Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou work well as one rail trip, because fast trains link them and each city has its own character. Give each at least two nights and avoid squeezing them into a short week. The smart part is the order of the legs.
If you are a first-timer, a rail trip can look intimidating. Once you see how tickets and stations work, it is one of the easiest ways to travel in China.
How do the three cities connect?
By fast train, with Shanghai at the centre. The fastest Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East trains take about 45 minutes over roughly 202 km, but the station pair matters, because Hangzhou has more than one station[1].
G-category trains are the premier high-speed trains, running up to 300 km/h with some at 320 or 350 km/h[2]. For the Nanjing leg, check the departure and arrival stations on 12306 and read our guide on Nanjing South station versus the Confucius Temple area.
Which order works best?
Start in Shanghai, move to Hangzhou for a gentle lake day, then go on to Nanjing for history. Put the longest leg on a day with nothing else planned. If you fly home from Shanghai, loop back at the end.
Our guide on adding Nanjing to an East China trip shows when the extra city earns its place. For museums, read about Nanjing museums and the Presidential Palace.
How do foreigners buy tickets?
Online, with your passport. China State Railway Group announced on 28 November 2023 that foreigners with ordinary passports can verify their details and buy tickets online via 12306[3].
You verify by entering name, nationality and passport number or uploading a photo of the passport page[4]. Tickets usually go on sale 15 days before departure and cannot be bought earlier[5]. Trip.com can accept pre-orders before the window opens, but only attempts the purchase when seats are released[6].
What do you need on the day?
Your passport, and time. Foreigners must show a passport to buy a long-distance ticket and to pass platform gates, because travel is ticketless[7]. Expect X-ray bag checks at station entrances, and arrive 30 to 40 minutes before departure at major stations[8].
Keep the passport somewhere you can reach quickly, and take a photo of the ticket.
Where should you stay?
Pick a base for each leg, but avoid changing hotels every night. Our guide on one base or several in East China helps you decide. In Hangzhou, read Hangzhou East station versus West Lake before you choose.
What should you do next?
Count your nights, choose the order and book the legs when the window opens. Use the rail versus flight tool to check the one leg where flying might be easier, and see our first-timer circuit for a worked route.