Guangzhou South Railway Station: getting in, finding your train and getting out
Guangzhou's huge main high-speed station in Panyu, south of the city center. Here is how to get in, through to your train, and out to the metro or a taxi with a foreign passport.
| Chinese name | 广州南站 |
|---|---|
| Trains to | High-speed trains to Shenzhen, Hong Kong West Kowloon, Zhuhai, Wuhan, Changsha, Beijing, Guilin and much of southern China |
| Metro | Guangzhou Metro Lines 2, 7 and 22, and Foshan Metro Line 2, in the basement |
| Arrive | An hour before departure; the hall is very large and queues can be long. |
Departing from Guangzhou South Railway Station
- Getting in. Departures are on 3F. Gates 1-14 are nearest the East entrance (metro Exit H) and gates 15-28 nearest the West entrance (metro Exit B). Use the staffed lane at the ID check and at the gate. The passport you booked with is your ticket: use the staffed lane, where it is checked against your booking, unless signs say the automatic gates take passports.
- Security. Bags go through an X-ray right after the ID check, and you walk through a scanner.
- The waiting hall. One very large waiting hall on 3F with gates 1-28; each gate has an A and a B side for the same train. Find your train number on the departure boards; boarding usually starts 15 to 20 minutes before departure and the gate closes a few minutes before.
- The platform. Your coach number (车厢) is printed on the floor markings and over the doors; stand at yours, as trains stop only briefly.
Food: Restaurants and dim sum on the 3F level and its mezzanine.
Arriving at Guangzhou South Railway Station
Arrivals come down to 1F, which connects to the metro, buses and taxis.
Taxi and Didi: Leave by the West exit (西门), turn right and walk about 100 m to the taxi queue, which is split by destination (city, Panyu/Nansha, Foshan). Ride-hail (网约车) is easiest from the East Square (东广场), with more pickup at car parks P1 and P5.
Tips
- Guangzhou has several stations (Guangzhou, Guangzhou East, Guangzhou Baiyun). Check that your ticket says 广州南.
- Hong Kong trains also leave from Guangzhou East, with a different timetable; you clear both border checks at West Kowloon.
- The station is far from downtown, so allow extra time to get here.
Next steps
Sources: uk.trip.com, news.ycwb.com, www.chinaairlinetravel.com, wanderinchina.com. Spotted a change? Use the box below.
Was this page helpful? Thanks. If something was missing or wrong, tell us below.
Something wrong or out of date on this page? Tell us
Just been there? Tell us what you found on the ground.