When we were buying train tickets the book again became very useful, we would push it over the counter and point at the exact phrase we were wanting to use. Eventually we’d always get our tickets. On several occasions we asked the hostel staff to write down which train we wanted to get, the class, and time of departure. Only once did we have to go back to the hostel and change what we were trying to do.
There is an amazing rail network to discover when traveling to China, which is by far more environmentally-friendly than internal flights, and although you may find yourself sitting or lying down on a train for 17 hours, the views are of very rewarding, the company can be fun and interesting and we always found that the locals wanted to chat or offer food even though the language barrier was so evident. Hand gestures and eye contact can go a long way!It's cheaper to get a top bunk (3rd bed up) on a sleeper train, but make sure you watch your head!
