Taking the trains through China is a great way to see the countryside and to meet locals. We travelled all the way from Beijing in the North to Guilin in the South using the trains- easy to get tickets even without the language and a wonderful experience- take a phrasebook and have lots of laughs with the locals trying to converse!! It certainly wiles away the long hours on the trains. Take lots of food with you as the train food can vary in degrees of edibility at times- especially for a foreigner- found the noodles to hot to eat!! The trains are great for overnight travel- no accomodation costs and covering a far distance in the process.