Pingyao
Jul 27th, 2011, 12:17 PM
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Pingyao
I'm thinking of adding Pingyao to my itinerary. Would it be best to fly from Beijing to Taiyuan; spend a day or two in Pingyao and then fly from Taiyuan to Xi'an? I would rather not take the train.
Jul 27th, 2011, 06:26 PM
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I would think would be an option if the schedule suits your needs. Pingyao is a few hours by bus from Taiyuan; if I recall correctly, the buses don't run all that often. If you do pursue this option, you might want to consider staying in Taiyuan long enough to see Jin Ci - it is a lovely temple. I posted a VERY long trip report with info about Pingyao and Taiyuan; you can check it if you want.
Jul 29th, 2011, 06:46 AM
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kja, What sites did you use to get your train and bus schedule info. My guide book is out of date. I just found out I can take a high speed train from Beijing to Taiyuan in about 3 1/2 hours!! My guide book says the train is about 12 hours.
Jul 29th, 2011, 06:44 PM
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As I recall, I used 2 sources for train schedules: the man-in-seat-61 site:
http://www.seat61.com/China.htm
and one I found through a google search, maybe:
http://www.chinatrainguide.com/taiyu...n/pingyao.html
I don't remember where I found bus schedules, but I don't remember any single site. I think I just did a LOT of google searches and sometimes found the schedule for a particular route. As I recall, I found the general estimates of times between destinations by train or bus more likely to be in the ball park in the guidebooks I had by The Rough Guide and Frommer's than in others, but that could change as new editions are released.
I would STRONGLY recommend AGAINST relying on old information to plan train or bus routes through China - I think transportation systems there are simply too much in flux there, and moreover, full information is not always available outside the country (or, for that matter, any where other than the point of origin). What I would recommend is that you check into your departure options as soon as you arrive anywhere. Oh and BTW, I'm pretty sure that Taiyuan has multiple train stations - perhaps 3? - so if you are using a train in Taiyuan, make sure you know which one you need!
Sorry I can't be more helpful!
http://www.seat61.com/China.htm
and one I found through a google search, maybe:
http://www.chinatrainguide.com/taiyu...n/pingyao.html
I don't remember where I found bus schedules, but I don't remember any single site. I think I just did a LOT of google searches and sometimes found the schedule for a particular route. As I recall, I found the general estimates of times between destinations by train or bus more likely to be in the ball park in the guidebooks I had by The Rough Guide and Frommer's than in others, but that could change as new editions are released.
I would STRONGLY recommend AGAINST relying on old information to plan train or bus routes through China - I think transportation systems there are simply too much in flux there, and moreover, full information is not always available outside the country (or, for that matter, any where other than the point of origin). What I would recommend is that you check into your departure options as soon as you arrive anywhere. Oh and BTW, I'm pretty sure that Taiyuan has multiple train stations - perhaps 3? - so if you are using a train in Taiyuan, make sure you know which one you need!
Sorry I can't be more helpful!
