Traveling by Train

Saturday was our first family train ride!  We went from Changzhou to Shanghai which is just over an hour by train (which includes 4 stops).  The alternative is going by car which is 2 1/2 to 3 hours very tiring especially with Blake!  The train was great, but you have to know the system and be on time!

Platform to line up after getting through the gate.

The Train is here!

First class cabin.

You are able to purchase train tickets up to 2 weeks prior to your traveling date, the ticket assigns you to a seat so you are guaranteed a place to sit.  For this trip the cost per person (under 1.2 meters are free) was $40 for first class which has larger seats and more leg room i believe, its similar to plane seats.  

Waiting for the train!

 We found that when you get to the train station you have to look at the board to see which gate your train will be at, then head over to the gate and review the board, it seems about 5 minutes before departure time your train number will turn green on the board and that will tell the turn styles to allow your ticket to be put through.  Once you are through the gate there are numbers for each car, so line up by your number and then the train arrives, people get off, everyone gets on pretty quickly, find your seat and your off!

The train we were on was up to 289 km/h if i did my conversion right its 179 mph.  It was very convenient because Blake could look out the window, stand by our feet and walk a bit, the ride was so smooth he wasn't jerked around or anything!  Many people on the train had luggage and were traveling from a trip it appeared so that is an option if coming from the airport.  There was a person who came around with snack and drinks for purchase and there are tv's showing, bathrooms, and shades to draw from your window.  

Blake took dad's seat to look out the window!

We had a great experience on the train and will be riding again in 2 weeks when we head to Shanghai for a 3-day weekend!

Taking the escalator to get out of the train station!