Thorn Tree travel forum

Traveling to Tibet with a residence permit

I have lived in China since last fall with a Z visa and a residence permit. This summer, I plan to travel to Tibet by train with a group of Chinese and foreign friends in late June or early July. A Chinese friend made an inquiry to a local travel agent, and the travel agent said that since I have a residence permit, I will not need a Tibet Travel Permit to travel to Tibet. However, elsewhere on this forum, I've read that I will in fact need the travel permit. Has anyone here traveled to Tibet from elsewhere in China using a residence permit (as opposed to a tourist visa). Will I need a Tibet Travel Permit?

Also, is there anything else that I need to do differently while traveling in Tibet, since I have a residence permit?

Thanks for your time!