All Aboard! Use the NiHao App to Book Train Tickets in China

We all know that travelling by train is a great way to experience China. Pass through spectacular scenery, encounter all sorts of wonderful local dialects and make friends with people from places you’ve never heard of.

If only buying your train ticket online was such a pleasure … navigating the only official ticket sale site in China is like battling a series of bosses on Super Mario Bros! 

First register an account, choose the times and places for your journey and add info about passengers. Sounds simple? That part is all in Chinese, this game has no English version! Next step work your way through the payment system. Once you’ve passed that you’ll face the big boss, here since March 2015 – verification pictures!

These verification pictures have gained notoriety in China for how confusing they are. Rather than just type in the random word shown on screen you’re asked to select multiple pictures, and sometimes the pictures are so fuzzy it’s impossible to tell what they are!

A recent survey put the general public to the train ticket-buying test – over 90 percent of participants failed on their first try and 65 percent didn't succeed until the third try. We’ve featured a few examples below. See if you’re up to the task of buying train tickets in China!

1. Select all fire extinguishers and beaches from the pictures below:
 

2. And perhaps in the near future, you will come across challenges like “Choose all pictures of Kim Jong-Un”:
 

It turns out that to buy a train ticket online in China you have to be a master of history, geography, math and of course, Chinese!

You can always buy your ticket at the station but you’d better turn up well in advance of when you want to depart – we’ve stood in hour-long queues at ticket halls before.

Thankfully here at NiHao we’ve been working on getting rid of all of this hassle. Our newest feature makes it as easy as you’d expect to buy train tickets online. Fill in the basic details about your trip and pay from within the app in just a few taps. Then all you need to do is pack your bags, pick up your ticket and enjoy the journey!

So how do you buy train tickets on NiHao?

1. From the main menu go to Profile and press Train tickets.
 

2. Select the train journey you want to take.
 

3. Fill out basic passenger information for everyone who’s travelling.       
 

4. Payment is made directly through UnionPay. There’s no need to link a bank account so there’s no need to worry about security issues.  
 

5. NiHao will confirm by text and email that your purchase has been completed. Show your passport and the confirmation message at the train station in exchange for your physical ticket.
 

Safe, fast and convenient is how we’d describe booking train tickets on NiHao.

In addition to buying train tickets there are many other troubles you may encounter in China. Paying for water, gas and electricity online? Buying movie tickets online? Where can I find information about local events? Where can I go on vacation and not be swamped by crowds? You can find the answers to these questions and many more on NiHao. Download now at nihaoapp.com.
                             

NiHao is a free app that connects expatriates and travellers in China to services and information in their city – it aims to make life easier for expats and travelers in China.

On NiHao, users can find information on everything from restaurants, bars and nightlife to events, culture and shopping. Users are also be able to directly connect with local services such as cleaners, language schools and medical centers, all with the ability to pay seamlessly from within the app. 

In addition, NiHao acts as a central portal for news and social communication, while offering a number of other features such as instant translation, mobile phone top-up, forums, guides and more. Through the English-only app, the Hangzhou-based company aims to provide a platform where every user can meet, interact with and help others in the community. A platform for expats, by expats.

This post is sponsored by the Nihao App – A place to meet, find, share and follow.  
Free download at appnihao.com, or scan the QR code below. E-mail fr@appnihao.com for more information.

Images: App NiHao