LvL

I've got my itinerary (thanks to all for the suggestions) and now am looking to see how feasible it is as far as transportation connections.

Already I've hit a road block. Datong to Xian is not an easy transportation connection to make. Here are the choices I've figured out from my research:

-overnight train (18hrs) Datong to Xian. The problem here is my husband will not share a sleeper with anyone else so we would have to try and get a deluxe soft sleeper (can we do this in advance and what are the chances of getting one?) Can you really get any sleep on such a slow train with many stops?

-bus to Taiyuan (5 hours) , then fly to Xian (this seems to be the cheapest and most favourable to me)

-return to Beijing (fly?train?bus?), overnight train (need deluxe sleeper) to Xian

-return to Beijing, fly out to Xian same day (bigger $$)

Anyone think any of these options best, or are there any other options?

Thanks for any input!

rkkwan

If you decide on the direct train, you probably will want to be on the 1674 (5:58p - 10:42a+1). This train only has one soft sleeper car and no deluxe. It may not be easy to buy out all 4 beds in a cabin because this train doesn't originate from Datong.

There is also train 2671 (4:40p - 9:14a+1) that originates from Datong for Xian, but it is non-airconditioned. It may be okay depending on when you're going. Also, just one soft sleeper car and no deluxe.

As for whether one can sleep, my experience is that for the first one or two stops after I fell asleep at night, I would wake up momentarily. But I generally slept through later stops in the night.

PeterN_H

Things may have changed, but Datong has a long history of refusing to sell any of its limited allocation of rail tickets directly to foreigners. You should try, but you may just end up in the tourist office in the station building, and those people will charge you a fee per ticket just to walk across the concourse and get the same tickets you've just been denied.

I think it's unlikely you'll get berths on the 1675, unless you arrive several days in advance. There's nothing for tomorrow or the next day right now. The 2671 currently has eight soft sleeper berths for tomorrow and nothing for the next day. Even if you can buy four consecutively numbered berths there's no guarantee that they will be in the same compartment. Many a rail journey begins with some negotiations for exchange so that family groups can be together.

The point is not to try and plan all this kind of thing or to have an itinerary planned down to the minute as that only leads to grief. Simply make it up as you go along according to what's available, and what you find you're enjoying.

Peter N-H

kvchina

I've done Datong-Taiyuan by road (intercity bus) and it's an OK trip if a little boring, the highway is good. Then flown from Taiyuan to Xi'an--after fitting 1.5 days in Pingyao south of Taiyuan. If you play to fly Taiyuan-Xi'an, then you can also do Datong-Taiyuan by day train where you can grab a seat rather than a sleeper--seats to Taiyuan being a lot easier to procure than sleepers all the way to Xi'an. But it takes longer than the bus. If you want to do train (especially all the way to Xi'an), tell your hotel in advance to get the tickets you want (there will be a small surcharge but worth it to save you the hassle). Then remind them again a few days before you arrive, when you are still in Beijing.

LvL

kvchina, I like your suggestion of a stop in Pingyao and I think I will adjust the intinerary accordingly. This means we will bus to Taiyaun, stay the night and then fly out next evening after a visit to Pingyao.

Thanks to you all, this has helped!