Mistake 1: Buying tickets through unauthorized third-party platforms. 

Correct approach: Book directly through the official "12306 China Railway" app (available in English) to avoid extra fees and potential service delays.

Mistake 2: Entering your name in Western order (e.g. "John Smith") or using hyphens or spaces. 

Correct approach: Your name must exactly match your passport, including the order. Omit all spaces and special characters.

Example: If your passport shows "Smith, John David", enter it as SMITHJOHNDAVID.

Mistake 3: Not double-checking the exact train station. Some cities have more than one station. Beijing, for example, has Beijing Railway Station, Beijing South Railway Station, and Beijing West Railway Station, which are far apart. Travelers may overlook the specific station listed on their ticket or head to the wrong one based on a vague impression.

Correct approach: Always confirm the full station name on the ticket when purchasing and before departing (e.g. Beijing South Railway Station). Use a map app to navigate to the exact station.

Mistake 4: Trying to use self-service gates with a passport. Chinese Mainland ID cards contain an embedded chip that can be read by the self-service gates. Most foreign passports, however, do not have this feature and will not work at these gates.

Correct approach: Passport holders should proceed to the Manual Verification Channel at the ticket check area, where staff will verify your passport and ticket before entry.

Mistake 5: Arriving at the station too close to departure time.

Correct approach: High-speed rail stations in China are generally very large, and the boarding process—including security checks, locating the correct waiting area, and ticket inspection—can take considerable time. Gates typically close 3–5 minutes before the scheduled departure. It is strongly recommended to arrive at the station at least 30 minutes before your train leaves.

Mistake 6: Bringing oversized or overweight luggage.

Correct approach:

The following limits apply to free carry-on luggage:

Weight allowances:

Children (including those traveling free): 10 kg

Diplomatic passengers: 35 kg

All other passengers: 20 kg

Size limits:

The sum of length, width, and height must not exceed 160 cm. Rod-like items must not exceed 200 cm in length.

For high-speed trains, no single item may exceed 130 cm in dimension (sum of length, width and height) or 20 kg in weight.

A folding wheelchair for personal mobility use is carried free and is not counted toward the above limits.

Any luggage exceeding these standards must be checked in advance.