just did the beijing to shanghai high speed train last week. it's as good as everyone says.
the train left at 8am and arrived at 12:30pm. 4.5 hours. plane takes 2 hours but when you add airport time it's about the same.
i booked second class. cost around 85 usd. seat was fine. 3 seats on one side, 2 on the other. plenty of legroom. i'm 6 feet and my knees didn't hit the seat in front.
the train was clean. like really clean. bathroom had toilet paper which i was not expecting.
someone came by with a snack cart. instant noodles, drinks, chips. prices were normal not airport prices.
what surprised me was how quiet it was. no loud conversations. everyone just looked at their phones.
pro tip. book the window seat if you can. the scenery between beijing and shanghai is mostly farmland but still interesting.
another tip. arrive at the station early. beijing south station is huge and security took about 20 minutes.
Posted on 2026-7-11 18:58:09