Check the complete station name first
"Beijing Railway Station" is one specific station, not a general name for every train terminal in the capital. Beijing Railway Station, Beijing West, Beijing South, Beijing North and Beijing Chaoyang are far apart. A wrong turn is rarely fixable with a ten-minute taxi ride. Use the full Chinese station name shown on the ticket when booking a car or searching a map.
Use the map to understand direction. Before leaving, check the station, train number and departure time again in the 12306 order.
Foreign passport holders can buy tickets through the English China Railway 12306 website or app. Bring the original passport used for booking. A photo or photocopy is not enough. Some gates read passports; if yours does not, use a staffed lane. Beijing's main stations are enormous, so include security, the walk to the waiting hall and the walk to the gate in your timing.
Enter the full name, such as "北京南站" or "北京朝阳站", in your map. Searching for "Beijing high-speed railway station" is too vague.
Beijing Railway Station (北京站)
Beijing Railway Station sits inside the eastern Second Ring Road and is the closest of these five to the old city centre. Subway Line 2 stops at the station. Dongdan, Wangfujing, Jianguomen and Qianmen are all straightforward from here.
The station is central, but the roads outside are busy. The subway is usually easier than searching for a car at the curb.
- Subway: Line 2, Beijing Railway Station.
- Convenient for: hotels around Wangfujing, Dongdan, Jianguomen, Qianmen and the eastern Second Ring Road.
- Nearby sights: Beijing Ancient Observatory is closest; Wangfujing, Tiananmen Square and Qianmen are a short subway or taxi ride away.
- On arrival: in rush hour, take the subway out of the station area before making another transfer.
Beijing West Railway Station (北京西站)
Beijing West is a major rail hub with large north and south squares. Subway Lines 7 and 9 stop beneath it. If you need a car, specify the north or south square before booking; the pickup zones are not interchangeable.
Choose the north or south square first. Looking for the driver's location after the car arrives is the hard way round.
- Subway: Lines 7 and 9, Beijing West Railway Station.
- Convenient for: West Chang'an Avenue, Gongzhufen, Financial Street and southern Xicheng.
- Nearby sights: Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, China Millennium Monument and Yuyuantan Park.
- On arrival: follow subway signs first. For a car, decide which square you need before leaving the station.
Beijing South Railway Station (北京南站)
Many high-speed trains for Tianjin, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing leave from Beijing South. Subway Lines 4 and 14 connect inside the station, with access from the underground transport level. Holiday crowds can make taxi and ride-hailing waits much longer.
Follow the B1 subway signs after arrival. Going up to street level only to look for another entrance adds work.
- Subway: Lines 4 and 14, Beijing South Railway Station.
- Convenient for: Taoranting, Niujie, Caishikou, Qianmen and southern Beijing.
- Nearby sights: Taoranting Park is closest; the Temple of Heaven, Qianmen Street and Dashilar are connected by subway or a short road journey.
- On arrival: use the subway at busy times. Taxis and ride-hailing cars use assigned underground areas.
Beijing North Railway Station (北京北站)
Beijing North is attached to the Xizhimen transport hub. It serves the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed line, some suburban services and trains towards Zhangjiakou, Chongli and Hohhot. It is also a common departure point for Badaling Great Wall Station, though the exact train must still be checked in 12306.
Xizhimen has many passages. Follow signs for Beijing North Railway Station rather than relying only on an exit letter.
- Subway: Lines 2, 4 and 13 at Xizhimen, then follow signs to Beijing North.
- Convenient for: Xizhimen, Beijing Zoo, Xinjiekou, Jishuitan and eastern Haidian.
- Nearby sights: Beijing Zoo, Beijing Planetarium and Beijing Exhibition Center; Shichahai and Houhai are farther east.
- On arrival: leave time to navigate Xizhimen. For Badaling, double-check whether your train leaves from Beijing North or Qinghe.
Beijing Chaoyang Railway Station (北京朝阳站)
Beijing Chaoyang mainly handles high-speed trains towards northeast China, including Chengde, Shenyang, Dalian, Changchun, Changbaishan and Harbin. Subway Line 3 now reaches the station; older guides saying that there is no direct subway are out of date.
The subway makes the transfer clearer, but there is still a substantial walk between the platforms and the transport-hub exits.
- Subway: Line 3, Chaoyang Railway Station.
- Convenient for: Chaoyang Park, Liangmaqiao, Sanlitun, Wangjing and eastern Beijing.
- Nearby sights: Chaoyang Park is closest; 798 Art District, Sanlitun and Liangma River require another subway or road connection.
- On arrival: taxis, ride-hailing cars and buses use assigned areas. Do not bounce between the north and south entrances looking for a car.
