Beijing-Datong-Pingyao-Xian

After spending 4 days in Beijing, I%26#39;d like to go see the Yungang Grottoes and the Hanging Temple near Datong and then see Pingyao. And then on to Xian.

What%26#39;s the best plan as far as transportation for those trips? I believe there are direct overnight trains on each of the links. Would a day in both Datong and Pingyao be sufficient or rushed?

The time of year would be mid-October - is that a reasonable time of year to see those sites? Will the trains be over-crowded/hard-to-book?

I know I can take a morning flight from Beijing to Datong, is Pingyao reasonably near an airport?

How long would be a good time to spend in Pingyao - and what would be a good itinerary there?

Beijing-Datong-Pingyao-Xian

I think I prefer bus for Beijing -- Datong. Plane is more expensive but I suppose it%26#39;s fine if you can splurge.

I%26#39;ve also heard it can be difficult getting sleeper tickets for Datong -- Pingyao as the trains don%26#39;t originate here, so I would recommend bus Datong -- Taiyuan then bus Taiyuan -- Pingyao.

Or, you could consider overnight train Datong -- Taiyuan 1591/1594 (2335--0700, 7h25min) as this train originates in Datong; then transfer to bus Taiyuan -- Pingyao.

You%26#39;ll need to ask a guesthouse in Pingyao to get you the Pingyao -- Xi%26#39;an overnight sleeper train tickets.

Nearest airport to Pingyao would be Taiyuan.

I%26#39;ve previously posted about doing Datong%26#39;s sights as a 1-day trip, so please try searching the forum for the information. Basically it would be quite difficult to cover both sights on public transport so you might want to take advantage of the CITS tour for less hassle, or consider hiring a taxi for the day.

Time of year should be perfect.

I would suggest staying overnight in Pingyao as the accommodation options are quite quaint.

Beijing-Datong-Pingyao-Xian

Thank you Ellyse,

I know I can do the sites in Datong in a day. Your posts have been most helpful. The real question is how realistic it would be to do

Datong in a day, then take an overnight train to Pingyao. See the sites there (maybe take a round trip bike ride to Shuanglin Si, stroll the City Wall and then catch a little architecture) before catching an overnight train to Xian that night.

I%26#39;d love to spend the night there, but it%26#39;s choosing between a second day in Hangzhou and a second day in Pingyao.

I%26#39;ve not been to Pingyao personally, so I can%26#39;t really comment on that. But I would%26#39;ve no qualms about spending a 2nd day in Hangzhou.