Here is another topic that turned out to be confusing (and stressful) when preparing for our first train journey in China: do our children need a ticket? We have come across some information that you need to get a free ticket for your child at the train station (without seat allocation), which turned out to be outdated or simply not correct. So how does it really work?
If you are fine with your child sitting on your lap during the trip, you do not need to do anything - up to one child can be accompanied by an adult, if you are travelling with more children, you will need to buy a ticket. You will only need to present the passport upon boarding of the train. If you are buying your tickets online (e.g. via Trip.com), keep in mind that you only book the tickets you actually need, so if you are planning to keep your little one on your lap, no need to put their name on the reservation!
If you are a family 2+2, like us, both your children can travel for free without an extra sit. However, we always bought a ticket for our 2.5 years old Hanna - good luck keeping a toddler on your lap for the time of the journey! Plus it is nice to have some extra space for the nap time.
Keep in mind that in China, the ticket is free not up to certain age, but for all children who are below 120cm of height.
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