Beijing to Shanghai: train or flight, time and tickets
How to travel from Beijing to Shanghai on a first trip to China: by high-speed train, how long it takes, where trains leave from and how to book.
Short answer: By high-speed train, about 4.5 to 6 hours.
Beijing to Shanghai by high-speed train
High-speed trains (G and D numbers) link Beijing and Shanghai, about 4.5 to 6 hours. Book on Railway 12306 or Trip.com with your passport, which is also your ticket; tickets usually go on sale 15 days before departure, and verifying a foreign passport on 12306 usually takes 3 to 5 working days, so register early. See how to book a train ticket and Trip.com vs 12306.
Main stations: in Beijing, Beijing South Railway Station, Beijing West Railway Station; in Shanghai, Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. Check which one your train uses: cities have several, and they are far apart.
Be at the station 45 to 60 minutes before departure: big stations have security checks, a passport check at the gates, and boarding closes a few minutes before the train leaves.
Planning Beijing and Shanghai
- Beijing city guide and Shanghai city guide: about 4 days in Beijing and 3 in Shanghai make a good first visit.
- Ready-made route: China in 7 days: Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai
- Ready-made route: China in 10 days: Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu and Shanghai
- Getting around inside each city, by metro and Didi: Getting around.
Other direction: Shanghai to Beijing. All connections: between cities.