Xi'an - Zhangjiajie Train

The running distance between Xi'an and Zhangjiajie is as long as 1,052 km (653 mi). By far, there is no direct train connecting the two cities. Passengers need to make a transfer at Changsha South or Changsha Railway Station, taking at least 9 hours in total.
 Operated at: Xi'an Railway Station, Changsha Railway Station, Changsha South Railway Station, Zhangjiajie Railway Station
Duration: at least 9 hours
Distance: 1,052 km (653mi)
Top speed: 250 km/h (155 mph)
Major stations along the way: Huashan, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Xiangnan, Huaihua ...
 After taking a Xi'an North to Changsha North bullet train, passengers can choose to take a Changsha South to Zhangjiajie West train or a Changsha Railway Station to Zhangjiajie West, whichever has a closer departure time.

Route	Schedule	Duration	Fare
Xi'an North – Changsha South	8 pairs bullet trains from around 09:50- 16:01	5.5-6.5h	CNY 563-612 for a second class seat
Changsha South - Zhangjiajie West	10 pairs bullet trains from 06:10 - 18:33	2.5-3.5h	CNY 227.5-261.5 for a second class seat
Changsha – Zhangjiajie West	About 30 pairs from 06:53 - 21:20	2-2.5h	CNY 137-166 for a second class seat
Total	---	9-11h	At least CNY 730

Given that the above option is accepted by the passengers, a transfer between Changsha South Railway Station and Changsha Railway Station is needed. Luckily, there is metro line 2 connecting these two important stations directly. The ticket costs CNY 3 and the duration is around 30 minutes.
  Plan A: Fastest; 9h; CNY 923.5

Train No.	Stations	Duration	Fare
G861	Xi'an North - Changsha South 09:50 - 15:11	5h21min	CNY 635 for a second class seat
G6519	Changsha South - Zhangjiajie West 15:29 - 18:51	3h22min	CNY 288.5 for a second class seat

 Plan B: Cheapest; Over 10h; CNY732

Train No.	Stations	Duration	Fare
G836	Xi'an North - Changsha South 12:31 - 19:00	6h29min	CNY 587 for a second class seat
D7468	Changsha - Zhangjiajie West 20:35 - 22:47	2h12min	CNY 151 for a second class seat

 To transfer, passengers need to take Changsha Metro Line 2 from Changsha South to Changsha Railway Station, taking about 30min and CNY3.
 On the southeast of the railway station lies a bus station. From there, passengers can take coaches to the scenic area directly. There are many coaches frequently operated between these two places. The duration for the journey is about 40 minutes and the ticket fare is CNY 12 per person.
 Taking flights is the most convenient way for passengers to cut their time spent on transportation at present. From Xi'an to Zhangjiajie, all flights have a stopover in a third city during the off season, taking at least 10 hours. The ticket price of an economy seat ranges from CNY 400-1,200. However, there may be direct flights during peak tourist season. 

 Major Rail Lines from Xi'an to: