Chinese New Year 2027 trains: when tickets go on sale and how to get one
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Short answer
Spring Festival 2027 is 5-13 February 2027 (9 days). Tickets go on sale 15 days ahead, counting the travel day: tickets for Thursday 4 February should open on 21 January 2027 (our count; confirm on 12306).
Book on 12306 with your passport (verification takes a few working days, so register now) or through Trip.com. Be online at the moment sales open for the days just before the break.
Official 2027 travel-rush (chunyun) dates: Not confirmed yet. We add them the day they are published.
| Fact | Value | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Festival 2027mainland China public holiday | 5-13 February 2027 (9 days) | Xinhua | |
| Ticket sale window12306 buyers | 15 days | MTR CorporationSecondary source | |
| Tickets for Thu 4 Feb 2027 open (worked out)12306 buyers | 21 January 2027 | Beijing NewsSecondary source | |
| Spring Festival travel rush 2027rail, air and road travellers around Spring Festival 2027 | Not confirmed yet | Xinhua | |
| 12306 with a foreign passportforeign travellers | passport registration on English 12306 | MTR CorporationSecondary source | |
| 12306 passport verificationnew foreign accounts | 3-5 working days | Trip.comSecondary source | |
| 12306 waitlist for foreign passports12306 buyers with a foreign passport | Reported to work (not confirmed by 12306) | Trip.comUnverified | |
| Beijing-Shanghai 30-day pilotBeijing-Shanghai selected trains | 30 days to 17 days (reservation requests) | Travel of ChinaSecondary source |
When do Chinese New Year 2027 train tickets go on sale?
The normal 12306 window is 15 days, and the day of sale counts as the first day. So a train on a given date goes on sale 14 calendar days before it. For the busiest days:
- Tue 2 Feb 2027: on sale Tue 19 January.
- Thu 4 Feb 2027 (day before the break): on sale Thu 21 January.
- Sat 13 Feb 2027 (last day of the break): on sale Sat 30 January.
- Sun 14 Feb 2027 (first working day after): on sale Sun 31 January.
Is Beijing to Shanghai different?
Some Beijing-Shanghai trains are in a pilot that takes booking requests earlier: 30 days to 17 days (reservation requests). A request is not a ticket; seats are assigned when normal sales open. If you are on that route, put a request in as well as booking on the normal sale day.
How do I book as a foreigner?
Register on 12306 in English with your passport now, not in January. Passport checks take a few working days, and until yours is done you can buy only a few tickets and must show your passport at a station window before boarding.
Trip.com sells the same tickets in English with customer support, which helps if your 12306 verification is not done in time. Full steps are in train tickets as a foreigner.
What if my train is sold out?
Try the waitlist: Trip.com says 12306's waitlist works for foreign-passport accounts (Reported to work (not confirmed by 12306)). You prepay and get the money back if no seat comes up. Also check other trains the same day, or travel a day earlier or later; the day after a break starts and the middle days are usually easier.
Should I travel in China at Chinese New Year at all?
See China public holidays 2027 for what the break means for a visit, and book now or wait: the current visa-free policy ends before Spring Festival.
What changed recently
Questions people ask
How far in advance can I buy train tickets in China?
15 days, counting the day of travel, on 12306.
When can I buy tickets for 4 February 2027?
On 21 January 2027. Confirm the time on 12306 the day before.
Can foreigners use the 12306 waitlist?
Trip.com says yes; 12306 has not confirmed it on a page we could find.
Sources
- 国务院办公厅关于2027年部分节假日安排的通知, Xinhua, retrieved
- Buy Ticket on 12306 China Railway, MTR Corporation, retrieved
- 2026 Spring Festival ticket sale calendar, Beijing News, retrieved
- How to Book China Train Tickets on 12306, Trip.com, retrieved
- How to Book China Train Tickets on 12306? Transfer, Refunds & Waitlist, Trip.com, retrieved
- 12306 Beijing Shanghai Advance Reservation, Travel of China, retrieved