Metro and high-speed rail made simple
China's high-speed rail and city metros are clean, cheap and punctual. Book trains with your passport and ride the metro with a QR code.
City metro
Most big cities let you ride the metro with a transport QR code inside Alipay or WeChat. Search for the city's metro mini-program, enable it once, and scan at the gate. Single tickets are also sold at machines.
High-speed rail
Book through the official 12306 app (it has an English version) or a travel agency app. Your passport is your ticket: scan it at the gate or show it at the manual lane.
- 1Register on 12306 with your passport details.
- 2Search, choose a train and seat class, and pay.
- 3Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early. Stations are big and have security checks.
- 4Go through the passport gate, then find your platform on the screens.
- Popular routes sell out around holidays. Book as early as possible.
- Station names differ: Beijing South and Beijing West are far apart.
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