Travel By Planes vs Trains in China During Covid

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When it comes to travel, most families would opt for the fastest way to get from point A to point B. That usually means flying by plane. But I’m here to share my family’s decision and experience taking the train from Beijing to Shanghai and back, and why this can be a great decision, especially during Covid.

Let’s start with the cons of flying, especially in China, during Covid. If you weren’t in the habit of arriving at the airport at least two hours before your flight, you definitely need to do so these days. On top of the required tests and paperwork your destination might require, you will be required to scan QR code after QR code to fill in multiple digital forms (including one for each kid) in order to get past various checkpoints. Oh, and the shops and restaurants in the international airport were all closed except for one cafe offering noodles and coffee.

Then there’s the standard customs clearance issue, which comes up with a new item that threatens to be confiscated every time. Last time it was our overseas branded hand sanitizers, the reason being that “they contained alcohol”. This time, they tried to remove my husband’s Leatherman Tread bracelet because it has mini tools in its design. It’s always a game of luck and chance with the airport customs.

In comparison, taking the train was a walk in the park.

Traveling from Beijing to Shanghai right after the latter opened up was especially straightforward and easy, since hardly anyone else seemed to want to travel there at that time. All you need is to show your Health Code as per normal, and your passports for ticket verification. We didn’t even need paper tickets (yay, saving trees!)

That said, traveling from Shanghai back to Beijing was a tad more complicated. Firstly, the VIP entrances were sealed off, so even Business class passengers had to mingle with the madding crowd. And it was madding indeed! Compared to our first train trip from Beijing, the larger crowd was frustratingly pushy, plus the summer heat was intense. But the check-in still remained straightforward with just Health Codes and passports.

Here’s a handy discovery for train travelers: Once you get to the station, request for luggage assistance. In our experiences, this came in the form of 红帽子 (hóng mào zi, literally translates to Red Hat) – think caddies at the country club but with a pushcart instead. For the reasonable fee of RMB150 per Red Hat helper (though I suspect you can negotiate this price), they will cart your luggage for you and unload it onto the train. But the best part of using this service? They guide you through the station so you don’t go to the wrong platform, and push through the crowds for you!

Our family opted for Business class since we were traveling with over 10 pieces of luggage. This gave us access to the Business class lounge which is a much quieter and more comfortable (air-conditioning!) space than the rest of the station. It also offered massage chairs (at additional cost) and a snack bar, though in hindsight we would have preferred eating at the Subway, Burger King, and McD in the station.

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While the regular Economy seats are perfectly comfortable, there are fewer seats in the Business class cabin so we wouldn’t (literally) get on too many people’s toes with our inordinate amount of luggage. Plus, we had tried Economy before and wanted to explore the options!

So in the end, is Business class worth it on the train?

Yes, if you can get the first cabin that only has 4-6 seats (the others have closer to 10). Still yes if you prioritize privacy. But not if you’re expecting the kind of Business Class on a flight… There is no personal entertainment system, though they do offer onboard WiFi (that I could not get to work but maybe you’ll have better luck). They also provide meals though it’s just barely edible. The dry snacks pack they hand out was much more palatable. They’ll also give you bottles of water, though there was a water refill station outside the washroom – which was clean and basic.

The second benefit of traveling by train is the view. Though the route we traveled was fairly mundane and boring, we still got to spot unusual sights like bridges, green hills with pagodas on top, and wind mills! Plus, you get a fleeting glimpse of the other cities.

For a touch of fun, the train is also awesome for explaining Mag-Lev technology to kids to inspire future engineers! You also probably already know that train travel is also more eco-friendly than air travel, so this is a good way to teach our kids to make greener choices.

In our case, if you take into consideration the extra time (+2/3 hours) and paperwork headache that you have to endure traveling by plane, it kind of evens out with the train in terms of time, ease of entry and exit, plus comfort! No more constant interruptions during your on-flight movie, no annoying pressure change, and no waiting for luggage that might or might not arrive in the same condition… So what do you think? Train or Plane?

Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush

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