How easy is it to obtain deluxe sleeper or soft sleeper tickets (for two) four or fives days from departure on trains from Beijing to Xi'an and Xi'an to Shanghai in mid-November. For example, if we arrive in Xi'an on a Thursday, would we be able to book a sleeper to Shanghai for the following Sunday or Monday? Is it easier to get a ticket midweek as opposed to the weekend?

Don't know exactly. Are you thinking of going to the stn yourselves to book?

All I can tell you, and this may have changed (I am talking 10 years ago) is that I found it impossible to get a ticket out of Beijing without going through a go-between. I went to the station myself and failed - ho hum!!

From Xian I wanted to go to Chongquing and that I managed, though I may have got lucky with getting help from a lovely man in the queue who helped me get past the basics (name of required destination written in Chinese on a scrap of paper!) Soft sleeper booked with 36 hours in advance.


I guess Xian-Shanghai is probably a much more popular route than Xian-Chongquing.

So topping really, and hope someone comes along with the info you need.

Happy travels.

I used CITS or the place I was staying for train tickets, ahead of time for Beijing and Xi'an since I was traveling around National Day. Other places a couple of days before I traveled. I'd be inclined to contact CITS for the tickets you want - or check your guidebook for another agency recommendation.

You travel in Mid-November which is not peak season, so it is ok normally for your plan.

I have used China Trip Advisor before with success. I had them buy the tickets ahead of my arrival in Beijing where they delivered the tickets to my hotel. Very painless and easy. I also used there guide and driver service in Xian which I tailored to what we wanted to do and not their itinerary. Check the link below for info

http://www.chinatripadvisor.com/english/

Aloha!

Dear Hawaiiantraveler

When anyone clicks on that link you provided , you get credit from the company.Its part of their policy in order to generate more business.
I copied this from their web site:

"How Does It Work?
When you join the China Trip Advisor affiliate program, you will be supplied with a range of banners and textual links that you place within your site. When a user clicks on one of your links to China Trip Advisor, their activity will be tracked by our affiliate software. If that user makes a purchase on our website, your account will be credited with a sale (commission)."

Buyer beware.

Redtravelstuff

redtravelstuff,

And what are you smoking today?

redtravelstuff

are you for real?

vegasgirl

we are doing Beijing-Datong-Pingyao. Taiyuan-Xian, all night train (deluxe soft sleeper, hopefully), arriving Beijing Nov. 7th. Heading to Datong on the 9th, we are buying tickets in China as we go, i am told this should be ok b/c it's slow season.
we are doing the same for accommondation. More flexible and cheaper!?

redtravelstuff, as the text you copied plainly states, that is for users who <b>opt in</b> to the China Trip Advisor <b>affiliate plan</b> and incorporate <i>specific affiliate links</i> into their websites. This is common practice in the internet industry. It has nothing to do with providing other people with the URL to their homepage!

vegasgirl, I don't have any firsthand knowledge. But I was able to buy domestic plane tickets Beijing-Chengdu-Xi'an-Beijing with only a day or so notice when I was in China this past summer. Friends had no problem getting train tickets (but I don't know which service they used).