Catching a train in China is a next-level experience! Imagine walking into a train station the size of a professional sports stadium. That is exactly how we felt when we walked into the Qingdao North Train Station!
Qingdao North is a high-speed rail station that serves the Qingdao-Jinan-Beijing line. After an amazing week exploring Qingdao, we jumped in our ride-share car from Didi and headed to Qingdao North Train Station.
We were off to catch a train to Beijing for the last few days of our trip to China. Qingdao in Shandong Province is located some 650 kilometres southeast of Beijing, and catching the train seemed like the perfect way for our family to travel.
Is Qingdao North Railway Station big?
If you’re planning to catch a train in China from Qingdao, let me take you through the experience of navigating this massive station and discovering all it has to offer.
When I say massive, I mean huge. The station is around 44,000 square meters, roughly the size of a sporting stadium such as Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
This station, like other train stations in China, follows a familiar design—a big square building with elevated platforms surrounding it, dotted with food vendors and shops catering to every traveller’s needs.
Arriving at the Qingdao North Train Station
From the outside, Qingdao North Train Station looks massive, and stepping inside only confirms its overwhelming size. Welcome to the largest train station in Shandong Province.
Upon arrival at Qingdao North Train Station, you first have clear security, as train stations in China are much like airports.
Passports are checked, and bags are scanned. Like on aeroplanes, certain items are not permitted to be taken through security. Our daughter Willow’s can of aerosol deodorant was confiscated due to security regulations.
While you wait
After you pass security, you take the escalator up to the main concourse. There, you get your first full view of the inside of this huge station. It’s busy, busy, busy with people making their way to boarding gates, announcements coming over the PA system and people relaxing with their headphones on!
Inside the North Qingdao Railway Station, there is no shortage of seating. We found ourselves an area to wait in that was less crowded and close to the toilets for our train to Beijing.
Qingdao North is more than just a train station, it’s a destination in itself where you can shop and eat while waiting for your bullet train to speed across China at 350 kilometers per hour.
It’s like a mini shopping mall, with shops selling everything from snacks and drinks to luggage and clothing. There’s even a business-class lounge for those holding first-class tickets.
For our teenagers, they were happy that a lot of the seating areas had USB charging ports for their phones. There were areas to fill your water bottle, plenty of vending machines, toilets and even Starbucks for an average coffee.
You could pick up some last souvenirs and even grab some Tsingtao beer to take with you.
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Bec and Willow hit up the lolly shop, grabbing some last-minute sweets for the 3-plus hour train ride to Beijing. We arrived a good few hours early,so we had plenty of time to wander while waiting for our train to appear on the departure board.
*There seemed to be only one pedestal toilet in the ones we used. To be honest it was clean but it was an extremely small space. Make sure you also take your own toilet paper or some tissues with you.
When you first arrive, there is one big departure board that tells you which platform you need to get your China high-speed train from. As a foreigner, the station was easy to navigate with signage in both Chinese and English.
Getting to the platform
Much like an airport, this station has departure gates, and you need to find the correct departure gate. There were 26 departure gates at Qingdao North Railway Station.
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Boarding at Qingdao North is much like at an airport—you line up and show your ticket. For international travelers, you show your passport, which gets scanned, and you head to your departure platform to wait for your Chinese Bullet Train.
The process is orderly, with little pushing, shoving and rushing involved. It’s the way train stations should work.
On the platform
One great thing about the trains in China is they are prompt, and I mean prompt. You need to get to the station well in advance and be on the platform waiting as the train waits for no one!
As the train pulls up, there are numbers on the ground, and you will need to find your carriage number. The train will pull up within centimetres of the number, and you will be able to board with ease.
Final thoughts on the Qingdao Station
Travelling from Qingdao North Train Station to Beijing offers a glimpse into China’s rail infrastructure. China has by far the world’s biggest high-speed rail network, and stations such as Qingdao North are needed to support it.
Qingdao North Train Station can also be accessed by the metro. The Qingdao North Railway Station is connected to Lines 1, 3, and 8 of the Qingdao Metro.
The size of the train stations in China will surprise most Westerners. We had previously been to Xi’an and Chengdu stations, so we knew what we were in for. This type of massive infrastructure is needed for a country of 1 billion people.
Whether you’re travelling with family like us at Wyld Family Travel or alone, the experience is convenient and exciting, with plenty to see and explore while you wait.
You may also find these articles from us interesting:
- A first-hand guide for visiting Qingdao
- Get a view from the highest skyscraper in Qingdao.
- Know before you go. Our top China travel tips
Author bio:
Father, husband, traveller, and chief destination manager here at Wyld Family Travel. When Mark is not discussing travel or planning travel, you will find him working in disability support. Mark is a family travel advocate, having travelled to over 45 countries with his kids from 10 months to their teenage years. You will find his work here and on other popular websites.
Mark Wyld
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