Aelfgifu Travels

Hi Aelf Crew,

I wanted to make a separate post on high-speed railway stations in China because these were very different from what I was expecting.

Much like airports, you are expected to get there an hour or two before your train departs for bag security, passport/ID checks, ticket scanning and to get through the huge stations to your departure gate.

Top Tip from Aelfgifu: If I hadn’t been told this beforehand, I would’ve shown up 10 minutes before my train – simply not an option here as at the big stations I went to, the gates closed 5-10 minutes before departure!

In the departures hall in Wuhan Railway Station, I went to buy some snacks for the 4 hour and 50 minute journey ahead of me to Xi’an. The options were fairly limited for typical journey snacks I would usually go for, like crisps or a sandwich – I insert a couple of pictures here of what I was met with… still not entirely sure what they were but I think these are bagged rat or duck heads?

In hindsight, I wish I had bought something in a shop outside the station, with food I recognised!

Unfortunately, if not booked in advance, you can end up with a ‘standing seat’. The train was packed, so I found myself cramped into a corridor with my suitcase, rucksack and dignity slowly wilting.

That said, one thing I can’t fault is the cleaners, who came through every 30 minutes to mop the floors. Impressive commitment on their part, but inconvenient to me once I had managed to find somewhere to sit down, only to have to stand up and move all my various bags to let them through.

This was not a highlight in my life.

Tips to Learn from Aelfgifu:

• Book your train tickets well in advance. If getting a cross-country high-speed train like I was, they sell out quickly, so if the only seated option is more expensive, I would recommend paying the extra for this – learn from my mistakes!
• Make sure to have some snacks on you. I always have an emergency bag of sherbet lemons on me so I recommend something similar that is comfortable for you and recognisable. 
• Treat the railways like the airports – be there in advance, allow time for checks and prepare for huge stations which can be difficult to navigate to find your gate.

Have you ever gotten lost in one of China’s huge railway stations? Let me know how you navigated them below!

From the floor,

Aelfgifu