buying high speed train tickets as a foreigner (my method)

RailRover

honestly buying train tickets in china seemed super intimidating at first but turned out not that bad.

I've used both Trip.com and the official 12306 app. For beginners, just use Trip.com. yeah they charge a small fee (like $3-5 per ticket) but everything is in english and you can pay with your normal credit card. they email you a confirmation and you just show your passport at the station. super easy.

12306 is cheaper but the first time you have to go to a station window to get your passport "verified" before you can buy tickets online. kind of a pain but if you live in china or come often it's worth it.

seat types - second class is totally fine for most trips. it's 3 seats on one side of the aisle and 2 on the other. first class is 2+2 and wider seats. business class is 1+2 or 1+1 but honestly overkill unless you're rich lol.

my favorite route was shanghai to beijing. took about 4.5 hours and cost around $85 for second class. the train was super clean and on time to the minute.

at the station just follow the signs "foreign passport" lane at security. they scan your passport and you're through.

anyone knows if children tickets work the same way? traveling with my nephew next time.