Is it safe to travel on the night train in China? Is soft sleeper more secure? Going from Wuhan to Xian.?

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jan

yes

veronica l

travel in china is relatively safe. no killing, that is. but thieves are not to be dismissed. so as long as u keep ur valuable belongings in a belt bag, wont be a problem. even when ur alone.

soft sleeper, hard sleeper, its all safe. trust me.. have been travelling in china since 1992.

but again.. there are theives.. so be aware.. keep those valuable stuff in a belt bag.

xml

I think it is quite safe now.

Global Jim

I am going to Xi'an next month. I'll be leaving from Changxing China and taking a hard sleeper.....I can't wiat!!!

Travelling in China is very safe and in particular on the rail network, Chinese people are very friendly and inquisitive of strangers and you will never be short of someone to chat with.

If you are still worrried then a sleeper would be your best bet, but please dont miss a moment of the days, they will stay with you forever, i know my memories of travelling throughout China have.

have a fun and safe trip ;) H

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NairDeva

I've taken many night trains in china, and have always been safe. You should just make sure you know where your things are at all times, and keep them close. If you are traveling alone or in a small group (4 or less) you might consider the soft sleepers. I usually travel by hard sleeper, but i took soft sleeper once when i was with a small group and we had a lot of luggage to look after.

Smurfette

Absolutely safe. Hard sleeper would be good enough. Make sure to keep a close watch on your belongings, though, as pickpockets are rampant in China.

Chinese@Heart

It's very safe and people don't usually haggle you. They might look at you strangely because you're a foreigner, but other than that you won't have any problems. The only difference between hard and soft sleepers are the number of bunks in a compartment and that the soft sleepers have doors that lock. I've traveled by train several times: Shanghai to Xian, and Shanghai to Dalian. Hard sleepers are half the price of soft, if you're on a budget. They are open, so you have a lot of light in the daytime. They aren't much different from the soft. It's not worth paying for a soft sleeper because the differences are major enough to make a difference. The only thing is that people get on and off the train in the middle of the night, so that might wake you up, but headphones will take care of that problem. Also, sleep with your personal bags around your head, not your feet, or under the covers or pillow. Currently there are more security personal on the train. There is one person to a train compartment walking and checking often. I do have to warn you about the bathrooms, or rather the hole in the ground, they can really smelly.

i_didn't_know_that

i've taken a night train from wuhan to xian actually, twice. there's little to worry to little about. just be aware of pick pockets. don't leave your stuff laying around. and yes, soft sleeper is more secure. you can lock your cabin and you only share it with 3 other people.

Noname

its not tat 'safe' really as wat the other answerers said. quite depends on ur luck. wat kind of ppl to share a compartment with. i've heard cases tat ppl wake up and found sth missing....money, valuables...etc.......
unless u dont sleep tat night.
good luck and have a safe trip.
i will suggest a soft sleeper, no matter wat.

tiger lou

I am female and have travelled on the soft sleeper twice. Everyone keeps pretty much to themselves. I'd just keep on an eye on my stuff and use good sense, as you would travelling anywhere. If you're on the top bunk there's a space up there to put your bag. Anyone wanting to steal something would have to crawl past you. Even if you were not present for a short time (going to the toilet) a thief would have to climb up a ladder where they obviously have no business. I am sure the fellow travellers in your compartment would object. Just travel light, don't take valuable things, keep money and passport on your person AT ALL TIMES. I have not heard stories of people being gassed. . .there are guards on the trains that pass thru and keep on eye on things. Late at night when everyone is asleep it would be easy to spot someone who was up to no good.
On the other hand, I regard this method of travel as "roughing it." Maybe you're into that, trying to get an authentic experience, etc. And I guess nowadays it's nowhere near as "rough" as it may have been in the past. But it was not esp enjoyable for me. The toilet is scary (imagine that) and I would definitely take a roll of t.p. along. They tend to run out of t.p. after a few hours. Also the train may be delayed. . .one train I took was about 5 hours late arriving. The other train I took arrived on time. I'd also take some of those handy-wipe thingys for your hands, and I personally like to take my own soft pillowcase to cover the scratchy pillowcase.

Loy

Honestly.. i never feel safe travelling in China...
Heard too many stories of foreigners getting mugged.. by the locals in China.
You just have to be very careful with your belongings to prevent pickpockets.

clairekell

Hi
I travelled from Xian to Beijing and I would have felt safe in the sleeper trains even if I was alone, the train I travelled on was a 6 berth sleeper, and there were alot of Chinese families so was a good atmosphere. The good thing was that the beds were all open not in closed compartments, making everything more open, probably a bit noiser but you feel safer, I have had to spend the night alone in a closed cabin once with two mongolian men and another with three russian men - one which was about 150kg and sleep in the bed above me, I couldnt sleep for the fear he was going to fall on me!

gilbert

websku

Actually not so bad as you heard
and I think hard sleeper is enough. In fact the prices for soft and hard are almost the same if measured in Dollar....
Also, travell by train would take you lots of time furthermore you could see nothing in the night train... Suggest by plane. Fast and safe as you are female :)

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