Train travel in Asia: a practical guide

Where we can search

Our search covers Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. The first four all run genuine high-speed networks; Thailand’s railway is conventional, slower and a different kind of experience altogether — not worse, just not fast.

How Shinkansen tickets work

Japanese high-speed tickets are built from two parts: a base fare for the distance, and a limited express surcharge for using the Shinkansen. Buying a ticket normally gets you both together, but it explains why the price structure looks unusual compared with Europe.

Reserved or unreserved — you choose

Most Shinkansen trains carry both reserved and unreserved carriages. A reserved ticket is a specific seat on a specific departure. An unreserved ticket lets you board any train that day and sit in the unreserved cars, first come first served — genuinely useful flexibility that most of Europe does not offer.

Unreserved works well outside peak times. During Golden Week, Obon and New Year it means standing, and some services run as all-reserved in those periods.

Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama: the same line, different stopping patterns

This matters more than it looks. The Nozomi is the fastest service on the Tokaido line, and it is excluded from the Japan Rail Pass. Pass holders normally take the Hikari instead, which on the busiest routes costs only a modest amount of extra time for a couple of extra stops. Pass holders who want a Nozomi can buy a supplementary ticket, but it is not included.

Practical things that catch people out

• Shinkansen platforms have markings showing where each carriage door will stop. Queue at the number matching your carriage and the train will line up with it.
• Turnaround times at terminals are short and cleaning is fast; boarding is orderly and quick, but do not expect to dawdle.
• Large suitcases on some Tokaido and Sanyo services need an oversized-baggage reservation, which is free but must be booked with the seat.
• Eating on board is normal and expected — station bento boxes are part of the experience rather than a compromise.

Booking Chinese trains: what to know first

China’s high-speed network is the largest in the world and extremely good, but the ticketing works on rules that surprise most first-time visitors. Two of them matter enough to plan around.

Tickets open exactly fifteen days ahead

There is no long booking window. Seats for a given date are released about fifteen days before departure, and on busy routes and around public holidays popular departures can sell out quickly once they do. If your dates are fixed, work out when the window opens rather than assuming you can book months out as you would in Europe.

Every ticket is tied to your passport

Chinese rail uses real-name registration. Your ticket is issued against the passport you booked with, and you show that same passport to pass through the station gates and again when boarding. Names must match the document exactly.

All tickets ultimately come from one system, the national 12306 platform, whoever you buy them through. Foreign passport holders can register on it directly, and international cards are accepted.

Train letters tell you the speed

At the station

• Chinese stations are large and run airport-style security screening. Arrive with more time than a European station would need — forty-five minutes is sensible at a major hub.
• Gates for your train close a few minutes before departure and they are enforced strictly. Late is late.
• Second class on a G train is comfortable and perfectly adequate for several hours; first class buys more width and quiet rather than a different experience.

South Korea

Korea’s high-speed service is the KTX, run by Korail. The flagship route, Seoul to Busan, takes a little over two and a quarter hours for the length of the country, with departures through the day from early morning until late evening.

Tickets can be bought online in advance and reservations are normal. Seoul Station is central and connected to the metro; in Busan the station sits near the port, within reach of the city centre.

Taiwan

The THSR runs down the western side of the island. Taipei to Kaohsiung, effectively end to end, takes from about an hour and a half on the fastest services, with slower ones nearer two hours depending on stops.

Tickets are available through the operator’s own website and app as well as third-party platforms, and foreign visitors can book without difficulty. As in Japan, some stations carry a Zuoying-style separate high-speed station rather than sitting on the conventional line, so check which station your ticket names.

Thailand

The State Railway of Thailand runs a conventional network rather than a high-speed one. Journeys are long, and the overnight sleeper services are the ones people remember — Bangkok to Chiang Mai in particular.

Tickets can be booked up to about ninety days ahead, which is a far longer window than China’s, and online booking with electronic tickets has been available for some years. Sleeper berths on popular routes do sell out well in advance, especially in high season.

What the networks have in common

• Punctuality is taken seriously, in Japan to a degree that surprises visitors. Trains leave at the stated minute.
• Stations are large and often have their own shopping and food halls; allow time and use them rather than rushing.
• Eating at your seat is normal in Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and station food is generally excellent.
• Reserved seating is the default on high-speed services almost everywhere except Japan, which uniquely keeps a genuine unreserved option.