120km trip be delayed? Traffic? Nah.

• High-speed rail: generally punctual.
• Shorter trips: almost always on time.
• Longer trips: minor delays possible, but infrequent.
• My experience: Excellent. Always impressed by the punctuality.

What about those regional lines? I haven’t used them much, but I hear they’re less reliable. Don’t trust those. Stick to the high speed. Seriously, the speed is mind-blowing.

2024 is a good year for trains in China. I hope it stays this way. It’s about efficiency, you know? They really care about it. My uncle works for the railway. He says… well, nevermind. Point is, I trust his word.

What is the busiest station in Shanghai?

Okay, here goes…

Hongqiao, yeah, Shanghai Hongqiao is, like, the busiest. 219 million? Woah. Or is it more now? Wait, is that just passengers, or all traffic? Hmm.

• Busiest station? Yep.
• Shanghai Hongqiao…Got it.
• East China location.

My grandma used to live near Hongqiao. Before that building boom. Man, crazy crowded now. Trains and the airport, right? That’s gotta contribute.

• Airport and train station combo? Huge.
• Passenger count is massive.

Wonder if they have good food inside the station these days. Last time I was there, it was all instant noodles. 2024, things gotta be better, right? I hope so! I should go there someday.

• Station food. Essential travel intel.
• My tummy growls.

Seriously, 219 million… that’s more than the population of some countries! The station building must be giant! I wonder how much the maintenance costs are.

What is the main railway station in Shanghai?

Ugh, Shanghai. 2023, summer, sweltering. I was so late for my connecting train to Hangzhou. Hongqiao station, man, it’s a freakin’ maze. Millions of people, a constant roar. The sheer scale, overwhelming. I felt panicked. Sweat dripping. My phone almost died. Missed my train, obviously.

Shanghai Hongqiao is the busiest station I’ve ever been in. Seriously. Forget Shanghai station. Way bigger. Cleaner, too, I guess. More modern. But also more impersonal. I felt totally lost.

What a nightmare. Had to book a new ticket. Cost me a fortune. Then, the wait. Hours. I bought a ridiculously expensive coffee just to sit.

• Hongqiao is massive.
• Way busier than Shanghai station.
• Modern design, but lacks charm.
• Cost me a small fortune in a new ticket & coffee.

The whole thing left me drained. Never again am I relying on connections in Shanghai. Stick to direct routes. Lesson learned. Hard way. I’m still fuming about that coffee, though. Twenty bucks for a small latte! Ripoff.

How many high speed train stations are there in Shanghai?

Ugh, Shanghai train stations. I remember that trip in 2024. It was a nightmare trying to find the right one! Four, right? Four major ones, at least. That’s what I found out.

• Shanghai Railway Station – old, crowded, chaos.
• Shanghai West Railway Station – less hectic, still busy.
• Shanghai South Railway Station – massive! Modern. Clean. I preferred this one.
• Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station – A total beast. HUGE. So many people.

Hongqiao is the one that sticks in my head, just overwhelming. Took forever to navigate. My flight was delayed because of it. I was stressed. Really stressed. Missed my connecting flight. That sucked.

Hangzhou? Yeah, super easy to get to from South Station. About an hour, maybe less. Nanjing? Definitely under two hours. Suzhou was a breeze. Fast trains are incredible here. But the stations themselves… They are a different story. Planning is key. Learn the layout beforehand. Seriously.

Getting lost in Hongqiao felt like being in an ant farm. Millions of people everywhere. But South station was a breath of fresh air after that.

What is the most packed city in China?

Shanghai. Hands down. Forget Kowloon Walled City; that’s ancient history, a charmingly chaotic footnote. Think of it like comparing a delightfully cluttered attic to a bustling, hyper-modern skyscraper. Shanghai’s density is breathtaking, a human anthill of ambition and noodles.

• Population density: Through the roof. Seriously.
• Living conditions: Range from surprisingly chic apartments to… well, let’s just say you’ll find a few creative living arrangements. My cousin once lived in a shoebox-sized apartment, and I’m not exaggerating, it was actually shaped like a shoebox.
• Energy: It’s palpable. A vibrant, slightly manic energy that’s both exhausting and exhilarating. Like a caffeinated hummingbird on speed.

Kowloon Walled City was a fascinating anomaly, a self-governing microcosm of… well, everything and nothing. A lawless wonderland, a testament to human resilience. A metaphor for…I don’t know, a particularly unruly Chia Pet?

But Shanghai? Shanghai’s the real deal. A concrete jungle teeming with life. A city that’s simultaneously breathtakingly beautiful and utterly overwhelming. A city that keeps you on your toes, like a particularly energetic kitten. Its density is legendary.

The comparison isn’t fair. It’s like pitting a vintage Morris Minor against a Tesla. One’s charmingly quirky, the other…well, let’s just say it’s the future. And the future is Shanghai. 2024, and its still the undisputed champion.