I am trying to see all of these places if I possibly can. Would it be reasonable to get the train from Beijing to Xian and stay there one night then get driver or train or bus to Pingyao and stay there one night and then go to Datong and stay there one night. Would it then be a reasonable journey to join the cruise boat at Chongqing I don't have a feel for the travel or a reasonable time to allow to see the sights in all these places. Such expertise on this fourm; thanks for the advice on Beijing hotels now all sorted. Advice on this woild be most welcome

The natural way to do this trip is to

- Either train from Beijing to Datong (375km, 6.5 hours on fast trains).
- Train, bus or have a private car down to Pingyao. (460km, 9 hours on slow trains)
- Train to Xian (550km, about 9.5 hours on slow trains).
- Fly from Xian to Chongqing

This way, you avoid backtracking.

I meant to say bus or train from Beijing to Datong.

How long you choose to stay in Xi'an depends on how much you want to see. We did the Terractotta Warriors, the City Wall, Mosque, Muslim quarter and 1 night was enough for us. Friends did the mountains as well and spent 3 nights. The best hotel in Xian is the Novotel which opened in 2005. Pingyao for just the town 1 night is enough IMO. I understand acco in Pingyao is limited, we were staying an hour and a half away so don't really know. I have not been to Datong.

Yes, one night in Pingyao is enough. The main type of accomodations there are the "guesthouses" inside the citywall. My parents stayed there one night, and it's straight out of martial arts novels and movies about them.

You'll need more time in Datong. Yungang Grottoes and the Hanging Monastery will take a whole day, and there are other stuff to see. So, you'll need two nights there.

If you're really tight on time, use an overnight train for one of the trips. However, I wouldn't recommend doing that two nights in a row.