Taking the Train from Beijing to Datong | Why So Complicated?

806 views · Published 9 May 2008 · 1:53 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: Travel: The Good, The Bad & The Funny · 2008 · Travel & Events

Watch on YouTube

http://www.TravelsWithSheila.com
It was time to take a 6-hour train from Beijing's busiest train station, the West Station, to Datong.  There is a ridiculous amount of steps and bureaucracy involved in taking a train.  You hand in your ticket when boarding the train and are given a piece of cardboard that you keep until reaching your destination.  The "keeper of the tickets" then comes around and takes the cardboard back, returns your ticket and you exit the train station without showing this ticket.

We had "soft seats" or "soft berths" on this train.  A thousand times better than sitting in one of the hard seat compartments with everyone smoking all around you.  An experience...

More from this channel