Getting Around

🔑 Key step: ID verification. Before your first ticket purchase, you must complete identity verification with your passport:

• Online (recommended) — Use 12306.cn or its app. Enter name, nationality, passport number. Auto-verifies most passports; otherwise upload passport photo for manual review (3–5 business days).
• At a station — Bring your passport to any ticket counter for instant verification.

Once verified, buy tickets with Alipay or 12306 by entering your passport number. At the station, scan your passport at the gate — no paper ticket needed.

✨ Let MagicTrip handle it: ID verification and train ticket booking can be time-consuming. Our trip planners take care of the entire process for you — just tell us your destinations.

💡 Old-school trick: Keep your hotel's business card. Show it to any taxi driver. Works every time.

🗣️ Use the Cheat Sheet: The Communication Cheat Sheet has key navigation phrases like “请问” (Ching-wun / Excuse me), “地铁” (Dee-tyeh / Metro), and “出租车” (Choo-tsoo-chuh / Taxi) — each with phonetic spelling and an 🔊 audio button to hear the pronunciation. Note: Chinese pinyin can look different from how it sounds (e.g., “地铁” is spelled “dìtiě” in pinyin but sounds like Dee-tyeh) — the phonetic spellings and audio are your best guide.