Best Ways to Get to China By Train

Best Ways to Get to China By Train

Do you know one thing that we haven’t covered much on here? – Train travel and the mega cool options for getting to China by train. China has some of the fastest, cleanest and most outrageous trains in the world and we often miss that as we are too busy backpacking through temples and cities like Chongqing! However please also remember that China borders a whopping 16 other countries (yes really it does!!!). Here is the list:

Russia, Tajikistan, North Korea, Mongolia, Tibet, Vietnam, Laos, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Macau, India, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan.

This means that train options are endless! Here are just a few of the best options to enter or leave China by train, including of course the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Backpacking in Guangdong Province – Night train Shenzhen to Yongding

Here are the best ways to get to China by train!

North Korea to China train

1.Vietnam to China
A little known fact is how easy the border crossing from Vietnam into China is. You can leave Hanoi and head north to Sapa – which is Vietnam’s cool mountain region. It’s a stunning end to your time in Vietnam. But then get ready for the train crossing at Lao Cai and back into China. You can now explore the amazing Yunnan Province including the rice fields at Yuanyang, the city of Lijiang and Kunming. It’s a gorgeous part of China.

Yuanyang

2.Trans-Siberian Railway
This is an obvious one of course. The Trans-Siberian Railway is a world famous and special option which is the dream of every tourist ever! It’s easy to book some Trans-Siberian package tours these days. You can start in Moscow and end up in Beijing – the capital city of China. On route you can pass through gorgeous Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Olkhon Island and the Republic of Buryati. You can also visit Mongolia on route. Finally, after a tiring yet awe inspiring trip, you will be in Beijing and can explore not just this city but also the Great Wall of China. A brilliant end to the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Trans Siberian Railway

3.North Korea to China
In 2013 we backpacked in North Korea with Young Pioneer Tours. It was a completely unforgettable experience. After touring the DMZ, the city of Kaesong and 5 incredible days in Pyongyang, we got a train north and back into China.

North Korea to China train

This train took us through magical North Korean countryside to the North Korea to China border. We then had our passports and visas all checked before crossing the border into China. We ended up in the Chinese city of Dandong.

North Korea to China train