Before leaving for the station, check three things separately: whether each item is allowed, whether your packed bags meet the size and weight limits, and whether you can manage them through every transfer and onward connection. A small suitcase does not make everything inside it acceptable.
This guide covers personal packing for ordinary domestic high-speed train journeys in mainland China. It is not the full restricted-items list, and airline or cross-border rules should not be substituted for railway rules. Official sources were checked on 24 September 2026; check 12306 and station notices again before departure. For tickets, stations and connections, use the high-speed rail trip guide.
1. Measure the packed bag, not its advertised size
The 12306 carry-on guidance gives ordinary adult passengers a 20 kg free allowance in total, with no individual item exceeding 20 kg. On high-speed trains, each item’s external length, width and height must add up to no more than 130 cm. Children and some other passenger categories have different allowances.
Pack the bag, measure it and weigh it. If you open an expandable section, measure again. Include your backpack and shopping bags when checking the total weight. Meeting the overall weight allowance does not resolve an oversized individual bag.
For example, external measurements of 60, 40 and 25 cm add up to 125 cm. That calculation checks size only, not the contents, weight or any special conditions for your service. If repacking does not resolve the problem, arrange an acceptable alternative before departure; do not assume that paying at the station guarantees permission to board.
2. Read power-bank labels and identify toiletry containers
The official restricted-items catalogue distinguishes these common packing cases:
- Power banks and ordinary lithium batteries: clear markings; no more than 100 Wh per unit. Lithium-powered wheelchairs have a separate exception.
- Daily-use products containing flammable ingredients in non-self-pressurised containers: containers up to 100 ml; one of each type.
- The self-pressurised aerosol products listed in the catalogue: containers up to 150 ml; one of each type; 600 ml in total.
Check the power bank’s rated-energy marking rather than its physical size or whether you carried it before. If the label is unclear or you cannot identify the product category, ask 12306 before travelling. A label you add yourself is not a substitute for the original marking.
Do not treat every liquid as subject to one universal “100 ml” rule. Identify the ingredients and whether the container is pressurised first. Container capacity is not the amount left inside: a nearly empty large spray can does not become a small container.
Consider leaving uncertain toiletries at home and buying an alternative after arrival. Do not hide labels or repackage items to evade checks. Camping fuel, gas canisters, tools and blades require their own catalogue checks; a compliant suitcase size does not settle whether these items are permitted.
3. Pack for the journey you will actually make
These are packing suggestions, not additional railway allowances:
- Keep your ticket-linked identity document, phone, essential medication and valuables where you can protect and retrieve them yourself.
- Group the few items you will use during the journey so you do not need to unpack the whole case in a confined space. Put them away after use without blocking shared space.
- Keep clothes and backup supplies in the main bag, but do not pack a load you can only move if a stranger helps you. On a multi-day trip, use the laundry while traveling guide to screen care labels, confirm service, drying and collection times, and retain a dry outfit for the next wear.
Check the route from home to your accommodation: stairs, busy connecting buses, luggage collection and a hotel without a lift may matter more than the train ride. Count loose bags as well as suitcases. If one adult will be assisting a child or another traveller, reduce the number of separate items instead of filling every allowance to its limit.
Check the official conditions for folding pushchairs and mobility aids separately; travelling with a child or older relative is not a blanket exemption for large equipment.
Recount what you actually have before packing for the return trip
After shopping, collecting laundry or rearranging a bag, do not keep using the departure-day weights, measurements and bag count. Use the steps below to check your return load; they do not create an extra railway allowance or decide whether an item is permitted. Use it for ordinary bags you can inspect in a safe place where packing is allowed. Check item restrictions, current rules for your train and your ability to handle the load separately.
List every external bag you intend to carry, using private identifiers such as M01 and B01. For each one, record who holds it, whether you actually have it, what has been added or removed, its packed gross weight and its external dimensions. Weigh the bag and everything inside it, not just the new purchases. Mark an unmeasured value as “to measure”, rather than zero or a copied old value. If needed, follow the offline travel information guide to keep a private, offline-readable copy. Do not publish identity documents, booking codes or personal details on labels.
