How to book China high-speed rail reddit?

How to book China High Speed Rail as a foreigner?

So, you wanna zoom across China like a caffeinated panda? Get on that 12306 train, pal! It’s easier than teaching a cat to fetch.

12306: Your gateway to bullet train bliss. Think of it as the Uber of high-speed rail, but with less surge pricing (usually). Unless it’s Golden Week, then all bets are off. My friend, Dave, tried to book during Golden Week. Let’s just say he ended up hitchhiking.

Foreigners? No problem. Unless your passport’s from Narnia. Then, well, good luck finding a train to Narnia. 12306 has an English site, which is a miracle in itself. It’s like finding a unicorn wearing a tiny top hat.

Account creation is a breeze. Unless you’re technologically challenged. Then maybe ask your tech-savvy niece for help. She’ll probably roll her eyes, but she’ll do it. My cousin Mark, took a whole week to make his account. The internet is a scary place.

Verification? Piece of cake. Just upload a picture of your passport. Make sure it’s not a blurry selfie taken at 3 am. That happened to my sister. It looked more like she was a fugitive.

After that, you’re golden. Almost literally. Gold tickets, man, to speed across China faster than a speeding bullet train. Book in advance, though. Especially during peak season – seriously, booking ahead is essential. It’s like a concert, only it’s for trains.

• Website: 12306.cn (English version available)
• App: Available on app stores (Download the right app!)
• Passport: Essential. A valid one, please. No expired passports!
• Payment: Various options available, but check their website.

Pro-Tip: Learn a few basic Mandarin phrases. It might not be required but always helps. Trust me. I attempted to order dumplings in Mandarin and the result is hilarious. A story for another time.

Can I buy China high speed rail tickets?

Ugh, China high-speed rail… yeah, you can buy tickets. So…

Passport number is key. Needed for tickets, duh. Online is easiest, right? Train station lines? No thanks.

• Buy online: Ctrip, maybe? Or 12306? I think that’s the official one? Complicated.

• Or…app! Do they have an English version now? I hope so! Remember last time…epic fail.

Passport again! Don’t lose it. Where did I put it last? Oh, right, the drawer.

Train station also works. But seriously…

• Lines! Always massive lines. And the shouting. Loud!

• Staff might not speak English. That’s a mess. Been there, done that. Nightmare.

Ticket confirmation…gotta print it? Show on the app? Argh.

Just want to see the Great Wall. Is it even worth the hassle? Yes. Def worth it.

Can foreigners buy China high-speed rail tickets?

Three AM. The city hums outside, a low thrum against the silence here. Passport. That’s all they ask. Just my passport. It feels… impersonal. A little cold.

Buying those tickets, online. A strange process. It was tricky. The app…frustrating. Each click a tiny hurdle.

Foreigners can buy tickets. No problem. Really. But…there’s a loneliness to it, you know? Traveling alone.

• Online booking: The website’s layout. Confusing. English translation…off.
• App: My phone’s battery died twice. Stressful.
• Train station: Too many people. Overwhelming. Too crowded for me.

The speed itself. A blur. Beautiful and terrifying at the same time. A stark landscape flashing by. So fast.

Passport is key. They check it. Always. Feel exposed. Vulnerable. Just a number, a photo.

It’s quiet now. The hum of the city is fading. A strange, hollow feeling. I need sleep.

How much does China high-speed rail cost?

China’s high-speed rail? Surprisingly thrifty, actually! Think less gold-plated locomotives, more “efficient” engineering.

They’ve somehow managed to build their high-speed rail network for around $17 million to $21 million per kilometer. Seriously. How do they do it? (Don’t answer that, I might not like the real answer.)

Consider this: other countries weep over their high-speed rail costs. Like watching someone try to assemble IKEA furniture after a bottle of wine… total chaos.

• Cost Comparison: Other countries? They’re probably paying triple. Or more. It’s a race to see who can burn money the fastest, honestly.
• Construction Secrets: Are they using magic? Slave labor (joke, joke!)? Or just really, REALLY good at cost control? Hmm.
• Efficiency, Eh?: They cut costs somewhere. No doubt! I saw a squirrel chewing on some wires once, near a station. Coincidence? I think NOT.

They probably saved money by, oh, I dunno, using slightly less fancy snacks in the break room? Just spitballing here!

Does China high-speed rail make money?

The tracks whisper secrets of colossal profit. A shimmering ribbon of steel, China’s high-speed rail. Three hundred seventy-eight billion dollars. That’s the sheer, breathtaking scale of its success, a vast, echoing sum. A tangible testament.

Six point five percent. Annual return. A figure that sings of prosperity, of growth. The hum of the trains, a constant money-making melody. I feel it deep in my bones, this undeniable financial strength. The pulse of the nation, beating strong.

The sheer magnitude. A testament to planning. A triumph. Investment pays. The system thrives. A masterpiece of engineering. The profit sings, clear and strong, like a dragon’s roar.

• Massive net benefit: $378 billion (2020 study)
• Exceptional ROI: 6.5% annually.
• Economic engine: fueling growth and prosperity across China. A bold and beautiful vision, fully realized.

A wave of progress washes over me. The feeling is palpable. The numbers, stark and undeniable. The future, already here. A marvel. My heart thumps, this is more than mere economics. It’s poetry in motion, a powerful, beautiful thing. China’s high-speed rail. A profit machine. It works. It always works.

How much has China spent on high-speed rail?

China’s high-speed rail? A fortune, let me tell ya! Think Scrooge McDuck’s money bin, but instead of coins, it’s… well, tons of steel and concrete. We’re talking billions, probably trillions, with a few extra billions thrown in for good measure. My aunt Mildred spends less on shoes!

Key takeaway: The exact figure is classified, probably hidden away with the recipe for Coca-Cola and the location of Atlantis. But it’s a whole heck of a lot.

The World Bank’s old numbers are ancient history. 2023’s got different numbers, probably even bigger. Who’s counting anyway? It’s like trying to count grains of sand on a beach in Florida. Impossible, basically.

Here’s what I know:

• Construction costs are astronomical. Think building a small moon colony – per kilometer.
• Operating costs? Another mountain of cash. They probably pay the conductors in gold bars.
• Maintenance? Forget about it. That’s a separate black hole of money.

My uncle, a retired train enthusiast, told me once… well, it doesn’t matter, this is about China, not my uncle’s wild stories about trains that run on hope and dreams. Anyway, it’s a seriously impressive amount of money. More than I’ll ever see, that’s for sure. It’s enough to buy every single cat in the world – twice!