Lhasa Travel Forum

I am considering taking this train from Xian to Lhasa. Since it is so new there is not much information available. I am interested in hearing from individuals that have taken this train. We are US citizens traveling to China. We thought taking the train 1 way would be interesting. I am also interested in the feedback on the soft Sleeper units. Were they private, comfortable, clean? Was the view scenic & worth the 2+ days it takes to get to Lhasa? Did you feel safe? Did the train make stops? If so were you able to get off & take in the sights?

bookmark, I'd like to hear about this train journey as well, I've seen something about it on tv.

Here are some answers (I live in Tibet and have taken the train):

There is actually a lot of information about the train on the internet. Try checking out some other travel forums such as Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com). Train questions are regular on there.

If you only take the train one way, I would try and take it leaving Lhasa. There isn't a train starting from Xi'an and going to Lhasa. You would probably need to take the train that starts in Beijing that goes to Lhasa (train T27). The T27 doesn't get into Lhasa until almost 9pm and depending on what time of year you go, you will miss a lot of the best scenery because it is dark out. If you take the train leaving Lhasa, you will leave at 8am so you can see a lot more.

The soft sleepers are just about the same as soft sleepers on trains throughout China. It is a closed compartment with 4 beds...2 sets of bunks. There is an overhead storage unit in the compartment as well as room under your seat for storage. Outside the compartment there is a seat next to the window you can sit at. All of the compartments (hard and soft sleepers) are cleaned before each departure. The bathrooms are as well. But by the time you arrive in Lhasa, the train can be quite dirty. All sleeping berths and seats have oxygen outlets that can used for no additional charge. The train attendants will pass out oxygen lines that can be quickly and easily plugged into the oxygen outlet (located above you head in each sleeper berth). The oxygen will only be available between Golmud and Lhasa (and vice-versa in leaving from Lhasa).

Between Xi'an and Lhasa the train will make 6 or 7 stops. You can get off at all of these stops, but there isn't really much to see. You are stopping at other train stations, not out on the open plateau.

Train travel in China and around the world is very, very safe.

Trains are one of the most environmentally safe ways of traveling. The train to and from Lhasa is a great experience. I would recommend it. I have written about my first time taking the train from Lhasa on my website... kekexili.typepad.com

I did this trip last year. The 5 star luxury train from Xi'an to Lhasa only goes as far as Golmud. There you will transfer to the public train for the high altitude rail portion of your trip.
There is only one stop between Golmud and Lhasa and it is at Naqu in Tibet.
The scenery between Xi'an and Lhasa is best between Xining and Golmud (Qinghai Lake and vicinity) and of course between Golmud and Lhasa.
See my Qinghai and Tibet pages for photos taken out of the train window and some tips for riding on this train route.