Return ticket (on a train) - 往返票 (wǎngfǎn piào) or 來回票 (láihuí piào) or both?

[Christa]

More annoying multiple term questions for you all.

 

Do you feel these terms -  往返票 (wǎngfǎn piào) and 來回票 (láihuí piào) - have essentially the same meaning of "return ticket"? Do you feel theare interchangeable? Can they both be used where you are?

 

Oh how I begin to yearn for the days when I only wondered about the many names for pak choi. As I dig deeper into these annoying vocabulary questions I've had for a long time, I find that I may need a bigger spade...

 

Christina 

[Christa]

Any thoughts? Anyone...

 

[Jim]

来回 for a train and 往返 for a plane is my gut feeling but AFAIK both are grammatically correct and technically interchangeable, 往返 more formal though.

 

ETA They don't really do return tickets as such in the mainland in my experience, maybe some lines now, don't take the train as much as I used to.

[Christa]

Thanks for your help, Jim. I appreciate it!

[yueni]

I typically use 往返票, but 来回票 is also 100% understandable. I've heard people use both.

 

People typically don't buy return tickets on trains, at least, not in my experience, since train tickets are only available ~3 days before departure anyway. I think they're available earlier now, especially with ticket apps and so on, but purchasing return train tickets in China is still not a thing.

[abcdefg]

12 minutes ago, yueni said:

People typically don't buy return tickets on trains, at least, not in my experience, since train tickets are only available ~3 days before departure anyway. I think they're available earlier now, especially with ticket apps and so on, but purchasing return train tickets in China is still not a thing.

 

Right. Round trip tickets, are however offered by most OTA's (online travel agents) for air flights. There is seldom an appreciable savings and they usually designate these as 往返票。

 

(单程 for one way.)

[Christa]

22 hours ago, yueni said:

typically use 往返票, but 来回票 is also 100% understandable. I've heard people use both.

 

People typically don't buy return tickets on trains, at least, not in my experience, since train tickets are only available ~3 days before departure anyway. I think they're available earlier now, especially with ticket apps and so on, but purchasing return train tickets in China is still not a thing.

 

Wow, that's useful to know. Thanks for this info. It's really useful!