High speed rail has shrunk the world and stretched our legs.

I have always wanted to experience the charm of train travel, so I embarked on a 9-day journey to Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, and Changsha. Thanks to the versatile Ctrip, we have provided travel guides, booked hotel and attraction tickets, and also booked museum tours, which have made travel more free, cost-effective, and diverse.

One itinerary arrangement:

Day1 Shanghai Hongqiao Changsha South Station (high-speed rail 0825/1410) Accommodation: Changsha Orange Hotel Railway Station Branch

Day2 Changsha Zhangjiajie (train 0716/1204)/Afternoon trip to Huangshi Village: Bajie Hostel

Day3 Zhangjiajie Forest Park Accommodation: On Yangjiajie Mountain in Zhangjiajie

Day4 Zhangjiajie Forest Park Accommodation: Bajie Hostel

Day5 Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge Accommodation: Bajie Hostel

Day6 Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain/Afternoon bus ride to Phoenix Inn: Phoenix Puhe Yi Inn

On the morning of Day 7, take a bus from Phoenix to Changsha at noon. Stay at Changsha Orange Hotel Railway Station

Day8 Changsha Stay: Changsha Orange Hotel Railway Station Branch

Day9 Changsha South to Shanghai Hongqiao (high-speed rail 1140/1703)

Two accommodation hotels:

The 9-day itinerary involves changing accommodation almost every day, so choosing to stay near the train or bus station is convenient for visiting attractions or taking trains and buses.

On the night of the 9th and 8th, we stayed at 4 hotels and were very satisfied. Both the hotel staff and the hostel owner were very friendly and provided us with a lot of help, making the trip full of warmth and leaving us with wonderful memories.

1. Changsha: Orange Hotel Railway Station Branch, located within walking distance to the railway station, with new facilities. I was satisfied after checking into the hotel in Changsha on the first day, and then chose to stay again after returning to Changsha from Phoenix.

2. Zhangjiajie: Bajie Youth Hostel, highly recommended by backpackers, has branches in Zhangjiajie Forest Park and Zhangjiajie City. The hostel provides hand drawn maps of Zhangjiajie scenic areas. The female owner of Bajie Hostel (Forest Park Ticket Station Store) is very, very nice. When I started making guides, I had difficulty with the mountain climbing route. Fortunately, the female owner planned the travel route, which allowed us to see the most beautiful sea of clouds in Zhangjiajie. It's like a fairyland on earth, so beautiful. The female boss even drove to pick up and drop off at the entrance of the forest park, which was really thoughtful. The food at the inn is also very delicious, we drank all the chicken soup and fish soup. I originally only booked one night, but was attracted by the leisurely countryside scenery and warm service of the hostel. I renewed for another night and also stayed at her inn in Zhangjiajie city. It is located next to the bus station and only a 10 minute walk from Tianmen Mountain, which is very convenient.

3. Zhangjiajie Mountain: Laowuchang Shanshui Countryside Inn, located in Laowuchang, offers views of the undeveloped Laowuchang scenery. The boss also took us to visit two small scenic spots, which were very beautiful.

4. Fenghuang: Fenghuang Puhe Yisu, opened in 2019 with new facilities, is located on the upper reaches of the Tuojiang River outside Fenghuang Ancient City, just a few minutes' walk from the ancient city. I didn't choose an inn by the Tuojiang River because it was too noisy and too trendy. This inn is very quiet and the bedding is comfortable. Even for someone who doesn't sleep well, I can fall asleep peacefully. The boss is very kind, picking up and dropping off at the bus station, providing travel advice, which makes people feel very familiar. The inn also has an elevator, making it much easier for luggage to go up and down stairs.

Three trips:

Day 1 16/05/2019 Changsha Fire Palace

The first time I took the high-speed rail, I personally experienced its speed and comfort. After arriving in Changsha in the afternoon, I checked into the hotel and packed my luggage, immediately starting my journey to Changsha. After leaving the hotel, there was a traditional noodle shop nearby with a sign that said it was a hundred years old. Without hesitation, we went in to taste it and the two of us ordered a bowl of beef noodle soup, which tasted good. The noodle shop is clean and operates 24 hours a day, with a wide variety of snacks and moderate prices. We have come to eat several times since then. After finishing the rice noodle soup, we took the subway to Wuyi Square and ate non-stop along the way. The tea flavored milk tea and Huogong Palace snacks did not surprise me much with Changsha cuisine.

