How do I book train tickets in China as a foreigner?
You book with your passport, either through the official 12306 website and app after a one-off real-name verification, or through an English-language agent such as Trip.com that accepts international cards and adds a small handling fee. There is no paper ticket, so your passport is your ticket at the gate and you must carry the physical document. The advance-sale window is the uncertain part, with sources disagreeing on its length, so confirm it in 12306 before relying on a specific date.
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Two routes work in practice. The official 12306 channel is free and charges the exact domestic price, but registration requires a foreign-passenger account and passport verification that can take an hour or more. Agents such as Trip.com charge a small per-ticket fee and, more usefully, let you place a reservation months ahead and buy automatically when the official window opens, which is the sensible approach for Spring Festival and October Golden Week.
At the station, enter your name exactly as printed on the machine-readable lines of your passport. Automated kiosks read Chinese ID cards only, so foreign travellers queue at staffed counters, and screenshots are not accepted in place of the physical passport. Arrive 45 to 60 minutes early at a hub station.
Presale windows are the weakest claim in this area: one source describes tickets opening 15 days ahead, other recent sources imply longer windows, and agents market reservations placed months in advance. Our high-speed rail guide explains the booking sequence and which routes are better flown.