"You don’t have to wait until you have money and free time—just go traveling whenever you feel like it."
Every two months, Zhang Zhao takes his wife and son out for a trip to relax and let his son see the "world outside." The punctual, comfortable, and safe high-speed train has become his top choice for travel.
But there are also plenty of headaches.
Sometimes, arriving at a high-speed rail station in a popular city, you’re faced with overcrowded buses and subways, and endless lines at taxi pick-up points—it’s downright disheartening. Other times, arriving in an unfamiliar city by high-speed rail, you’re in an unknown place, transferring between various modes of transport, which can be utterly exhausting...
Zhang Zhao’s experience is not unique. Many travel enthusiasts share the same frustrations. But recently, his troubles have lessened considerably.
As a loyal user of the Smart Rail App, Zhang Zhao noticed that the app recently launched a "self-drive car rental" service. Before the train even arrives, you can book a car via your phone, then pick it up right at the station and hit the road—saving both time and money.
So how does this work?
Convenient and practical—use the Smart Rail App for car rentals and take care of all your travel needs.
After arriving at the high-speed rail station, if you want to get to your destination, your options are basically limited to buses, subways, taxis, ride-hailing apps, or renting a car.
As a seasoned traveler, Zhang Zhao knows all the pros and cons of each mode of transportation.
In his view, buses and subways take too long, are crowded, and it's easy to take the wrong one; taking a taxi means long waits when there’s a queue; and many high-speed rail stations don’t allow ride-hailing cars to pick up passengers inside.
"Compared to those, renting a car and driving yourself is the best choice for frequent travelers like us," says Zhang Zhao.
And by renting through the Smart Rail App, Zhang Zhao’s travel experience has become incredibly smooth. It’s reported that eHi Car Services and Wukong Car Rental, as the first batch of rental companies, have fully joined the Smart Rail App.
Before the train arrives, you can book a car through the app and then go directly to a nearby rental location to pick it up upon arrival. With eHi and Wukong Car Rental’s extensive national networks—especially their wide coverage around high-speed rail stations—users can pick up their pre-booked vehicles quickly without wasting much time after getting off the train.
What particularly satisfies Zhang Zhao is that the entire process can be completed on the Smart Rail App, seamlessly. There’s no need to take detours or waste time—it’s both time-saving and effort-saving.
Zhang Zhao says that when he travels, he likes to go at his own pace, stopping to take in the sights. But the time needed to visit all the attractions in each place varies. In such cases, renting a car allows him to manage his schedule freely and travel on his own terms.
Data from the Smart Rail App also shows that in some tourist cities, the app’s car rental feature has been widely welcomed and recognized.
"My entire travel experience is now taken care of by the Smart Rail App," Zhang Zhao says excitedly.
Affordable and great value—car rentals on the Smart Rail App are reasonably priced and user-friendly.
Zhang Zhao is also very satisfied with the affordable prices and attractive promotions offered by eHi Car Services and Wukong Car Rental, the two companies now integrated into the Smart Rail App.
Zhang Zhao did the math.
Take the Volkswagen Lavida, a comfortable car available on eHi Car Services—for just ¥98 per day, the lowest price, which is over ¥200 cheaper than the typical ¥300–400 daily rate for offline rentals.
Currently, to attract new users, the Smart Rail App is also running a "New User Continuous Rental Promotion." New users of eHi Car Services who rent for two days or more get ¥100 off on the first day; and new users who rent through Wukong Car Rental on the Smart Rail App receive a ¥100 subsidy on their first rental.
It’s worth noting that for new users of these two rental companies, if the first day’s daily rate is below ¥100, the full first-day fee is waived; if it’s above ¥100, the maximum discount is ¥100.
With these savings in mind, Zhang Zhao is very tempted. While enjoying the benefits of renting through the Smart Rail App himself, he’s also recommended the app to friends with similar needs.
"Great value and easy to use—products like this should be known to more people, bringing convenience and savings to everyone," says Zhang Zhao.