Travelling by train when visiting China is a fast and cheap way to travel, but many travellers often find Chinese train stations confusing and hard to figure out, especially after a long day of playing tourist. This is exactly what con artists and thieves are hoping for as the prey on the unwary foreign tourists. When travelling in China every traveler. whether buying train tickets or being a train passenger, must take some travel precautions and keep an eye out for certain tourist scams and pickpockets.
Avoiding Pickpockets
Pickpockets are a fact of life no matter what country a traveler is visiting, so no matter where a foreign tourist is travelling they must be careful. Chinese train stations and passenger trains are usually very crowded especially in the cities, hundreds and potentially thousands of people buying tickets, saying hello or good bye to loved ones, selling things and begging for money in a confusing mass of humanity.
When travelling by train, foreign tourists should always keep money and important documents on their body at all times. When buying train tickets and wandering through a train station women travellers should keep their purses in front of them where they can ensure thieves can't open or cut their purse. Male travellers are advised to keep their wallet in their front pocket where it is harder for pickpockets to pull them out. When on the train even if the train passengers are in a sleeping car, they must take certain travel precautions. Men should keep their wallet and passport in their pocket as they sleep. Even though its uncomfortable it is safer than placing it in bags or under the pillow. Women travellers should sleep with their hand or their head on their purse.
Even with these travel precautions skilled pickpockets and thieves can still steal wallets and cash, but it makes it a little less likely.
Dont Let Workers Help Carry Luggage
As a passenger train comes to a stop so called workers will often enter the train and offer to help carry luggage for the train passengers claiming to be railroad workers, this is a common tourist scam. These con artists are not employed by the train station. These scammers pay workers to let them enter the train station, where they look for foreign tourists with lots of bags that seem to need help, Western travellers are a prime target for them.
They will help the overburdened tourist visiting China by carrying their bags and help the traveller leave the train station easily and efficiently. Unfortunately once they and the foreign tourist reaches the outside they demand to be paid, not a fair amount of maybe 10 or 20rmb but usually 200 or even 500rmb. If the traveller refuses to pay or cannot pay other thieves will join in and demand money. Usually three to five con artists work at the same time so they can easily intimidate most foreign tourists, especially women travellers.
At this point its hard to get away without paying something so most travellers pay up and try to get away. If a policeman is close by they may help, or they may be paid off by the thieves, so its really hit or miss if theyll help.
Buying Train Tickets and Avoiding Fake Tickets
Travelling by train means the foriegn tourist must by the tickets. Buying train tickets, especially on holidays can be frustrating for travellers involving long lines, crowded waiting rooms and limited or no English signs or speakers. Many foreign tourists may be tempted to turn to one of the Chinese wandering through the crowd offering to sell tickets or to buy tickets for train passengers. This can save time, but could easily turn out badly for the traveller due to all to to common tourist scams.
Some of the Chinese selling train tickets are con artists with fake tickets. They sell the fake ticket often for slightly more than the real ticket will cost and leave before the traveller can confirm if the ticket is real or not. Sometimes the ticket is real, and if the traveller is an experienced train passenger they can usually tell if it is a fake ticket. But for foreign tourists visiting China for the first time, it is best to avoid this potential tourist scam and buy train tickets at the window.
If a Chinese offers to buy the ticket for a traveler it is almost certainly a tourist scam. The con artist will likely disappear with any money they are given. If they do return the price of the train ticket was likely inflated and the scammer has pocketed the change. Or there is a good chance the ticket is a fake and the foreign tourist will be turned away at the gate. If a person offers to buy a traveller a train ticket the traveller should just say no.
Other con artists and tourist scams that should be avoided are The Art Gallery Students and the Beijing Teahouse Scam.
First time visitors to China should visit the Karaoke Bars for a fun night of singing and drinking, and learn some tips and tricks to make your vacation more enjoyable.
resort525 Community Member 
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