Day 2 17/05/2019 Zhangjiajie Huangshizhai

The train departs for Zhangjiajie at 7:16 in the morning, and it takes up to 15 minutes to walk from the hotel to the train station, so the time is easy to control. The ticket price for K9026 train is slightly higher, but there are fewer people. We both sit in a row of seats, which is very comfortable and spacious. We wake up early in the morning and take the time to catch up on our sleep on the train. As soon as I left the train station, I saw Zhangjiajie Bus Station and McDonald's. I bought two hamburgers and got on a tourist minibus to the Zhangjiajie Forest Park ticket station. The Bajie Hostel is nearby.

After checking into the hostel, we communicated with the female owner and she arranged a sightseeing itinerary for Zhangjiajie based on our itinerary. We immediately set off into the mountains without stopping. The female boss drove us to the entrance of Zhangjiajie Forest Park Station and informed us that she would come to pick us up at night and take us back to the hostel. It's really great, you know how tired it is to climb the mountain. On that day, the weather was clear and sunny, and the beautiful scenery of Huangshizhai was fully visible. On the way to climb the mountain, we met a team tour. They only visited the scenic spot of the ten thousand mile city wall of Huangshi Stronghold for a few minutes and then went to other hills. We played on the Huangshi Stronghold for an afternoon and saw all the beautiful scenery marked by the landlady. Thanks to the guidance of the female boss, we played the essence of Zhangjiajie.

Day 3 18/05/2019 Zhangjiajie Tianzishan Yangjiajie

I went to the mountain for the second time today and stayed there at night. We brought some simple toiletries and left our big luggage at Bajie Hostel. It was raining today, and when we arrived at Tianzi Mountain, the rain was getting heavier and heavier. We didn't want to continue climbing anymore, so we thought it was a pity not to play. So we turned around and braved the rain again. Fortunately, we turned around and saw the most beautiful scenery in Zhangjiajie, with rain and fog swirling in the mountains, like a fairyland. Then we played in the Yangjiajie and Laowu scene areas. In the Yang family, we met a couple of photography enthusiasts who had been squatting for three days in order to capture the beautiful scenery, but the misty scenery never appeared. After watching the fairyland video we filmed, they were envious! Our trip to Zhangjiajie was a success. We have witnessed the sunny and misty Zhangjiajie.

After contacting the innkeeper on the mountain, he drove to pick us up. The boss is very young, and on the way back to the inn, he even took us to visit two scenic spots with breathtaking views. We really made a profit. At the inn, I met three Shanghai aunties who had already played in Changsha and Phoenix. After playing in Zhangjiajie, they also had to go to Enshi, Chongqing and other places for a month before returning to Shanghai. I envy them so much. The conditions of the mountain inn are simple, but the feeling of living in the mountains is the first time in my life. Faced with the lush mountain scenery, I feel nostalgic and really want to stay a few more days!

Day4 19/05/2019 Zhangjiajie Yuanjiajie Jinbian Creek

In the morning, the boss drove us to the fork in the road, and we started our mountain climbing journey again. On the mountain road, we met two Spanish foreigners who lived together at the Bajie Hostel. We greeted each other and then played our own routes. In the evening, I returned to Bajie Hostel, eating farm stir fry, drinking delicious chicken soup, and listening to the croaking of frogs. Life is so beautiful.

Day 5 2/05/2019 Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge

In the morning, we entrusted the inn to check our luggage to the Bajie Hotel in the downtown of Zhangjiajie, and then we set out to Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot, and then transferred to the tourist minibus to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, taking the glass bridge bravely. As I walk tremblingly on the glass bridge, I marvel at the greatness of humanity while sighing at my own timidity.