List laundry or stored belongings that you intend to collect but do not yet have as “awaiting collection”. They are not part of the current bag count, but they must not disappear from the final return checklist. Add them and check the packed load again once collected. Until a carrier has actually accepted and taken possession of an item you plan to ship, you still need an arrangement for it; placing an order or buying packaging does not mean it has left your hands. Keep valuables, documents and items needed during the journey secure and accessible rather than burying them in the main case to eliminate a loose bag.
Weigh and measure again after combining bags
The following is a separate, entirely fictional example for one traveller. It is not a measurement, an allowance recommendation or permission to board. Shopping bag S01 weighs 2.6 kg in total: 2.4 kg of contents and 0.2 kg for the bag itself. Main case M01 initially weighs 12.4 kg and backpack B01 weighs 3.1 kg. All of S01’s contents and its folded empty bag are then packed inside M01. Nothing has been discarded, shipped or handed to anyone else.
| External bags carried by this traveller | Before combining | After combining |
|---|---|---|
| Main case M01 gross weight | 12.4 kg | 15.0 kg |
| Backpack B01 gross weight | 3.1 kg | 3.1 kg |
| Shopping bag S01 | 2.6 kg, carried separately | Contents and empty bag are inside M01; do not add their weight again |
| External bag count and total weight | 3 bags, 18.1 kg | 2 bags, 18.1 kg |
The calculation is 12.4 + 2.4 + 0.2 = 15.0 kg for M01, plus 3.1 kg for B01: still 18.1 kg. Having one fewer loose bag does not remove 2.6 kg from the load. Nor should the shopping bag be counted both inside the case and separately. In this example, suppose M01’s external dimensions change from 60, 40 and 25 cm to 60, 40 and 29 cm after repacking. The sum changes from 125 to 129 cm. These assumed values show why the record needs updating; they do not establish compliance for the contents, bags, passenger category or particular train.
For your own load, measure and weigh each bag in the configuration you will actually use, including its expandable section and external attachments, then record the final bag count. If you plan to travel with the expandable section open, measure it open rather than temporarily closing it to obtain a smaller figure. The combined case may also be harder to handle. In a safe, permitted, level area where you will not block others, check that you can roll it steadily and retrieve items needed on the journey. Do not climb stairs or lift the case overhead just to test it. If you cannot manage it, reduce the load or revise confirmed transport arrangements; do not assume a stranger will carry it.
Use a final private check card: “Holder___; bags actually in hand___; items awaiting collection___; each bag’s gross weight and external dimensions___; items needed en route___; unresolved points and next action___.” Allow time to resolve missing measurements, packing problems or a load you cannot handle. If considering storage, use the luggage-storage guide to confirm acceptance of this bag, its actual handover and return collection. A storage plan is not a completed handover. Repacking changes storage and records, not item restrictions. Do not assume another person’s unused allowance can be transferred; check the applicable rules instead.
4. Confirm storage or transport before departure
Hotel storage, station storage and railway checked-luggage services are different arrangements. Confirm opening hours, collection location, accepted items and identification requirements. A map listing is not confirmation that a service will accept your bag.
If you leave the station to explore, include luggage collection in your return journey. A hotel in the opposite direction or a storage desk that closes early can change what fits into a short visit. For separate transport, confirm the carrier’s item restrictions, route, timing and packaging requirements. An item barred from carry-on travel is not automatically eligible for checked transport.
For ordinary non-food souvenirs sent separately, use the souvenir-shipping checklist to record the real item, material and quantity, check the exact route, and confirm packing, all charges, recipient conditions and acceptance only after inspection. Keep a return-trip alternative for anything not accepted.
5. Your final packing check
- Check rules for the train and route, not a different form of transport.
- Weigh the full load and each individual bag.
- Measure the packed external dimensions.
- Read the power bank’s original rated-energy marking.
- Check toiletries by ingredients, container type, capacity and quantity.
- Check specialist camping, photography and tool items separately.
- Keep documents, essential medication and valuables accessible and secure.
- Count loose items and make sure you can manage the load without blocking passageways.
- Confirm storage or transport arrangements and collection times.
- Resolve uncertain items before travelling rather than gambling on the security check.
If the luggage makes a connection unrealistic, reconsider the transport plan using the high-speed rail guide. Do not solve a packing problem by cutting the time needed to reach and enter the station.