China with kids: train tickets, sights, strollers, food and baby supplies

China is an easy country to travel with children. Stations and malls have baby rooms, high-speed trains are smooth and spacious, and people are generally warm towards kids. A few rules work differently from home, though, especially tickets. Here is what families need to know.

Before you go

• Every child needs their own passport, and their own visa or visa-free eligibility. Check on our visa page.
• Children are registered at hotels, and their passport is used to book train tickets and many sights, so keep all passports handy.
• Travel insurance should list every family member. See travel insurance for China.
• Avoid Chinese New Year and the October Golden Week if you can: trains sell out and sights are packed. See holidays in China.

Train tickets for children

Since 2023, China Railway uses age, not height, and age is counted on the day of travel:

• Under 6: free, if the child travels with a paying adult and does not take a seat of their own. Each adult can bring one free child. A second child under 6 needs a child ticket. If you want a seat for a small child, buy a child ticket.
• 6 to 13: child ticket. In second and first class on high-speed trains it costs half the full fare; in business class and on sleepers the discount is smaller.
• 14 and over: full adult fare.

Tickets are real-name, so you book a child ticket with the child’s passport. A free child is also registered with their passport when you book, and the passport is their ticket at the gate. A child ticket must be on the same train as an adult. For booking step by step, read how to book train tickets.

Metro and buses

City rules differ. In Beijing and Shanghai, children up to 1.3 m tall ride the metro free with a paying adult. In Beijing, the child goes through the gate first with the adult right behind; if you have more than one small child, ask station staff. Other cities set their own limits, so check the signs at the ticket machines. More in using the metro.

Sights and museums

Most sights give free or cheaper entry to children, but the rules vary. Many use age (often free for 6 and under, reduced price up to 18), some still use height (1.2 m or 1.4 m), and some accept either. Bring the child’s passport as proof.

• Forbidden City: children 6 and under are free, older children and students pay a reduced ticket, but every child still needs their own real-name booking with their passport. Children under 14 must be with an adult. See Forbidden City tickets.
• Mutianyu Great Wall: reduced tickets for minors aged 6 to 18.
• Some free museums still require a booking for every visitor, children included.

Kids’ favourites include the pandas in Chengdu, the Great Wall (the cable car at Mutianyu saves little legs) and big parks where local families spend weekends.

Strollers and carriers

A light, foldable stroller is useful in cities: pavements in new districts are wide and malls and stations have lifts. But the Great Wall, old towns, temples on hills and many metro exits have steps, sometimes lots of them. Bring a baby carrier as well. On escalators, fold the stroller or use the lift. On trains, a folded stroller goes on the luggage rack or by the door.

Baby supplies

Nappies, wipes, formula and baby food are easy to find in supermarkets, convenience stores and pharmacies in cities, including international brands. In smaller places the choice is narrower, so bring your child’s usual formula if they are fussy. Malls, airports and big stations have baby rooms (母婴室, mǔyīng shì) for feeding and changing. Delivery apps can bring supplies to your hotel, but most are in Chinese.

Food

Chinese food is often very child-friendly: noodles, dumplings, fried rice, steamed buns (包子), congee, sweet corn, fruit. Ask for dishes not spicy (不辣, bú là), especially in Sichuan, Chongqing and Hunan. Tap water is not safe to drink, but hot boiled water is available almost everywhere, on trains too, which is handy for bottles. For allergies, read food allergies in China.

Hotels

Standard rooms are made for two. Ask about family rooms, connecting rooms or an extra bed before you book, and check whether children stay free. All guests, including children, are registered with their passports at check-in. See hotels in China.

Getting around by car

Taxis and ride-hailing cars rarely have child seats. If your child needs one, bring a portable seat or ask your hotel to book a car with one. See using DiDi.

Attention from strangers

People may smile at, talk to or want to photograph your children, especially if they look foreign. It is almost always friendly. A smile and a shake of the head is enough if you would rather not.

Useful apps

Set up payment, maps and translation before you fly: see our apps page. Save your hotel’s address in Chinese, and put a card with your phone number in your child’s pocket in case you get separated. Our help cards can help.

Ticket rules at sights change often. Check the official page of each sight before you go.