China's rail system is one of the most extensive in the world. Nearly every city and town is linked together via the rail system. Train travel is extremely common in China. Nearly everyone uses the rail system to travel from city to city. Follow these steps to join them.
Book affordable tickets from Yichang to Guangzhou by visiting China-Train-Ticket.com online (see Resources below), or by calling 011 (+86) 10 65 26 67 21.
Stop at the ticket office in your departure city. Many cities have ticket offices exclusively for foreign travelers where you can talk with an English speaking agent to ask questions about your trip.
Talk to your hotel's concierge about arranging train tickets for you. Many hotels provide this service at no extra cost.
Wait for your train in a waiting room for soft class sleepers. The waiting room at the Yichang station has a television, lounge, comfortable chairs and clean restrooms.
Be prepared to show your passport and ticket. An attendant will check your passport number to see if it matches the number on your ticket.
Check the arrivals and departure board frequently. Arrivals and departures are listed in English and Chinese. It's easy to keep track of inbound and outbound trains.
Think about an upgrade to your accommodations. Hard sleeper compartments have 6 berths and can seem crowded. Soft sleepers have 4 berths and should be comfortable enough for most travelers, especially those on a budget. Deluxe soft sleepers are like mini hotel rooms with 2 berths. They're quite comfortable.
Expect your train to make frequent stops. With so many people riding between Yichang and Guangzhou, the train will make many stops in small towns along the way.
Know that it's common for Chinese passengers to move around a lot in search of better seats. While it's a common practice among the locals, it's not advisable for foreign visitors.
Grab something to eat in the dining car on "Z" category trains or from the snack cart on other trains. Snack carts come around often. They serve beverages, snacks, rice and noodles.
