Hallvard Tangeraas

I'll be arriving in Hong Kong shortly, and plan to take a few days stay
in Beijing before going back to Hong Kong.
I want to travel cheaply and have found that a train going between the
two cities (taking approx 26 hours) is the way to go.

It would be nice to book ahead, but I can't seem to find any booking
site, or even site for the railway company on the web. All I can find is
several sites arranging train tickets for you, but I'd rather do it
myself and save money.

Are these trains usually very busy? Is it hard to buy a ticket from the
station itself in Hong Kong (Hung Hom in Kowloon?) when i get to Hong
Kong, or should I really book several days ahead?
By the way, if someone tells me the name of the railway company I might
eb able to figure out some of this myself (it's not
Kowloon-Canton-Railway as I thought -they don't even operate that far
into China).


Hallvard

Pan

On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 08:57:48 +0100, Hallvard Tangeraas
<> wrote:

    >I'll be arriving in Hong Kong shortly, and plan to take a few days stay
    >in Beijing before going back to Hong Kong.
    >I want to travel cheaply and have found that a train going between the
    >two cities (taking approx 26 hours) is the way to go.
[snip]

Express train! When I took the train from Beijing to Hong Kong in
1987, I had to go first to Guangzhou (33 1/2 hours), then to Shenzhen
(3 hours or so?), then cross the checkpoint, and then take a commuter
train to Tsim Sha Tsui.

Michael

If you would like to send a private email to me, please take out the TRASH, so to speak. Please do not email me something which you also posted.

Hallvard Tangeraas

Pan wrote:
    > On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 08:57:48 +0100, Hallvard Tangeraas
    > <> wrote:
    >
    >
    >>I want to travel cheaply and have found that a train going between the
    >>two cities (taking approx 26 hours) is the way to go.

    > Express train! When I took the train from Beijing to Hong Kong in
    > 1987, I had to go first to Guangzhou (33 1/2 hours), then to Shenzhen
    > (3 hours or so?), then cross the checkpoint, and then take a commuter
    > train to Tsim Sha Tsui.

Seems like there are direct trains now, according to the pages I've
found. I think it said 26 or 27 hours in total.
But I have no idea which train company operates them and where to order
tickets on the web apart from through travel agents (which I'm not
interested in giving my money when I can do it myself).


Hallvard

Helmut Uttenthaler

"Hallvard Tangeraas" <> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:Pt3ob.2736$...
    > I'll be arriving in Hong Kong shortly, and plan to take a few days stay
    > in Beijing before going back to Hong Kong.
    > I want to travel cheaply and have found that a train going between the
    > two cities (taking approx 26 hours) is the way to go.
    > It would be nice to book ahead, but I can't seem to find any booking
    > site, or even site for the railway company on the web. All I can find is
    > several sites arranging train tickets for you, but I'd rather do it
    > myself and save money.
    > Are these trains usually very busy? Is it hard to buy a ticket from the
    > station itself in Hong Kong (Hung Hom in Kowloon?) when i get to Hong
    > Kong, or should I really book several days ahead?
    > By the way, if someone tells me the name of the railway company I might
    > eb able to figure out some of this myself (it's not
    > Kowloon-Canton-Railway as I thought -they don't even operate that far
    > into China).



What about http://www.china-train-ticket.com/?

The ticket Hongkong costs between 110 and 200 EUR/USD. However, it might be
cheaper to buy tickets locally at the station.

The Chinese State Railways have - AFAIK - a website too, but only in
Chinese...

jbk

On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 08:57:48 +0100, Hallvard Tangeraas
<> wrote:

    >I'll be arriving in Hong Kong shortly, and plan to take a few days stay
    >in Beijing before going back to Hong Kong.
    >I want to travel cheaply and have found that a train going between the
    >two cities (taking approx 26 hours) is the way to go.
    >It would be nice to book ahead, but I can't seem to find any booking
    >site, or even site for the railway company on the web. All I can find is
    > several sites arranging train tickets for you, but I'd rather do it
    >myself and save money.
    >Are these trains usually very busy? Is it hard to buy a ticket from the
    >station itself in Hong Kong (Hung Hom in Kowloon?) when i get to Hong
    >Kong, or should I really book several days ahead?
    >By the way, if someone tells me the name of the railway company I might
    >eb able to figure out some of this myself (it's not
    >Kowloon-Canton-Railway as I thought -they don't even operate that far
    >into China).
    >Hallvard

Before trying yourself, go talk to China Travel Service at their
Kowloon office. They are the (sort of) unofficial consulate for the
mainland in Hong Kong and have lots of good deals deals of their own,
including trains. And they are very reliable and knowledgeable, so
talk to them before you do anything else.

Peter Neville-Hadley

Hallvard Tangeraas <> wrote:

    > It would be nice to book ahead, but I can't seem to find any booking
    > site, or even site for the railway company on the web.

