Train from Beijing to Tianjin

[mindyme]

We are planning on taking the fast train from Beijing to Tianjin. It takes 1 hour 10 minutes and costs Y30 per person.

Booking in takes place at RENAISSANCE TIANJIN TEDA HOTEL & CONVENTION CENTER. My question is we are travelling on 1st October which is the start of the National Holiday week. Will we be able to get on a train to the port easily and also what is the name of the station we get off at? Will we be able to get a taxi to the hotel?

Thanks

Maxine

[happyglobetrotter]

We are planning on taking the fast train from Beijing to Tianjin. It takes 1 hour 10 minutes and costs Y30 per person.

Booking in takes place at RENAISSANCE TIANJIN TEDA HOTEL & CONVENTION CENTER. My question is we are travelling on 1st October which is the start of the National Holiday week. Will we be able to get on a train to the port easily and also what is the name of the station we get off at? Will we be able to get a taxi to the hotel?

Thanks

Maxine

 

 

Hello,

 

While cruising on the Statendam, we did the train ride between Bejing and Tanjing city, it was in March 2006. In fact we went to Bejing round trip from the ship on a day excursion on our own with another American couple.

 

Make sure to have instructions written in chinese on a piece of paper. Like I want 2 tickets 2 adults for Tanjing city, REQUEST WIDE SEATS - we need the wider seats us North Americans as the other regular ones are narrow and uncomfortable, what is the number of the platform, what time is the train, etc.

 

Also, in the station there is a VIP waiting room, the cost was something like 8 yuans per person, and it is much better than waiting in the station itself as there could be no sitting room there. Moreover the HUGE station is quite crowded and very noisy.

 

Do not let anybody come close to you. An old begging and very persistent woman and 2 teenagers (apparently wanting to learn English) came very close to the other couple (I pushed them away from me but the others thought I was being rude) and the other couple later discovered that their ship access card (looking and feeling like a credit card had been stolen from the man's back pocket !!!)

 

It is an adventure but it is feasible but be ready, language is a problem...

 

After the train ride, the trip also requires a 30-40 minutes taxi ride from Tanjing station to Tanjing port, again make sure to have everything in writing. There are many 'port areas' and unless you have the name of the exact location, the taxi driver might be at a loss. We were 4 persons in the taxi and they are S M A L L and uncomfortable. The cost one way from the station to the port was 100 yuans divided by 4. The drivers are crazy and drive like they own the road. The one we had was going in the middle in order to pass between the two other cars, he was speeding, and in the pocket of his door was a 10 inches knife (in case we did not want to pay I suppose). We had a laugh but it was something. Maybe you should have written in Chinese : we do not mind paying a bit more, say 150 yuans but only if you drive slowly and safely.

 

Some other people without instructions in Chinese did not get on the right train, did not pay the right price (too much) and got lost looking for the cruise terminal where the ship was docked. Make sure you have the name of the exact location of the ship. You must also have the local currency and travel light because the trunk of the taxis are also quite small.

 

You can reach me at lvoyer at canada dot com

 

Good Luck.

 

Louise