Seat61 is a great resource for train travellers anywhere in the world. As for Hong Kong to Shanghai, your best bet would be to catch the new high-speed train to Shenzhen or Guangzhou. Get off at one of the major interchange stations, either Shenzhen North and Guangzhou South, and connect to one of the fast trains to Shanghai. That journey will take about 8 hours, so all up from HK you're looking at 9 hours allowing for connections.
The one through train G100 is an 8hr 17min journey
3hours ahead arrriving the airport + 3 hours flight + 2hours toad trip between city centre and the airport + uncertainty of delay, compared with 9 hours train connecting two city centres, I prefer the latter.
You can go a lot tighter than that departing HKG, and if travelling from Central, getting to Airport doesn't take much longer than travelling to the Kowloon Rail station
Agree that you can circle a while in China airspace.
And PVG is a fair way out, but so are the main rail stations, indeed one is next to SHA (Hongquiao airport).
I'm a fan of Chinese HSR and have taken almost 10 journeys on various routes, but not over that distance (slightly longer than SYD-ADL)
I would suggest taking the recently opened High-Speed rail from West Kowloon and then transitting in Shenzhen station to another high-speed train to Shanghai. All up will take 8hrs of actual train ride, but you need to arrive about an hour before departure.
In this case, I would recommend flying given fares are quite cheap and you save some time with a 3 hour flight plus at most 2 hours at the airport (HK airport is very efficient).
If you have anything more than a carry on bag I'd fly. The security, immigration and ticketing checks at Kowloon West are a nightmare with hundreds of Chinese dragging bags a strollers and passing the 8 different check points (all too small, bottlenecks) to exit HK and enter PRC. You need to arrive Kowloon West 2 hours before your scheduled departure and prepare for a scrum . (They limit bags to 20 kg per person.) Much better to check in at HK station, no suitcase, 28 mins to airport and away.
Travelled in an overnight sleeper from Guangzhou to Shanghai on the high-speed network. Comfortable and covered a night of accommodation. Catch the through train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou and then onto the Shanghai train. Very easy.
The one through train G100 is an 8hr 17min journey
3hours ahead arrriving the airport + 3 hours flight + 2hours toad trip between city centre and the airport + uncertainty of delay, compared with 9 hours train connecting two city centres, I prefer the latter.
You do not need to arrive at HK airport three hours before the flight - it is a very efficient airport. If you check in at the Airport Express station (if you have bags) or online (if you don't and your carrier supports it) you can safely arrive at the airport just one hour before the flight. Depending on where you are going in Shanghai, you have the option of the Maglev train which goes straight to Pudong or, if you are heading the other side of the river, you can still take the Maglev and connect onto the Metro (which is very efficient). So flying is going to be FAR faster than the high-speed train.
A second class seat on the train will probably cost HK$1,1700 (depending on exchange rates) each way. You can get a return flight with fares from HK$1,225 - even with the cost of the Airport Express (HK$200 return) and the Maglev (less than HK$200 return) and the metro, you will save money AND time (although in fairness I do agree that there are frequently delays on China flights, but with a baseline of about 5.5 hours (30 minutes Airport Express, 1 hour airport, 3 hours flight, 45 minutes arrival, 15 minutes to Pudong) as against 9 hours, plus the fact that you may get IFE and F&B on the flight, I know which I would choose - and it wouldn't be the train).
The one through train G100 is an 8hr 17min journey
3hours ahead arrriving the airport + 3 hours flight + 2hours toad trip between city centre and the airport + uncertainty of delay, compared with 9 hours train connecting two city centres, I prefer the latter.
I'm with you! The train stations are in the middle if the cities, whereas the airports are in the middle of whoop-whoop. Train for me.
The old train stations are in the middle of the cities - the new high speed stations are all as far away as the airports. Classic example is Guanzhou.. East GZ is city centre , the new GZ South is a 45 minute taxi ride away..
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How do I travel from Hong Kong to Shanghai by train?
gregranger
gregranger
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airADL
airADL
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Seat 61 is an excellent website to refer to for train travel anywhere
AsiaBizTraveller
AsiaBizTraveller
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moa999
moa999
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Take a flight.
koji
koji
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3hours ahead arrriving the airport + 3 hours flight + 2hours toad trip between city centre and the airport + uncertainty of delay, compared with 9 hours train connecting two city centres, I prefer the latter.
airADL
airADL
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Member since 25 Mar 2014
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There is the slow sleeper trains as well.
moa999
moa999
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You can go a lot tighter than that departing HKG, and if travelling from Central, getting to Airport doesn't take much longer than travelling to the Kowloon Rail station
djtech
djtech
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Member since 02 Sep 2018
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I would suggest taking the recently opened High-Speed rail from West Kowloon and then transitting in Shenzhen station to another high-speed train to Shanghai. All up will take 8hrs of actual train ride, but you need to arrive about an hour before departure.
Rav
Rav
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A very good website
jamesalexander
jamesalexander
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
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Rome2Rio is a website i have used quite a bit, gives you all options, trains, car, planes etc from point A to point B, with pricing and transit times
biggles69
biggles69
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If you have anything more than a carry on bag I'd fly. The security, immigration and ticketing checks at Kowloon West are a nightmare with hundreds of Chinese dragging bags a strollers and passing the 8 different check points (all too small, bottlenecks) to exit HK and enter PRC. You need to arrive Kowloon West 2 hours before your scheduled departure and prepare for a scrum . (They limit bags to 20 kg per person.) Much better to check in at HK station, no suitcase, 28 mins to airport and away.
Geoff Bell
Geoff Bell
Member since 16 Jan 2019
Total posts 2
Travelled in an overnight sleeper from Guangzhou to Shanghai on the high-speed network. Comfortable and covered a night of accommodation. Catch the through train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou and then onto the Shanghai train. Very easy.
Ian_from_HKG
Ian_from_HKG
CX
Member since 05 Jun 2012
Total posts 61
3hours ahead arrriving the airport + 3 hours flight + 2hours toad trip between city centre and the airport + uncertainty of delay, compared with 9 hours train connecting two city centres, I prefer the latter.
You do not need to arrive at HK airport three hours before the flight - it is a very efficient airport. If you check in at the Airport Express station (if you have bags) or online (if you don't and your carrier supports it) you can safely arrive at the airport just one hour before the flight. Depending on where you are going in Shanghai, you have the option of the Maglev train which goes straight to Pudong or, if you are heading the other side of the river, you can still take the Maglev and connect onto the Metro (which is very efficient). So flying is going to be FAR faster than the high-speed train.
Brython14
Brython14
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 22 Oct 2016
Total posts 8
3hours ahead arrriving the airport + 3 hours flight + 2hours toad trip between city centre and the airport + uncertainty of delay, compared with 9 hours train connecting two city centres, I prefer the latter.
I'm with you! The train stations are in the middle if the cities, whereas the airports are in the middle of whoop-whoop. Train for me.
biggles69
biggles69
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 23 Oct 2015
Total posts 8
The old train stations are in the middle of the cities - the new high speed stations are all as far away as the airports. Classic example is Guanzhou.. East GZ is city centre , the new GZ South is a 45 minute taxi ride away..