Beijing ► Guangzhou & Hong Kong |
* Train T97 runs Beijing-Hong Kong on odd dates in Jan, April, May, Aug, Nov, Dec 2011 & even dates in Feb, March, Jun, July, Sep, Oct 2011.
You can check days of running, times & fares at www.mtr.com.hk (click 'customer site' then 'intercity passenger services' then 'more information' & remember that Hong Kong is shown as either 'Kowloon' or 'Hung Hom').
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| Every 2 days * | Daily | Daily | |||
| Train number: | T97 | T15 | T201 | ||
| Beijing (West) depart | 13:08 day 1 | 11:00 day 1 | 18:10 day 1 | ||
| Guangzhou (main) arrive |
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| 07 :32 day 2 | 15:04 day 2 | ||
| Hong Kong (Hung Hom) arrive | 12:56 day 2 |
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On board accommodation: T97 & T98 have 2-berth 'deluxe soft sleeper' with private toilet, normal 4-berth soft sleepers, hard sleepers & restaurant car. T15/16 & T201/202 have 2-berth deluxe soft sleepers, 4-berth soft sleepers, hard class sleepers & restaurant car.
How to buy tickets, starting in Hong Kong: You can book tickets by email via ipsc@mtr.com.hk (see www.it3.mtr.com.hk) and pick up tickets at the booking office, or just buy them at the station reservations office. You can also arrange tickets starting in Hong Kong through Tiglion Travel, www.tiglion.net, which one seat61 correspondent has recommended. Don't be surprised if they ask for a scan of your credit card.
How to buy tickets, starting in Beijing or Guangzhou: See the advice on buying tickets. Be warned, the Beijing-Hong Kong through train is very popular, and gets booked up well in advance. Traveller Roddy Flagg reports: (Feb 2009) "I bough a Beijing-Hong Kong hard sleeper ticket at Beijing West at around midday, for departure the next day - so in this case at least there was no need to purchase too far in advance. Purchase was very easy - into the ticket office, find window 16 with it's 'English spoken' sign, and there was only one person ahead of me in the queue. Can't attest to the quality of the English as I was speaking Chinese. Was in and out in a couple of minutes, but Beijing West is, as you no doubt know, a massive place, so it could well take longer if you get lost. Buying at the more central Beijing main station might be better."
Departure formalities: Departing from Beijing, you should arrive at Beijing West station 90 minutes before departure for passport control & exit formalities. Departing from Hong Kong, you should arrive at Kowloon's Hung Hom station 45 minutes before departure for passport control & exit formalities.
The station in Hong Kong is in Kowloon and called 'Hung Hom'. It can help to know that the Chinese refer to Hong Kong/Kowloon as 'Jiulong'.
Hong Kong & Guangzhou ► Beijing |
** Train T98 runs Hong Kong to Beijing on even dates in Jan, April, May, Aug, Nov, Dec 2011 & odddates in Feb, March, Jun, July, Sep, Oct 2011.
You can check days of running, times & fares at www.mtr.com.hk (click 'customer site' then 'intercity passenger services' then 'more information' & remember that Hong Kong is shown as either 'Kowloon' or 'Hung Hom').
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| Every 2 days ** | Daily | Daily | |||
Train number:
| T98 | T16 | T202 | ||
| Hong Kong (Hung Hom) depart | 15:15 day1 | - | - | ||
| Guangzhou depart |
|
| 16:48 day 1 | 09:47 day 1 | ||
| Beijing (West) arrive | 14:51 day 2 | 13:18 day 2 | 06:34 day 2 | ||
There are also a range of daily air-conditioned trains between Guangzhou (Canton) & Hong Kong, see www.mtr.com.hk for times, fares and online booking.
Fares | |||
Hong Kong-Beijing one-way per person
| Hard sleeper | Soft sleeper |
Deluxe soft sleeper
|
| Bought at reservations office in Hong Kong: | HK$ 587 ($75) | HK$ 934 ($120) | HK$ 1191 ($155) |
| Booked in advance at www.chinatripadvisor.com: | $95 | $155 | $199 |
Beijing-Hong Kong one-way per person
| Hard sleeper | Soft sleeper |
Deluxe soft sleeper
|
| Bought at reservations office in Beijing: | RMB 507 ($75) | RMB 822 ($120) | RMB 1200 ($175) |
| Booked in advance at www.chinatripadvisor.com: | $95 | $155 | $199 |
| Booked in advance at www.china-train-ticket.com: | $160 | $230 | $280 |
Beijing-Guangzhou one-way per person
|
Hard sleeper
|
Soft sleeper
|
Deluxe soft sleeper
|
| Bought at reservations office in China: | RMB 458 ($55) | RMB 786 ($87) | RMB 1447 |
| Booked in advance at www.chinatripadvisor.com: | ? | ? | ? |
Discounts may be available at off-peak times of year, if bought at the reservations office in Hong Kong.
Children under 120cm tall travel free, 120-150cm tall travel for half fare, over 150cm tall pay full fare (140cm was changed to 150cm in Dec 2008, and 110cm to 120cm in Dec 2010)
The sleeper fares shown here are for lower berths. Upper berths (and middle berths in hard sleeper) are a fraction cheaper.
What are the Hong Kong-Beijing & Hong Kong-Shanghai trains like? | ||||
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| Hard sleeperberths on the Hong Kong - Beijing/Shanghai train.www.kcrc.com. | A 4-berth soft sleeper compartment on the Hong Kong - Beijing & Hong Kong - Shanghai trains. Photo courtesy ofwww.kcrc.com. | A deluxe soft sleeper (2-berth with toilet) on the Hong Kong - Beijing & Hong Kong - Shanghai trains. Photo courtesy ofwww.kcrc.com. | ||
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| Welcome aboard... Train T98 from Hong Kong to Beijing boarding at Kowloon's modern station. These three photos courtesy of Andy Brabin. | A tasty Chinese meal in the restaurant car of the Hong Kong to Beijing train... | |||
Kowloon to Victoria Island 'Star Ferry'
Regular Star Ferries shuttle between Kowloon (including Hung Hom railway station) and Hong Kong Victoria Island, see www.starferry.com.hk. The Star Ferry from Kowloon Hung Hom pier to Victoria Central area pier costs HK$6.30, runs every 20 minutes and takes 15 minutes.
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