These 21 tips to know before visiting Vietnam are what I wish I knew before my trip to Vietnam. Hopefully these travel tips will help you from making some of the mistakes I made when traveling through Vietnam!
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DISCLAIMER: I only express my opinion based on my experience. Your experience may be different. Links above may include affiliate commission or referrals. I'm part of an affiliate network and I receive compensation from partnering websites. This video is accurate as of the posting date but may not be accurate in the future.
Since the introduction of the e-ticket service in China in 2020, there is no longer a need to collect traditional paper train tickets for travelling on China Railway High Speed Lines.
Instead, passengers can now use their ID certificate, such as their ID card, passport or mainland travel permit.
However, you would still want to pick up your paper ticket either from the automatic ticket machine or ticket office just to help you reminded of your carriage number and seat number.
If you book online, you could pick up the ticket from the machine when you arrive at the train station.
But you won't have the convenience if you hold a foreign passport.
As a visitor, the foreign passport holders have to go to the ticket office.
There, employees will manually check your passport and print out your ticket for you.
Security check process is pretty easy.
Normally, you won't have to empty your pockets, unlike going through airport security check.
But a security personnel will scan your body with a handheld metal detector.
At least that was my experience.
On the upper right corner of the ticket is the check-in gate number.
At Shanghai Hongqiao Station, for each gate number, there are two entries, denoted by A or B.
They are located opposite to each other at the waiting hall.
One with an elevator for wheelchair passengers or passengers with large suitcase.
Check-in starts about 20 minutes before scheduled departure time and it closes about 5 minutes before the train leaves.
I know that is not a lot of time.
But you don't need to wait in line outside of the gate if your train number listed on the information board at the bottom of the list.
Because passengers have earlier scheduled departure time will be allowed in before you.
Even though you wanted to arrive at the station early to go through security line and ticket line if needed.
But don't waste time standing in other passengers' check-in line.
When your check-in time comes, scan your ID, such as passport, not the physical ticket.
If the scanner does not work for a particular check-in line, go to the line where there is a check-in officer on duty, he or she will scan your passport for you.
In my case, the very first line on the right-hand side was for assisted manual check-in.
In the China high-speed train first class carriage, each row has two chairs on either side of the aisle, one less than the second class carriage.
There is overhead bin space for passenger carry-on items.
