Terms & Conditions

1. Our Services

China Train Travel is a travel service company focused on helping international travelers navigate China. We offer:

• Train ticket booking — we book China Railway tickets on your behalf using the official 12306 system. You tell us where and when, we handle the rest.
• Hotel & flight reservations — domestic flights within China and hotel bookings in any city.
• Trip planning — custom itineraries built around your schedule, interests, and budget.
• Travel consulting — one-on-one advice on routes, timing, visa logistics, and anything else that comes up.
• Business travel support — factory visits, trade fair logistics, meeting coordination, ground transport.
• Study tours & educational visits — school groups, university exchanges, cultural programs.
• Interpreter & guide dispatch — English-speaking (and other languages) interpreters and local guides available in major cities.

We also run a free train schedule search tool and travel guide on this site. You don't need to be a paying customer to use those — they're open to everyone.

2. Train Booking Rules

When you book train tickets through us, these are the ground rules:

Placing a booking request with us means you accept these conditions. We'll confirm availability and final pricing before charging you.

3. Ticket Policies (China Railway)

These rules come from China Railway, not from us. We follow them because we have to — and so do you:

Ticket Validity

• Each ticket is valid for one specific train, one specific date, one specific seat. No exceptions.
• Tickets are non-transferable. The name on the booking must match the passport used at the station.
• You cannot board a different train unless you've officially changed your ticket beforehand.

Children's Tickets

• Under 6 years old (and shorter than 120 cm): free, no seat assigned. One free child per paying adult.
• Ages 6–14 (or 120–150 cm): half-price ticket with a seat.
• 14 and older, or taller than 150 cm: full adult fare.

Standing Tickets

When seats sell out, standing tickets (无座) may still be available at second-class price. You can board but won't have a seat. Fine for a 2-hour ride, miserable for 8 hours. We'll always try to get you a seat first.

4. Refund & Changes

Changes (改签)

• One free change per ticket, any time before departure. You pay any fare difference.
• After one change, you'll need to refund and rebook if you want to change again.
• We charge no additional service fee for changes — you only pay the railway's fare difference (if any).

Refunds (退票) — Railway Fees

These fees are charged by China Railway, not by us. On top of the railway fee, our service fee for the original booking is non-refundable (we already did the work).

Railway-Initiated Cancellations

If China Railway cancels your train (weather, track maintenance, etc.), you get a full refund with zero fees. This is automatic. You can also choose to take the next available train at no extra cost. In either case, our service fee is also fully refunded.

Missed Trains

If you miss your train, the ticket is dead. No refund, no change, no exceptions. The railway is strict about this. Get to the station early.

5. Payment

We accept the following payment methods:

• PayPal — fastest option for international customers. Supports Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and bank transfers through your PayPal account.
• Credit / Debit Card — Visa, Mastercard, American Express. Processed securely.
• WeChat Pay — convenient if you already have a WeChat wallet set up.
• Alipay — same as above, works well if you've linked a card.
• Bank transfer (wire) — for larger bookings or corporate clients. Transfer fees are on your side.

When Payment Is Due

Full payment is required before we issue tickets. Here's how it works:

1. You submit a booking request.
2. We confirm availability and send you a quote (ticket price + service fee).
3. You pay.
4. We issue the tickets and send your confirmation.

We won't charge you until we've confirmed the tickets are available. If something sells out between your request and our confirmation, we'll let you know and offer alternatives — no charge.

Service Fees

We charge a service fee on top of the railway's ticket price. This covers the booking work, English-language support, and any coordination involved. The exact fee depends on the service — we'll always show it clearly in your quote before you pay. No hidden charges.

Currency

Prices are quoted in USD or CNY depending on the service. Exchange rates for conversion are based on market rates at the time of booking and are locked in for 3 business days.

6. Other Services

Beyond train tickets, here's what applies to our other offerings:

Hotel & Flight Bookings

• Cancellation policies vary by hotel and airline. We'll communicate the specific terms when you book.
• We act as an intermediary — the hotel or airline's own cancellation policy applies.
• Our service fee for arranging the booking is non-refundable once confirmed.

Trip Planning & Travel Consulting

• Custom itineraries are built to your specifications. Revisions are included up to a reasonable point (we'll tell you if something becomes a full re-plan).
• Consulting fees are agreed upfront and non-refundable once the work is delivered.

Business Travel, Study Tours & Interpreter Services

• These are quoted per project. Payment terms, cancellation windows, and deliverables are specified in each individual agreement.
• For interpreter dispatch: minimum booking is typically half a day. Cancellation within 48 hours of the scheduled date incurs a 50% fee.
• For study tours and group bookings: a deposit (usually 30%) is required to secure dates. Balance due 14 days before the program starts.

7. Your Responsibilities

• Accurate information. Give us the correct passport name, number, and travel dates. Mistakes in these details can't always be fixed, and we can't be held responsible for errors in information you provided.
• Timely communication. If your plans change, tell us as soon as possible. The earlier we know, the more options we have.
• Arrive early. 45–60 minutes at major stations. Security lines, ID checks, and finding your platform all take time.
• Bring your passport. No passport = no entry. This is non-negotiable at every station in China.
• Know your station. Beijing has five major stations. Shanghai has three. Going to the wrong one means missing your train, and that's not something we can fix remotely.
• Follow the rules. No smoking on high-speed trains (fines start at ¥500). Don't block aisles with oversized luggage. Follow staff instructions.
• Travel insurance. We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers trip cancellation, medical emergencies, and lost belongings. We don't provide insurance.

8. Privacy & Data

• We collect only what's needed to provide the service you requested (name, passport number, travel dates, contact details).
• Passport numbers and personal details are used solely for booking purposes and shared only with China Railway's ticketing system (12306) as required to issue tickets.
• We don't sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.
• Payment information is processed through secure third-party payment providers (PayPal, Stripe, etc.). We don't store your card numbers.
• If you use our free search tool without booking, we don't collect any personal data. Search queries are not stored permanently.
• We use basic analytics (page views, referral sources) to improve the site. No personal tracking or advertising cookies.

If you want your data deleted after your trip, email us and we'll remove it within 7 business days.

9. Disclaimer

• Railway authority decisions. Train schedules, prices, and policies are controlled by China National Railway. They can change routes, cancel trains, or adjust rules at any time. We pass along the most current information we have, but the railway has final say.
• Best-effort service. We do our best to get you the tickets and arrangements you want. But we can't guarantee availability, especially during peak travel periods.
• No liability for missed connections. If you miss a train because of late arrival, wrong station, passport issues, or any other reason within your control, we're not liable for consequential losses (missed hotel nights, connecting flights, etc.).
• Third-party services. Hotels, airlines, and other providers we book on your behalf have their own terms. We facilitate the booking but the service contract is between you and them.
• Force majeure. We're not responsible for disruptions caused by natural disasters, pandemics, government actions, strikes, or other events beyond anyone's control.
• Not legal or visa advice. We can help you plan your train trip, but we can't advise on visa requirements, customs regulations, or legal matters. Check with your embassy or a qualified professional.
• Site availability. Our website may occasionally be down for maintenance. We don't guarantee 100% uptime for the free tools.

10. Contact Us

Got a question about these terms? Need to change a booking? Something on the site that doesn't look right?

Reach us at our contact page. We respond within a few hours during Beijing business hours (9am–6pm, GMT+8, Monday–Saturday). For urgent matters on the day of travel, we do our best to respond faster.

We genuinely read every message. If you spot an error on the site or think a policy has changed, let us know — that kind of feedback makes the site better for everyone.