China South Steam Tour 2009

 20-12-2008 - I HAVE JUST BEEN NOTIFIED BY MIKE MA  THAT LIUPANSHUI AND SANCHA-LUOCHENG HAVE BOTH BEEN DIESELISED.BAIYIN MAY ALSO BE DIESELISED BY APRIL 2009. A MODIFIED ITINERARY WITH VISITS TO SOME ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS IS BEING PREPARED AND WILL BE POSTED SOON. PLEASE CHECK BACK HERE OR E-MAIL ME FOR AN UPDATE WHEN READY.-JIM.

28-12-2008.

BELOW IS THE REPLACEMENT  FOR THE CHINA SOUTH TOUR.WE NOW INCLUDE JALAI-NEUR IN THE NORTH (THE STEAMIEST PLACE ON EARTH!) WHICH ALSO FINISHES AUGUST 2009.IN THE SOUTH WE NOW INCLUDE WUHAI(SY & JS) AND BRING BAIYIN FORWARD TO MARCH AS THE DIESELS MOVE IN HERE APRIL.WE ARE KEEPING FINGERS CROSSED FOR PANZIHUA AS AN UNAUTHORISED GROUP UPSET THEM,BUT MIKE MA IS DOING HIS BEST TO PLACATE THEM AND GAIN ADMISSION.AN ALTERNATIVE WILL BE OFFERED IF IT SHOULD BE NOT POSSIBLE.STEAM IS NOW DISAPPEARING AT GREAT SPEED IN CHINA AND IT WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST CHANCE TO SEE STEAM IN ANY QUANTITY,SO GO NOW!

THE TOUR IS NOW ALL IN FROM BEIJING AND INCLUDES 5 INTERNAL FLIGHTS AND 3 TRAIN JOURNEYS-PLUS HOTELS/PENSION, FOOD AND ROAD TRANSFERS. DESPITE THE TRIP TO THE NORTH AS AN EXTRA,WITH THE NEW ITINERARY I HAVE MANAGED TO SHAVE £230 OFF THE PRICE OF THE ORIGINAL ITINERARY WHICH SHOULD BE A HELP IN THESE POUND SINKING DAYS. FOR A TRIP OF JUST OVER 3 WEEKS THIS REALLY IS EXCELLENT VALUE.

 

 CHINA “LAST CHANCE” TOUR 2009

                              (Last chance for Baiyin  and  Jalaineur)

REPLACES CHINA SOUTH ITINERARY DUE TO DIESELISATION OF SOME LINES.

 

                               March 19^th  to  April 10th

 

Day1 (March 19)Beijing arrival.Flight to Yinchuan.Overnight Yinchuan.

Day2 Drive to Wuhai.Gongwushu Local Mining Railway (JS&SY). Overnight Wuhai.

Day3 Another day at Gongwushu.Overnight train 2635(20:10)to Baiyin(05:49).

Day4-6 Baiyin Local Industry Railway(SY) (steam finishes April 2009)

Day7 Drive to Lanzhou then Flight MU2405 Lanzhou(15:45) to Chengdu(17:00).Overnight Chengdu.  

Day8-10 Drive to Shibanxi.Shibanxi NG C2 Railway.Overnight Mifengyan.

Day11 Drive to Jiangyou, on the way a cultural visit to the Stone Buddha in Leshan.(The largest reclining Buddha in Asia reputedly)Overnight Jiangyou.

Day12 Jiangyou Local Industry Railway (SY).

Day13 Another half day staying in Jiangyou.Train 5621 Jiangyou(12:56)to Panzihua.

Day14 Panzihua arrival(07:10).The Local Steam(SY) at Panzihua Steel Works.

Day15 Another day at Panzihua.   Train 5622 Panzihua(18:46)to Chengdu.

Day16 Chengdu South arrival(08:18). Flight 3U8843 Chengdu(11:10) to Jinan(13:00).Drive to Xintai. Overnight Xintai.

Day17 Xintai Local Railway (QJ)

Day18 Flight Jinan to Harbin.Overnight train N91 Harbin(19:58) to Manzhouli.

Day19-21 Jarlainuer (steam finishes August 2009) Presently the steamiest place on earth! Over 20 steam locos working usually.

Day22 Flight HU  7116  Manzhouli (16.00)  to Beijing (18.00) .Overnight Beijing.

Day23 Return flight home.

                                     SEE NEW PRICES, AND CONDITIONS AT END OF OLD ITINERARY.
 

 

 CHINA SOUTH TOUR 2009

    19^th March  to 11^th April

 

                                                                               ITINERARY

                                             THIS ITINERARY NOW PRCEDED BY ABOVE ITINERARY.

                                                                           SAME DATES

 

       

            

  

Day1(19^th March) Chengdu arrival.Overnight in Chengdu or Qianwei.

Please note that your outward flight needs to be on the 18^th March to arrive in China on 19^th.

 

Day2 Shibanxi NG (C2)Railway. Night at Bagou.

Day3 Shibanxi NG Railway.Night at Mifengyan.

Day4 Shibanxi NG Railway.Night at Qianwei.

Day5 A Cutural visit to Leshan Stone Buddah(Reputedly the largest reclining Buddha in Asia) on the way from Shibanxi to Jiangyou. Overnight in Jiangyou.

