Short answer
China's child fares are decided by age, not height, and the cut-off is calculated on your travel date. Each adult ticket holder can take one child under 6 for free as long as that child does not occupy a separate seat. From 6 up to 14 the child needs a child discount ticket, which comes with its own seat and costs a fraction of the adult fare. From 14, it is a full adult ticket.
Two things trip up foreign families. First, the free child must be declared at booking — it is not automatic — and the child's own identity document is what they travel on. Second, a child discount ticket must be bought with the child's own valid ID document, which for a foreign child means their passport. If your child has no passport registered on 12306, fix that days before you travel rather than at the gate.
The practical side is easier than most parents expect. Foldable strollers are carried free and do not count against your luggage allowance, stations give priority lanes to families with children, and many carriages have a foldable baby care table in the accessible bathroom. What the train does not have is space to run around or a shop for nappies.
The age rules
The current rules replaced the old height-based system and apply to children travelling with an adult on Chinese railways.
| Child's age on the travel date | Ticket required | Seat | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 6, one child per adult ticket holder | No ticket, but must be declared | None — the child shares your seat | Free |
| Under 6, second and further children | Child discount ticket | Own seat | Child fare |
| 6 up to 14 | Child discount ticket | Own seat | Child fare |
| 14 and over | Full-price adult ticket | Own seat | Full fare |
- Age is counted on the day of travel, not the day you book. A child who turns 6 the week after your trip still travels free.
- One free child per adult is the hard limit. Two adults with three under-six children means two travel free and the third needs a child discount ticket.
- A free child with no seat shares yours. On a three-hour journey that is fine; on a long one, most parents buy the child discount ticket anyway just for the seat.
What the child discount ticket actually costs
| Seat class on a high-speed (G / D / C) train | Child fare, as a share of the adult fare |
|---|---|
| Second class, first class, multi-function seat | 50% |
| Premium first class and business class | 80% |
| Sleeper berths on high-speed trains | 70% |
On conventional trains the child fare is half of the published fare for the seat or berth, and a child occupying a berth alone pays the full berth price. If the adult fare is heavily discounted there is a floor below which the child fare does not go — in practice, roughly 40% of the published fare. The app shows the final number before you pay.
Declaring a free child
A free child is not simply carried through the gate. Chinese railways require you to declare the child when you buy your own ticket, and the identity document used for that declaration becomes the child's travel credential.
- Add each child as a passenger on 12306 firstEnter the child's own name and passport details. Do this days ahead — passenger verification is what blocks bookings.
- Buy your own ticket, then add the free child to itThe declaration attaches to an adult ticket. In the app it appears as an option on your paid order.
- If you cannot find the option, use a station ticket windowDeclaration can also be done at a staffed window, and this must happen before you travel.
- Carry the child's own documentThe document used in the declaration is the child's proof of travel, bring the original passport, not a photocopy.
- Remember what happens when plans changeRefunding the adult ticket cancels the linked free child with it; changing the adult ticket changes the child along with it.
Which document a child travels on
Chinese railway rules accept a specific list of valid identity documents, and a foreign passport is on it, along with a foreign permanent resident ID card and a foreigner's exit-entry permit. For a foreign child that means the passport, and only the passport.
- The child's name and document number must match exactly what is printed in the passport. This is the most common reason a booking fails at the gate.
- A child discount ticket cannot be bought on the adult's document. The child's own document must be used.
- Children on a child discount ticket may need the staffed lane if the gate cannot verify their age or document. If the document is lost, go to the station's police ID desk for a temporary travel document.
Seats, and whether to buy the child a ticket
A child discount ticket must be for the same date, train and seat class as the accompanying adult's ticket, and the child's destination cannot be further than the adult's. Book all passengers in one order so the system can seat you together; seat choice is a preference, not a guarantee.
