Getting Around China in Comfort: Private Drivers and Sleeper Trains

Private drivers and what they cost

A private car with a driver for a full day runs from around US$110 in a second-tier city to US$210 to 280 in Shanghai or Beijing, with the cost rising for longer distances and overnight journeys. The rate normally includes fuel, tolls, the driver’s time and the parking.

For routes of more than two hours each way, this is comfortably cheaper than the combination of trains, taxis and transfers, and it removes the fatigue factor entirely.

The sleeper train

The overnight sleeper train is one of the great railway experiences and remains genuinely useful on the longer routes — Beijing to Shanghai, Chengdu to Kunming, Beijing to Xi’an. It saves a night of accommodation and arrives in the centre of the next city.

The soft sleeper in a four-berth compartment is the level most travellers should book. The hard sleeper at six berths per compartment is a legitimate experience for the more adventurous, and the price difference is roughly a third.

Bring a towel and earplugs, and do not expect to sleep brilliantly. It is about the journey, and the arrival.

Airport transfers

The airport express trains are the sensible option in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hangzhou, and they are fast and inexpensive. A taxi or a pre-booked car is better when there are several cases, an early flight, or a late arrival.

For Daxing airport in particular, the express train takes about 35 minutes and costs a fraction of a taxi, which can be over an hour in traffic.

Carrying luggage

Getting luggage to and from the stations is the part most people underestimate. At the larger stations the walk from the platform to the exit, with bags, can be twenty minutes. Allow for it and plan the luggage handling at the ends of the journey.