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Travel to Tibet by Train - Things You Should Know - Part One

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We traveled to China with China Connection Tours in 2007 and it is really a lifetime experience as we took the new train to Tibet for our Tibet tours.
So this evening I will recount our visit to Xining and the train to Lhasa.
The trip and arrival in Xining went exactly as planned and we were met by Nancy, an exceptional guide.
When she discussed what there would be to do for the afternoon we would have after lunch, she was pleased that we knew that there was an extensive street market in town that was certainly well worth our time and visit.
The timing of a large lunch and then the need to eat again early to be at the station on time made for an excessive amount of food and the restaurant manager just did not understand that we only want a bowl of soup and some more of their excellent watermelon slices.
Nancy took us to the station and to the "soft" VIP lounge.
That was a very thoughtful addition to the wait for the train to arrive on time.
My wife and I had very mixed emotions concerning the new Tibet train.
First the scenery and the event of riding this new China train far exceeded our expectations.
We would recommend it to any and all who enjoy seeing new terrain and riding trains to any where.
On the other hand the service and facilities on the train were a marked disappointment.
I guess we pegged our level of service and facilities on the train we took on our first trip from Guangzhou to Hong Kong.
Checked baggage handling.
Smiling helpful car attendants in white gloves and emasculate pink uniforms who ushered us to our seats and provided drinks and service along the trip.
With the train to Lhasa being new and even more up to date, we feel you can understand our expectations.
First, we were astounded that there was no baggage checking available.
Even though Nancy and our driver stayed with us to take our luggage down into the subway tunnel to the third set of tracks away from the station, it was a difficult chore.
If the guide and driver would have even have even had a group of 5 or 6 clients, this baggage hauling would have been extremely difficult.
Then to have the luggage in the compartment where our two regular cases took up half the floor space.
We did utilize the vacant upper bunks for our carry-on cases.
The space under the lower seat/bed, was so narrow only a very small case would have gone under the bed.
The next disappointment concerned the bedding.
It was obvious that the compartment had been occupied by at least four persons.
The lower beds that were to be ours were "spread up" to look fresh, but the bedding was soiled and without question used and not changed.
There were dirty shoe marks on the outer side of the bedding and food debris in the bedding.
We cleaned up as best we could and carried out the old food waste that was left in the compartment.
Source...
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