Day6 Jiangyou Local Steam (SY)Railway.

Day7 Another half day staying in Jiangyou.Train 5621 Jiangyou(12:56)to Panzihua.

Day8 Panzihua arrival(07:10).The Local Steam(SY) Mining Railway around Panzihua Steel Works.  Overnight in Panzihua.

Day9 Panzihua Steel Works.Train 5622 Panzihua(18:46)to Chengdu.

Day10 Chengdu arrival(08:18).Transfer Train N751 Chengdu (13:52)to Zunyi 

Day11 Zunyi arrival(04:30).Zunyi Local Steam(SY) Railway.Overnight in Zunyi.Only Mike Ma has been here before.- CURRENTLY NO ORDERS,SO NO STEAM!

Day12 Another day at Zunyi.Train K159 Zunyi(15:40)to Liupanshui(22:46).Night in Liupanshui.

Day13.Liupanshui Local Steam(SY) Railway.Night Liupanshui.

 

Day14.Another half day at Liupanshui.Train K156 Liupanshui(14:42)to Yizhou.

Day15 Yizhou arrival(05:59).Sancha-Luocheng Local Steam(JS) Railway.We hope to charter the 2^nd standby JS to have two in use when we visit.Overnight in Yizhou.

Day16 The Local Steam Railway at Guangling Fertiliser Plant(SY) and Nylon Factory(SY) Late afternoon drive to Liuzhou.Night Liuzhou.

Day17 Liuzhou to Guilin by road.Take a flight from Guilin to Jinan.Overnight in Laiwu.

Day18 Laiwaudong Steam (QJ)Railway.Night in Laiwu.-recent discovery- NOW DIESEL.

Day19 Xintai Steam (QJ)Railway. Night in Laiwu or Xintai.-recent discovery.

Day20 Xintai Steam (QJ)Railway.Internal flight Jinan-Lanzhou.Overnight Baiyin. Anyone not wishing to do Baiyin can fly back to Chengdu for onward flight home.

Day21 Baiyin Industrial Steam (SY).Night Baiyin. Passenger and freight trains amongst the karst hills.

Day22 Another day at Baiyin industrial.An internal flight Lanzhou-Chengdu. Night Chengdu.

Day23- TBA

Day24(11^th April)  Return flights home. 

 

 

KLM offer direct flights from Amsterdam(and regional Airports in UK) to Beijing The return fares are currently around £412  from Birmingham/London via Schipol including all taxes.

Flights also available via Hong Kong.

Prices shown are “all in”Beijing back to Beijing.Only your own alcohol and items of personal expenditure to buy.

 

	GBP	USD
Tour price per person (excluding international flights) for over 3weeks	£2500	$3610
Single supplement per person (can be avoided if willing to share)	£285	$460
Deposit required with booking	(£250)	($450)
Please note: exchange rates may fluctuate

 

We hope you find the following information helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries whatsoever about the tour. Prices: The price in China includes: - All transfers where possible - All hotels and sleeping car arrangements - Full board (includes one local beer and one soft drink per day - the rest up to you! - Airport tax - internal flights - Tips - Tour leader - English speaking - Chinese visa for UK residents

We do not include other beverages, snacks, your own personal expenses, laundry services, telephone charges, visas for other foreign nationals, etc. NOTE: Anyone joining/leaving the tour at other times is responsible, at their own cost, for their own transfers/flights to the joining/departing point. EE Railtours is not responsible for these and cannot be held responsible for any mishaps or delays, and neither can the tour be delayed if incidents occur.

Accommodation: The hotels we use are comfortable, medium class where possible, but in the more distant areas they can be more basic, along with the amenities. Please be aware that, for the most part, accommodation and transport in China will not be up to Western standards and does not operate to the same high safety standards. Hotels, any charter services and the trains are to the standard of China, which may not be up to your Western expectations. We expect you to be aware of these failings and to use your own judgement on safety when photographing around the railways. EE Railtours cannot accept any liability whatsoever in the case of any damage or accident. It is advisable that you carry a good insurance cover. As this is a rail tour, we do endeavour to use rail travel where possible. We try to book all sleeping accommodation in soft sleeper class (which has four berths) where possible, but, if this is fully booked for some reason, then overnight travel is hard sleeper class, which is six berths, open compartment.  It is also advisable to keep a few basic toiletries within easy access on the train (toilet rolls are useful at most places!).

Food: The food provided in China is usually cooked from beef, lamb, pork, chicken or egg, with various vegetables such as rice, chips, tomatoes, celery, cabbage, spinach, green beans, mushrooms, beansprouts, etc. Daytime food while we are chasing trains can be bread, biscuits, sausages, instant noodles and fruit, unless there is a restaurant nearby our location. Food may not always be served up in a form with which you are familiar. You may wish to carry your own eating utensils.

Alterations to Tour: We reserve the right to visit alternative lines to those on the itinerary if we hear that the motive power is not operating, or if a steam line has been dieselised. We will inform you of any major changes to the itinerary. We make every effort to ensure that steam, where advertised, is available, but EE Railtours cannot be held liable for any major breakdown causing those services to be cancelled,or of sudden withdrawal. We would, of course, do our utmost to provide an alternative, if within travelling distance, to avoid disruption to the rest of the itinerary.