Strollers, luggage and the station
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Foldable stroller | Carried free; exempt from the luggage allowance and the size limits. Fold it before boarding. |
| Foldable wheelchair | Also exempt and carried free. |
| Adult luggage allowance | 20 kg per adult, each item no more than 130 cm combined (length + width + height) on high-speed trains. |
| Child luggage allowance | 10 kg, and this includes a child travelling free. |
| Where the stroller goes | Folded into the rack at the end of the carriage or the space behind the last row of seats; it must not block the aisle or a door. |
- Priority lanes. Chinese stations reserve staffed lanes for children, elderly passengers, pregnant women and passengers with wheelchairs or strollers. You need a staffed lane anyway if a passport will not read.
- Mother-and-baby waiting rooms and nursing rooms exist at many larger stations, sometimes with changing tables. Ask at the station service desk.
- Help can be booked in advance. Passengers who need assistance can request it through 12306 or at the station service desk, online no later than six hours before departure, at the station no later than an hour before.
- Allow more time than you think. Security, the passport check, the walk to the platform and folding a stroller all add minutes. Treat 45 minutes as a minimum at a big station.
On board with children
- Baby care table. Most high-speed carriages have an accessible bathroom with a foldable baby changing table, a genuinely useful feature many parents never find. Ask the crew which carriage.
- Boiling water is free at the end of every carriage, with paper cups. It is boiling, not hot, keep children away from the dispenser.
- Toilets are at the carriage ends, usually both Western and squat, and stay open while the train is stopped.
- Bring nappies, wipes, snacks and entertainment. There is no shop on board beyond the trolley's snacks and drinks, and no play area.
- The train leaves on time. Getting a family and a stroller off at an intermediate stop takes longer than you expect, so start packing up before your station.
Platform safety, briefly
- Stand behind the safety line until the train has stopped, and hold small children by the hand or the wrist. The gap between the platform and the carriage door is real.
- Let passengers off before you board, and fold the stroller before you step across the gap.
- Keep children still on the steep, busy station escalators.
Frequently asked questions
Is the child fare based on height or age?
Age. China replaced the height-based system, and the child's age is counted on the travel date: free under 6 for one child per adult, a child discount ticket from 6 to 14, and a full-price ticket from 14.
How many children can travel free with one adult?
One. Each adult ticket holder may take one child under 6 free of charge, provided the child does not occupy a separate seat. Any further child under 6, or any child who needs their own seat, requires a child discount ticket.
Does a free child need a seat?
No, and that is the trade-off, the free child has no seat and shares the accompanying adult's. If you want them in their own seat, buy a child discount ticket instead.
Do I have to declare a free child?
Yes. Railway rules require you to declare the child when buying your ticket, and the child's identity document used in that declaration is their travel credential. If you did not declare the child at booking, it must be done at a station ticket window before travel.
Can a foreign child use their passport for the train?
Yes. A foreign passport is an accepted identity document, and the child must carry the original. The name and number must match the passport exactly.
Can my child travel alone on the train?
No. Children under 14 are required to travel accompanied by an adult, with narrow exceptions for students commuting to school and children the railway agrees to supervise. There is no unaccompanied-minor service you can book.
Can I take a stroller on a high-speed train?
Yes. Foldable strollers are carried free and are exempt from the luggage allowance and size limits. Fold it before boarding and store it in the rack at the end of the carriage so it does not block the aisle.
Is there anywhere to change a baby on board?
Most high-speed carriages have an accessible bathroom with a foldable baby care table. Ask the train crew which carriage has one; larger stations often have mother-and-baby rooms in the waiting hall.
How early should a family arrive at the station?
At least 45 minutes at a major station, more during holidays. Security, the passport check, the walk to the platform and folding a stroller all take time.
Related reading
Child ticket ages, the free-child declaration, accepted identity documents, discount percentages, the unaccompanied-minor rule and luggage allowances follow China Railway's published passenger regulations and 12306's official notices; the priority-lane and assistance provisions follow China Railway Group's published special-passenger service rules, checked September 2026. Fares, the minimum child fare floor and assistance arrangements can change, confirm the numbers for your journey in the 12306 app.