Beijing to Shanghai Train – Bullet Train vs Sleeper Train? It Depends

A complete guide to taking the new fast bullet trains between Beijing and Shanghai, including the G series bullet trains and the fast D series overnight train. Both services travel on the Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway which covers some 1,318km’s (819 miles) in distance with the fastest train completing the journey in just over 4 hours.

Beijing to Shanghai High-Speed Rail (aka bullet trains)

There are approximately 42 fast train services departing Beijing South Station daily which terminate at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station and 4 services that terminate at Shanghai Railway Station.

The Chinese name for these trains is 高铁(gāo tiě) and the Chinese name for the Beijing-Shanghai fast train is 京沪高铁 (Jīng Hù Gāo Tiě).

The fastest service (with the least amount of stops) takes around 4h 18m with the slowest (and most amount of stops) taking just under 8hrs. All the trains are G series trains and offer second class, first class, and business class.

G train prices (rates vary)

Train	Class	Fare
G Train – Beijing to Shanghai	Second Class	553 RMB
	First Class	933 RMB
	Business Class	1,748 RMB

All the seat options are acceptable, being it’s only a four-hour or so journey if choosing the right service. That said, most will choose First Class, and those who want to splurge and can secure tickets will choose the ultra-luxury of the Business Class. Apart from the comfort factor, there are no other tangible differences, apart from Business Class having a special queue and given priority boarding.

The western-style toilet is located at the end of the carriage and is cleaned often. Staff will offer snacks and drinks periodically throughout the journey, and you can buy small premade meals, but better fare awaits you at either destination. You are also free to take snacks and drinks. WiFi is available, but it’s still recommended to have your own SIM for internet, and it will also be patchy regardless.

Seat Class Guide

Beijing to Shanghai by Overnight Train

These are D series trains which are modern and comfortable and have a high speed of 250 km/h. Currently, there are usually five daily services departing from Beijing South that arrive at Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai South, or Shanghai Songjian stations. The journey time on the D train ranges from 12hrs to 13.5 hrs.

The D series overnight trains were introduced around eight years ago, replacing most of the old and quite basic sleeper trains (K, T and Z types) which still run on some routes. The D train has a similar look to the G type bullet trains, yet they feature two levels and contain only sleeping berths on some models. It’s more or less a rolling hotel. The individual sleeping compartments feature a small table, reading light, power outlets, fresh sheets, pillows, and a privacy curtain.

Even newer D trains now offer the style of sleeper train that is now common across China, offering a second class seat option, second class sleeper with open style compartments as seen above with sleeping for six, or private cabins with sleeping for four. Tickets are purchased per bed, and if you want to make sure your group/family gets the whole compartment, or cabin, just go to the ticket office, and if not already sold out, they can easily do that.

In this case, either of the sleeping options works fine; if you have a group of four, then you might enjoy the private cabin option. The second class sleeper option can be a little bit of a jamboree but does start to settle down as the night rolls on. That said, don’t have the expectation of getting an amazing night’s sleep. I would not generally recommend the second class seat for such a long journey when there are sleeper options (or fast G trains, a point I’ll come to in the conclusion).

The beds are comfortable, a little on the short side for people over 195cm, and include a duvet and pillow, a privacy curtain (in second class) and a reading light. Most have USB too. The toilet is located at the end of the carriage and is surprisingly roomy, cleaned often and western style. Whilst there are no showers, it’s a good place to freshen up. The trains are also air-conditioned and err towards the cool side.

I do recommend eating before boarding, and taking your own snacks and water, as it’s easier and, importantly, never leave your valuables unattended.

D Train Pricing Comparison

Train	Class	Fare
D Train – Beijing to Shanghai	Second Class Seat	291 RMB
	Second Class Sleeper	508 RMB
	First Class Sleeper	630 RMB

 

The Stations

Getting to Beijing South Station

Via Subway: Take subway line 4, or line 14, to Beijing South Station (北京南站)

Via Taxi: from the central area a taxi would cost around 25 RMB, simply show the driver “Beijing South Station (北京南站)”

More details about Beijing South Station

 

Getting from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station & Shanghai Railway Station

Both railway stations are connected to the Shanghai Metro system making it very easy to get to the central area. For more details see Train Stations in Shanghai.

Station Names in English/Chinese

Beijing South Railway Station 北京南站
Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station 上海虹桥站
Shanghai Railway Station 上海站

 

Buying Tickets

You can purchase your ticket online between 30-60 days in advance and then pick up the tickets at your departing station by showing your original passport/s. All online ticket sellers add a small fee, and a popular choice is trip.com/trains/, which operates in English.

You can also buy tickets at any train station, and there is a special queue for foreigners to make it easy. Be sure to take your passport.

There are also hundreds of ticket offices located across Beijing where you can take your passport, or a photocopy, and purchase tickets. There is a fee of 5 RMB.

The Chinese name for train ticket office is 火车票代售点 (Huǒchē piào dài shòu diǎn). Here is a link to a Baidu map of those selling points Map of Train Ticket offices in Beijing and a more detailed guide to buying tickets in Beijing.

 

Verdict – Bullet Train or Sleeper Train

Whilst it sounds attractive to sleep overnight and not waste any daytime hours, I have never gotten that good of a night’s sleep that justifies it. Moreover, on arriving in either city, it’s still a case of having to find the hotel and hoping they’ll let you check in early or at least drop the luggage. That might be a different story if you’re travelling light and prepared to jump straight onto the travel plan and sort out the hotel later. But, with that said, this route is a little more nuanced than others across China.

After experiencing the sleeper several times, I generally go with the bullet train if I can get a ticket on the direct G train that offers the four-hour journey time and arrives between 7-9pm. It doesn’t really feel like you are losing a day to travel, and arriving no later than 9pm leaves enough time to find the hotel and settle comfortably. Otherwise, in this case, unlike the Beijing-Xian route, I would actually choose the overnight sleeper as people are generally chilled and settled on this route, making for a quiet night once things get going.

If you have not experienced it before, and don’t have the chance elsewhere on your journey, then it’s another reason to consider the sleeper option just for the experience factor.