Overnight travel by train    Guangdong | JIMMYJOJIMBOB | May 20, 2013 20:58

I made the 30 hour one way trip to Guangzhou from Shenyang BeiZhan in January, 2013 and then 30 hours more to return to Shenyang a week later on the T12/13. First I would recommend buying the the Delux Soft Sleeper because that gives you a bed in a closed compartment with only 3 other people. The other sleepers are not closed and are 3 beds up: a lower a middle and an upper. The Delux Soft sleeper has its own train car and the train personnel control access when necessary. The compartment had a nice heater and kept us warm when it was 15 below zero (C) outside. Personnel give you a hot water thermos you can leave on the little table. You also get nice slippers to wear during the long ride. The bed is acceptably comfortable - I had a lower berth; and the blanket/duvet and pillow were clean - no complaints. You can buy food and drink in the dining car which is the last car and right after the Delux Sleeper Car; or train personnel sell warm dishes from a cart which they push along the corridors quite skillfully. You can also buy food during the train stops where food is sold right at the platform. The corridor also has little fold-down seats you can use to look out the big windows and get a nice change of perspective. The sit-down toilet was OK, never a problem. And the staff were friendly and helpful even though I don't know much Mandarin. Riding the train in China is a nice way to travel, see the countryside and meet different people. The new Shenyang Bei Zhan is also a great train station - very spacious, like Guangzhou East! Just remember that the Delux sleeper car is at the back of the train so try and take the exit from the waiting room that is nearer the back. Your bed is assigned so you don't have to worry about that. When I got on the train in Shenyang, an older couple from Jilin had tickets for separate compartments and asked me to exchange with one of them - I accepted since I still got to keep my lower berth (which I HAD to have). I was then lucky because there was only a lady and her middle school aged son who knew some English. So we had a nice time. I recommend this trip to anyone who likes to travel by train. I'll get pix later.

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Plan visits to China    General | GUNNARF11 | Apr 21, 2013 03:24

Plan visits to China. What do you of this trip? How many days will you stay? When you can answer these questions ... Double the time you intended and your stay in China will be successful and you will look forward to several upcoming trips in China.
I received an email from acquaintance who said I should explain what I mean by planning for some time and then doubling the length of stay.
It thus reduces stress. My first visit to China, I thought would be a week. It was 15 days. Next stay in China was estimated at 3-4 weeks. It was 65 days. Then supposed stay 1-2 months and it was 2 years.

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Thieves and bandits on the rapid train.    Wuhan | GUNNARF11 | Sep 27, 2012 05:05

My wife traveled yesterday (September 26 -12) from Wuhan to Guangzhou. Many people on the train and therefore the bags prepared at a location near the exit. At the stop in Changsha "arranged" a panic at the end of the train and bags disappeared. Among other things, my wife's bag, size large carry-on bag. This included new expensive clothes, which were gifts from relatives and friends. There were also specialty "Wuhanfisk" that she would bring to Sweden.
Leagues know the value found in bags on trains is much louder than the regular train.
They're not the poor people who go speed train. If you have a bigger bag for the trip, it is better to take flight, even if it gets longer time with the connections.

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From Hong Kong Airport to Wuhan. (Shenzhen North, Guangzhou South, Changsha).    Hong Kong | GUNNARF11 | Sep 20, 2012 01:05

Get down to Airport (GTC) Bus Terminus.
Take Bus A43 to Sheung Shui Railway Station, Price: 30,9 HKD. Transpottime: ~1 houer.
Take MTR East Railline to Lok Ma Chau, (Futian Port), Price: 23 HKD. (one station) time: ~15 min.
Short Walk to Checkpoint Hong Kong/China. Time for Inspection: ca 30-90 minute. Then walk to Short Walk to Futian Checkpoint. Metro 4, Longhua Line. Ticket: 4 RMB to Shenzhen North Station. 9 stations. Time: ca 20 min.
Take e.g. G1004, take you to Wuhan on 4 houer 11 minute, (1171 km) The train stops only in Guangzhou South and Changsha South. Price: 540 RMB.

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Wuhan to Hong Kong    Hong Kong | GUNNARF11 | Sep 19, 2012 23:45

From Wuhan to Hong Kong Airport (sept 2012)
Rapid Train G1003 from Wuhan Railway to Shenzhen North,
from Wuhan 14:00 to Shenzhen Bei 18:13. Price: 540 RMB
Go to Metro 4, Longhua Line. Ticket: 4 RMB from Shenzhen North
to Futian Checkpoint. 9 stations. Time: ca 20 min.
Short Walk to Checkpoint China/Hong Kong. Time for Inspection: ca 30-90 minute.
Walk to Lok Ma Chau (Futian Port) Hong Kong.
Ticket MTR East Railline, Lok Ma Chau to Sheung Shui, Price: 23 HKD. (one station) time: ~15 min.
Outside Sheung Shui Railway Station, take Bus A43 to Terminal 1, Hong Kong Airport. Price: 30,9 HKD
Transporttime almost 1 hour.

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