| TRAINS:- is it best to buy tickets from station? | |
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| Nov 10, 2007 10:18 |   |
 | everytime i go from the internet to a ticket outlet or phone centre and prices vay beyond recognition. is it always best to go to the station where a train is leaving from to purchase tickets? or is there a relible online outlet or reginal phone numbers? thank you |
| Nov 10, 2007 14:57 | #1 |
| you can buy from a strain station or their ticket outlet. But always goto the official place if you want to pay the official price. If you go through someone else of course they want money for their effort. Why would they do it for free. |
| Nov 12, 2007 05:53 | #2 |
| Train ticket prices are fixed and set in stone. You can see schedules and prices in: http://www.huochepiao.com/ The train stations will always give these prices. Other than that, you have two options: 1. Formal train ticket resellers. These are hooked up to the railways' computer systems and can issue exactly the same tickets - when the train station is out of tickets they will be out of tickets, and vice-versa. Their location is usually more convenient, i.e. downtown. They add a fixed markup on the official ticket prices, usually 5 RMB. 2. Scalper offices. These are common in places/times where train tickets are hard to get - e.g. Xi'an, or during Chinese holiday seasons - and will buy many tickets in advance, selling them for a higher price. They take a higher commision, usually 20-40 over the fixed price, but it's a jungle and everything goes. Sometimes the train station will be out of tickets (because the scalpers buy them.. grr...) and you will have no choice but to go for this option. Normally I would recommend option #1 over going to the train station, assuming you have such an office near your hotel. The lines are shorter than in the train station and the 5 RMB is what you would pay for a bus to the train station anyway, and that's before taking into account your wasted time. |
| Nov 12, 2007 08:57 | #3 |
| I also ask places like hotels, hostels or even travel agencies to buy my bus, train and plane tickets. It is often worth the little extra for the convenience of not having to hustle for the tickets at busy times or travel all the way to the station and possibly come back empty handed. |
| Nov 12, 2007 09:32 | #4 |
| You can also look up the prices in here! I have always found them accurate enough. I hav been told that agents are not permitted to charge more thn 5rmb fee.. tho many charge 25 rmb. |
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