The scenery of Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon is average, and it is not worth recommending in terms of cost-effectiveness. In the afternoon, when we returned to Zhangjiajie city, we went to eat local snacks again and felt average.

Day 6 21/05/2019 Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain Phoenix Ancient City Night Scene

In the morning, walk out of the hotel to Tianmen Mountain. It's not the peak season and you have to queue up. We chose a minibus to go up the mountain and down the cableway. There are three sightseeing routes in Tianmen Mountain, and we have played them all one by one. As we still have to take a bus to Phoenix in the afternoon, time is tight. We suggest arranging a day of sightseeing in Tianmen Mountain, which will be more enjoyable.

After the bus arrived in Phoenix, we contacted the owner of Puhe Yisu Inn and he came to pick us up. While waiting, I saw a tourist speaking English anxiously talking to the locals, who couldn't understand at all. So we went up to inquire, although our English was also very poor, we roughly understood that their luggage had fallen on the bus. We immediately helped him search, luckily the bus was still there and the luggage was found. At this moment, the innkeeper also arrived. When we arrived at the inn, the boss gave us an itinerary for visiting the ancient city of Phoenix. After taking a short break, we began our night tour of the ancient city of Phoenix.

Day 7 22/05/2019 Phoenix Ancient City

The sound of rooster crowing in the morning awakens us. The phoenix in the morning is particularly beautiful, with few people and beautiful scenery everywhere. Beautiful photos can be taken everywhere. With the arrival of group tourists, Phoenix becomes noisy, crowded, and vibrant. Phoenix snack shrimp cake has a decent taste and is worth tasting. The beauty of Fenghuang Ancient City can be appreciated both at night and in the morning.

In the afternoon, we will take a bus back to Changsha. The bus time is too long and tiring. It is recommended that Phoenix take the bus to Huaihua in over an hour, and then take the high-speed rail from Huaihua to Changsha in over an hour, which can shorten the transportation time.

Day8 23/05/2019 Yuelu Mountain Academy Love Evening Pavilion Orange Island Hunan Provincial Museum

Today I checked in at Yuelu Mountain, Shuyuan, Aiwan Pavilion, Orange Island, and the Provincial Museum Mawangdui exhibition in Changsha. The attractions in big cities are similar.

In the afternoon, I went to Yierkang for foot massage, which relieved the fatigue of so many days. I had crayfish for dinner, which tasted great and worth recommending.

Day 9 24/05/2019 Return to Shanghai

We slept until we woke up naturally in the morning. Sitting on the high-speed train back to Shanghai at noon, the old man sitting next to him was very talkative. He was a chemical expert who flew to Shanghai Pudong Airport to work in Iran and help the local government build a chemical factory. Listening to his words, his pride as a Chinese person grew leisurely.

Four suggestions:

1. Zhangjiajie Forest Park has four doors: free travel is recommended to start from the forest park ticket station. There are many tour groups in Wulingyuan National Scenic Spot ticket station, so they can be avoided.

2. It is recommended to stay overnight on the mountain. The accommodation conditions on the mountain are simple, but the advantage of staying on the mountain is that it can save money and time,

3. It is very important to have a good hotel owner to help you plan your mountain tour and introduce the essence scenic spots. There is no need to invite a guide.

Don't be afraid of rain, we just saw the fairyland of the sea of clouds on rainy days, it's so beautiful.

5. Zhangjiajie's famous food, San Xia Guo, does not taste good in my personal opinion and is not recommended.

6. It is recommended to arrange a one-day trip to Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, so that you can enjoy the western, eastern, and central routes, which is worth more than 200 tickets. And queuing takes a lot of time, even up to 3.5 hours during peak tourist hours. We had to queue for over an hour before taking the cableway down the mountain.

7. The inn by the Tuojiang River in Fenghuang Ancient City is too humid, and it is not recommended to stay by the river. The taste of Phoenix snack shrimp cakes is still good.

Five fees (for two people)

Train ticket ¥ 2079; Hotel ¥ 1542; Car cost ¥ 340; Ticket ¥ 1464; 9-day expenditure of ¥ 1918

Two people totaling ¥ 7343