This is not a live timetable. China Railway schedules, train numbers, and fares change often, so use this page for process and region planning, then confirm live availability on 12306 or a booking platform before paying.
1. Buying tickets with a foreign passport
China high-speed rail uses real-name ticketing. Your passenger name and passport details must match the document you carry to the station.
Foreign travelers commonly book through the 12306 English website or app, an international booking platform such as Trip.com, or a staffed station ticket window. Platform availability, verification steps, refunds, and fees can differ.
Enter passport name and number carefully; a mismatch can block station entry.
Use the same passport for booking, station security, ticket gates, and onboard checks.
Book with enough time to handle verification or payment failures.
2. Ticket pickup and passport gates
Many high-speed rail trips are effectively paperless: the passport used for booking is the identity document for station entry and gate checks. Some stations or edge cases may still send foreign travelers to a staffed counter.
Arrive earlier than a local passenger would, especially on the first rail trip of your stay. Large stations can require time for security screening, ID verification, platform finding, and occasional manual handling.
Bring the physical passport, not only a copy.
Keep the booking confirmation and train number offline.
If an automated gate fails, look for a staffed lane or service desk.
3. Using high-speed rail inside a 240h transit region
Rail can be a strong option inside permitted 240-hour transit areas, especially between nearby cities connected by high-speed service. The risk is regional movement: your route must stay within the allowed area for the port and policy you are using.
Do not assume that a short train ride is legal under your transit permission just because tickets are available. Check the permitted region before booking cross-province or cross-city rail segments.
Confirm your entry port, permitted stay area, and exit plan before booking rail.
Avoid rail legs that cross outside the allowed transit region.
Re-run the region checker if you add a side trip.
4. Popular city-pair references
Use the routes page for sampled city-pair references such as approximate duration, broad service type, and planning notes. Those examples are not live timetables and should not be treated as a fare quote.
Before payment, confirm the exact date, station pair, departure time, seat class, fare, refund rule, and whether the route stays within your permitted region.
Sample duration and fare references are planning aids only.
Official 12306 or booking-platform results control the live schedule.
Station names matter: large cities can have several high-speed rail stations.
5. Cross-check routes and region rules
A rail booking is a transport decision, not an immigration decision. Keep the route page, region checker, and eligibility checker together when adding trains to a transit itinerary.
If your train creates a new city stay, overnight stop, or exit-port change, review the full itinerary again before relying on 240-hour transit.
Routes: sampled city-pair planning.
Region checker: whether a city is inside the allowed area.
Eligibility checker: passport, third-country route, port, and time logic.