    > By the way, if someone tells me the name of the railway company I might
    > eb able to figure out some of this myself (it's not
    > Kowloon-Canton-Railway as I thought -they don't even operate that far
    > into China)

Details of the trip can indeed be found on the KCR site, at:

http://www.kcrc.com/eng/services/services/sipsnts4.asp

    >All I can find is
    > several sites arranging train tickets for you, but I'd rather do it
    > myself and save money.

At all costs avoid China Train Ticket mentioned by another poster.
Prices are as much as 60% higher.

    > Are these trains usually very busy? Is it hard to buy a ticket from the
    > station itself in Hong Kong (Hung Hom in Kowloon?) when i get to Hong
    > Kong, or should I really book several days ahead?

You should have no trouble buying a ticket in Hong Kong on arrival
(remembering that the train only travels on alternate days. It starts
from Guangzhou on the other days, and you can get on it there instead.)

You can buy a ticket at the station without difficulty, or for no extra
charge at the office of CTS in Kowloon as mentioned by another poster
(other services such as visa and hotel bookings should be avoided
however, as they are overpriced). Only at Chinese holiday periods is the
train very heavily booked. I've never yet been turned away, however. The
ticket is issued on the spot. You can find ticket prices on the KCR site
already given (as well as details of what days the train runs from Hung
Hom), and on CTS' web site you can find a contact email address. You
might be able to make a reservation by email prior to your departure for
Hong Kong.

http://www.chinatravel1.com/english/index.htm

Hope that helps.

Peter N-H
http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html
.
    >
    >
    > Hallvard

jbk

    >You can buy a ticket at the station without difficulty, or for no extra
    >charge at the office of CTS in Kowloon as mentioned by another poster
    >(other services such as visa and hotel bookings should be avoided
    >however, as they are overpriced).

I was the one that suggested checking (only checking) with CTS because
I was in Hong Kong recently and my wife wanted to go up to Guangzhou
and needed a visa, etc. We first checked with a travel agent just on
visa prices and then went to CTS. CTS visa prices were actually less
than quoted by the travel agent and even more so when my wife took a
combined package with train, hotel, etc. Further, the magic "3 day or
you pay more" visa price disappeared and she got the thing in a day
and a half. This may be due to the SARS aftereffects, but who knows.
It costs nothing to check.

Spehro Pefhany

On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 13:32:33 -0500, the renowned
wrote:

    >>You can buy a ticket at the station without difficulty, or for no extra
    >>charge at the office of CTS in Kowloon as mentioned by another poster
    >>(other services such as visa and hotel bookings should be avoided
    >>however, as they are overpriced).
    >I was the one that suggested checking (only checking) with CTS because
    >I was in Hong Kong recently and my wife wanted to go up to Guangzhou
    >and needed a visa, etc. We first checked with a travel agent just on
    >visa prices and then went to CTS. CTS visa prices were actually less
    >than quoted by the travel agent and even more so when my wife took a
    >combined package with train, hotel, etc. Further, the magic "3 day or
    >you pay more" visa price disappeared and she got the thing in a day
    >and a half. This may be due to the SARS aftereffects, but who knows.
    >It costs nothing to check.

I've found them easier to deal with than the "real" pseudo-consulate
in Wanchai for visas- longer hours, open holidays etc. I don't recall
the price difference, but it wasn't significant to me. They also seem
more free with the multiple-entry 6 month visas if you want them (I
wasn't asked to provide an invitation letter).

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

Hallvard Tangeraas

wrote:
    > On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 08:57:48 +0100, Hallvard Tangeraas
    > <> wrote:

    >>I want to travel cheaply and have found that a train going between the
    >>two cities (taking approx 26 hours) is the way to go.

    > Before trying yourself, go talk to China Travel Service at their
    > Kowloon office. They are the (sort of) unofficial consulate for the
    > mainland in Hong Kong and have lots of good deals deals of their own,
    > including trains. And they are very reliable and knowledgeable, so
    > talk to them before you do anything else.

Good idea! I will do that, but do you have an address so I can easily
find it when I get there?


Hallvard

Spehro Pefhany

On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 20:16:42 +0100, the renowned Hallvard Tangeraas
<> wrote:

    > wrote:
    >> On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 08:57:48 +0100, Hallvard Tangeraas
    >> <> wrote:
    >>>I want to travel cheaply and have found that a train going between the
    >>>two cities (taking approx 26 hours) is the way to go.
    >> Before trying yourself, go talk to China Travel Service at their
    >> Kowloon office. They are the (sort of) unofficial consulate for the
    >> mainland in Hong Kong and have lots of good deals deals of their own,
    >> including trains. And they are very reliable and knowledgeable, so
    >> talk to them before you do anything else.
    >Good idea! I will do that, but do you have an address so I can easily
    >find it when I get there?

Right across from Chungking Mansion at 27 Nathan Road (you actually
enter off of the side street (Peking Road? or Middle Road?) and walk
upstairs to 1/F (British style numbering). You can't miss it, they
have a big sign hanging out over Nathan road, and that's right in the
middle of the tourist ghetto of TST.

Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany