The Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the highest plateau train in the world. Taking the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the dream of many people. Since the number of Qinghai-Tibet Railway tickets is limited, how to buy Qinghai-Tibet Railway train tickets is a question that many tourists traveling to Tibet are very concerned about. The following is a detailed guide to grabbing tickets.
Preparations for booking Qinghai-Tibet Railway tickets
Register a China Railway 12306 account
Before purchasing a ticket, you must2306 Railway Official WebsiteRegister an account. Only after successful registration can you purchase tickets online.
12306 websiteThe following valid ID documents are accepted for registration and ticket purchase:
- Chinese Resident Identity Card
- Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents
- Malaysian Passport
- Singapore Passport
- Foreign passport
12306 websiteThe identity information of registered users and common contacts (passengers) will be verified. Holders of Chinese ID cards have the following three statuses:
- passed
- To be verified
- Did not pass
Only those with a status of "Passed" can purchase tickets online.
holdMainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents, Malaysian or Singaporean passports, foreign passports, there are four states:
- passed
- Please report
- Pre-approval
- Did not pass
Those who “fail” cannot purchase tickets online.
Calculate the opening hours for ticket purchase
Qinghai-Tibet Railway tickets are available for booking 14 days before departure. Please calculate the opening time accurately, as Qinghai-Tibet Railway tickets are usually sold out quickly after opening, so be sure to seize the opportunity.
Prepare payment method
After successfully reserving a seat on the 12306 website, please complete the online payment within the payment time indicated, otherwise the seat will not be reserved. Currently, the 12306 website supports the following online payment methods:
- Online banking accounts of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, China Merchants Bank, China Construction Bank and Postal Savings Bank of China
- UnionPay
- UnionPay Express Payment
- Alipay, WeChat Pay
Qinghai-Tibet Railway Ticket Booking Tips
Avoid the peak tourist season in Tibet
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway has limited daily train services and few sleeper berths. Especially during the peak tourist season in Tibet (July-September), a large number of tourists flock to Tibet, creating a high demand for tickets and making it more difficult to grab tickets.
Consider transit ticket purchase
Plan multiple transfer routes. If you cannot buy a direct ticket directly, you can choose a transfer option. For example, if you cannot buy a direct ticket from Lhasa to Beijing, you can choose Lhasa to Xining, and then from Xining to Beijing to increase your chances of successfully purchasing a ticket.
Select a ticket for departure
Many tourists intuitively choose to take the train to Tibet, thinking that taking the train to Tibet can reduce altitude sickness, so it is difficult to buy tickets to Tibet. In fact, the scenery along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is the same when entering Tibet and leaving Tibet. Therefore, it is easier to buy tickets to leave Tibet.
Entrust Tibet Travel Agency to purchase in advance
High-quality Tibet travel agencies can usually plan to buy tickets for tourists, with a high success rate. If you don't want to take the risk of not being able to get tickets, it is recommended to entrust a Tibet travel agency to buy tickets in advance. It is best to confirm 60 days before departure, so that the travel agency has sufficient time to arrange ticket purchases and increase the success rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to get Qinghai-Tibet Railway train tickets?
After purchasing tickets online or through a travel agency, a ticket number will be generated upon confirmation of purchase. Bring the ticket number and valid ID (Hong Kong and Macau Pass/Malaysian passport/Singaporean passport/foreign passport) to the station ticket window, railway ticket agency or automatic ticket machine to collect the ticket.
How can I reschedule or refund my ticket?
Qinghai-Tibet Railway tickets are different from tickets for other routes. Once you have successfully purchased your ticket, if you need to reschedule or refund your ticket, you can only go to the station ticket window, railway ticket agency or automatic ticket machine with your ticket number and valid ID (Hong Kong and Macau Pass/Malaysian passport/Singapore passport/foreign passport) to process it.
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