The fastest way to Beijing from Tianjin

Although Air Asia offers dirt cheap flight to Beijing, they don't really landed in Beijing (Beijing Capital International Airport, IATA:PEK) but in Tianjin (Tianjin Binhai International Airport, IATA:TSN), a metropolis 140km away. However, landing in Tianjin and travelling between the 2 metropolis are still cheap than a roundtrip ticket to Beijing. Yay to frugal travelling! :D

While travelling with bus will take approximately 2.5 hours to reach Beijing, why not use a more convenient and fastest transportation, bullet train!

How to get to the station?
There are actually 2 options; Airport Shuttle Bus or Taxi

Airport Shuttle Bus

From departure hall of Tianjin Binhai International Airport, walk straight outside of the airport to purchase ticket at this Shuttle Bus Station counter.

Ticket to Tianjin Railway Station cost only CNY10. Although the counter is at international airport, none of them speaks english (don't panic, this is the time to use your Mandarin you've been practising). Or u can just point the destination at the glass window if u have difficulty purchasing your ticket :p Bus to railway station departs every 30 minutes and duration is 30 minutes.

Taxi

Metered taxi usually cost around CNY40-50 from airport to Tianjin Railway Station. It will take about 20-30 minutes depending on the traffic.


During my last visit, the bus stopped a bit far from the railway station due to some road closure and I had to lug my [heavy] luggage and tail other passengers to the station.

Tianjin Railway Station (back side)

Like at the airport, all your bags need to undergo x-ray machine for security check here. No exception. This procedure was effected since pre-Olympic 2008 and it gets extended to each subway station too.

The railway station is sooooooo big than I imagined it should! I was amazed at the massiveness and its modern interior. Nothing like any railway station i've been to (I haven't been to many stations to be honest). Well, I think it should be built like so to cater the billions population of China! For this station also connects to other cities in China as well.

If u need to purchase a local sim card, buy it here (near the entrance) at one of China's telco company. I couldn't find anywhere cheaper than here!


Purchasing ticket for bullet train need not to be in advance as there are 70 trips daily between Tianjin-Beijing. I opted to use the ticketing machine as it has english translation.

Sayra helping me buying ticket

Ticket is priced according to its class:
Top Class - CNY99
1st Class - CNY69
2nd Class - CNY58

For just 30minutes ride, the 2nd class seat is decent and comfortable enough. Seat is numbered and you'll get complimentary bottled water.

Just so you know, this is the look of the ticket and the important info u should be checking.

15 minutes before the train leaves, find yourselves queueing with the rest of these people. Did I tell u China has the largest population?

I was queueing impatiently to board the top 10 fastest train in world with them all and when I saw IT, I was super excited like a kid gets a free candy (it was more like 'jakun' actually :p)

 Oh yeah baby, that's the train :D

Let's see how the inside of this train in 2nd class coach.

The seat numbering

The seat

There's overhead bag compartment

Passage to another coach

Toilet

The complimentary bottled water

Ok, I guess enough about the interior of the train and its services. This CRH train is about speed y'all. It can goes to maximum of 350 km/h!

In 6 minutes;

And this was the fastest speed I captured during this trip; 

In exactly 30 minutes at 6.00pm, the train reached Beijing South Railway Station. And this is me, officially in BEIJING! Yippie :D

That's how u can travel from Tianjin Binhai International Airport to Beijing South Railway Station in total of 1 hour.

Beijing South Railway Station is another big railway station and interconnected with Beijing Subway Line 4. You can connect to any subway station from here. For me, here was the starting point of my Beijing's travel adventure :D I straight away making a ticket purchase to Datunlu East Station, where Steph's house is.

To end the day, I had my dinner (first meal in Beijing) at muslim restaurant next to Datunlu East Station.

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Out from airport to a place call home

After 6 hours flying with Korean Air, we landed at Incheon International Airport (IATA: ICN), the largest and primary airport in South Korea. Yay, breathing in Korean air :)



Arrival Hall


Had no problem during immigration and custom inspection, we headed straight to collect our pre-booked mobile phone to be used during our stay and took airport limousine to our guest house.

There are 2 types of airport limousine, Deluxe and Standard. Deluxe buses are limousines that go straight to major hotels in Seoul while Standard buses stop at several bus stops following its route. Ticket can be purchased at Exit 4 & 9 of Arrival Hall 1st Floor. Don't worry, English signboards are always available if u can't read Korean like me. Before buying, know where u are heading exactly as there are too many routes to choose from. Their names alone can make u confuse. However if u are not sure about which bus to take, there is an Airport Information Desk between Gate 3 and 4 or Gate 11 and 12 to get the information. Take the chance to talk to their friendly and seriously beautiful staffs.

Since we have decided to stay at Beewon Guesthouse which is near to Changdeokgung Palace (I'll write more after this), we bought Limousine Standard ticket priced W 9,000 route to Seongbook/Wolgye (bus no 6011) and waited at Station 5B, 12A. More routes are available here.




Airport Limousine Ticket




Frugal traveller chooses Standard Limousine


The bus dropped us near Anguk Station Exit 5 after 80 minutes departing airport. The distance was about 70 km. According to direction given to Beewon, we had to walk about 4 minutes before we reached Beewon's front door. Pretty near and it was a main reason why we chose them. Ok, remember my huge-and-almost-excess-weight-luggage in red?




Oh yes, that one


From Anguk Exit 5, we had to cross a road to Exit 4. The direction DIDN'T mention we need to use underground passage to cross the road. We were damsels in distress then. Imagine how difficult to carefully dragging/rolling the big and heavy luggage down and climb the staircases all by yourselves so u and the luggage won't fall down. Yes, I did regret for not packing into my 50 litres haversack at this point. Luckily the earlier rain had stopped and made our life a little easier.

Like all Korean dramas we watched (or I watched), the road leading to Beewon's front door is a narrow pathway that can comfortably fit only 2 person walking side by side. Secluded it made seen but welcoming enough.




Narrow yet clean pathway

 

The booking made by Sis Ernie only via email and no deposit or any payment made before our departure. They just wrote our booking on whiteboard at the counter and if we didn't show up on said date, they'll release the reservation to other traveller. Very simple.




Welcome to Beewon :)



The triple room we booked had one queen bed and additional mattress that can be laid on its wide heated floor for third person. Bathroom was attached unlike other dormitory bunk room downstairs. All basic facilities were in satisfactory condition, clean towel, TV set, hair dryer, fridge and toiletries. We paid W 54,000 per night and for me it's not cheap for the fact that it just a guest house, not a hotel room. But can't complaint much, that's just an average price one has to pay for staying in a typical guest house's room.

Downstairs where the reception counter was, were common rooms shared with other travellers.

An entertainment room as I called it placed a TV set and 2 units of PC with very good internet connection. A place u shall visit to rest and meet the other travellers after a day of walking Seoul. 

There was also a kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, toaster and hot water dispenser in it together with breakfast (toast, coffee, tea, yakult etc) served until 10am. Drinks are available at all the time, for free. Another room placed a washing machine and also locker. 

Overall, they offered more than simple lodging as a venue for u to feel and experience Korean culture, languange and hospitality. First impression with Korea, very very positive :)

 
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