Since the Tibet Railway opened in 2006, millions of travelers have taken the train into Lhasa. The railway travels through remote areas of eastern and northern Tibet, across frozen plains, and over high mountain passes. In addition to offering passengers a glimpse of the incredible scenery of the Tibetan plateau, the train also offers the opportunity to rest and acclimatize before reaching Lhasa. Passenger trains start in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xining, and Lanzhou. At the moment, Tibet Experience can assist travelers in purchasing Beijing, Chengdu, and Xining to Lhasa train tickets. For train tickets starting in other locations, we recommend you contact a local travel agency or hotel and ask them to purchase the tickets for you. If you would like to arrange train tickets through us, arrange them at least 10 days beforehand, which is when tickets go on sale. Due to the unpredictable nature of obtaining Lhasa tickets during peak season, we cannot guarantee these tickets, but we always do our best. If we cannot get tickets for your preferred departure date, we will try for the next day. We recommend that you give us 3 consecutive dates that you are available to take the train, as this will better your chances of getting a ticket. Soft sleeper tickets are the most difficult tickets to get. Many soft sleeper tickets are reserved for government and military officials. If we are unable to get soft sleeper tickets, we will try hard sleeper tickets. Despite having an uncomfortable-sounding name, hard sleeper berths are quite comfortable and are used by most foreign travelers to Tibet. Hard seats are the easiest to get but are uncomfortable for a long ride. We can arrange hard seat tickets for you but recommend that you try to upgrade to a hard sleeper on the train, if possible. If you have firm dates and need to arrive in Lhasa by a certain date to make your trip happen, then we recommend flying in. Train tickets out of Tibet are much easier to get, so if your schedule is tight, then it’s worth considering flying in and taking the train out. During low season, it is possible to get train tickets for the real cost of the ticket, with only a small service fee for booking them. You are also welcome to book your train tickets. If you choose this option, it is best to ask a Chinese national to buy the ticket for you at the train station. Otherwise, you will likely need to show your permit to buy the ticket. Nonetheless, if you choose to buy your tickets, it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to purchase them. At best, you might have some luck booking a sleeper during the low season or a hard seat during the high season. If you want any assurance of getting a train ticket, it is highly recommended that you go through a travel agency.
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