Is It Easier to Adapt to the Altitude by Train than by Plane?
Many friends have been struggling to go to Tibet by plane or by train, so this article will introduce you to the advantages of various means of transport, can let you choose in a more rational way.
The main advantage of taking the plane is based on time-saving and efficient, and you can have a bird's eye view of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau from a height of 10,000 meters, and witness the magnificent scenery of the snow-capped peaks surrounding by sea clouds and the sky pierced by a beam. For the tourists, there is a shortage of travel by plane, which is cannot enjoy the colorful natural scenery, pasture landscapes, river source landforms, and cultural landscape on the ground.
Go to Tibet by train, the price of hard seat is about RMB 500, the price of the berth is about RMB 1,000, and this may consider economical and practical. Air fares are usually in between RMB 1,000 – 2,000 during the off-season, yet can rise in price of RMB 3,000 – 4,000 in the peak season. It should be noted that it is very hard to get the train ticket to Tibet during the peak season. However, the time cost of the train to Lhasa is at least more than 24 hours, which had its defect and cannot be ignored.
Therefore, simply from the aspect of the time-cost, if your schedule is limited, it is recommended to take the flight. If you consider the economic situation, can choose the train in low season, because the train ticket is relatively easy to purchase during the low season, but hard to book during the peak season, regardless enter or depart from Tibet.
There is no need, if simply chosen the train is to adapt to the high altitude. The reasons are as the followings:
One: Train schedule starts within 24 hours, for the flight takes 2 – 4 hours only.
First, it takes more than 20 hours from Xining to Lhasa by train, and more than 40 hours from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other places. As anyone who has ever taken a train knows, taking a train for such a long time is physically and mentally challenging. In a closed carriage, the air is thick and the 48 hours of suffering, not to mention the altitude travel, is extremely difficult even in the mainland area. Especially children, in such an environment, the emotion can become irritable. And medical facilities on the train are limited.
Two: Core reason of high altitude sickness
Altitude sickness is essentially the difference in air pressure between the inside and outside of the body, cause the symptom of headache, stomachache, gastrointestinal discomfort. According to this analysis, the train runs for a long time at 5,000 meters altitude above the sea level. The carriage only provides oxygen, but without pressurizing, thus most tourists may have headaches and vomiting, which can be very uncomfortable.
The interior of the plane is pressurized, and the altitude after arriving in Lhasa is 3,600 meters, which is acceptable to ordinary people. In addition, the flight duration is short, the body develops resistance, can drinking glucose, and take a good rest after arrived in Lhasa. The medical conditions in Lhasa are very good, and if there are any symptoms, you can get effective treatment as soon as possible.
There is a saying that take train can slowly adapt to the altitude, which is also lack of scientific proof. For those who wants to adapt to the plateau climate, within a day on the train from 2,000 meters to 5,000 meters is impossible. Dealing with altitude sickness mainly depends on the physical condition and psychological quality.
On the train to Tibet, you can see child are crying, and those who physically weak are vomiting, while the train across Tangula pass. People who are considering taking the trail to Tibet should realize the facts and take them as a reference. If you really want to feel the beauty of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, the suggestion is to take the train from Xining, that have a lot of the train schedule to choose with less duration on the train.
