CHINA TRAVEL TIPS : WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE VISITING CHINA
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This post is all about what you need to know before visiting China
Travelling through China is an amazing, rewarding experience but it’s also the most challenging country I’ve travelled to for many reasons. If you do a little bit of preparation and manage your expectations visiting China can be one of the most unique and wonderful travel experiences you will ever have.
We started our year of full time travel with a one way flight to Beijing and planned to spend a month in China before heading to Hong Kong. It was a magical, exciting time.
We travelled independently around China for a month organising all our hotels, trains and activities as we went and although it was pretty challenging at times I’m so glad we did it this way instead of doing a big tour. We did do a few smaller, day tours during our time in China and they were fantastic.
The people in China are some of the friendliest we met and the history and sights are something I hadn’t experienced before as a westerners. If you are thinking about independent travel to China, here are some China travel tips to help make your visit a little easier.
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This post will give you all the China travel tips you need to help you before you visit China.
GET YOUR VISA BEFORE ENTERING CHINA
This is the most important step when you’re planning your trip to China. As a British citizen (it’s the same for US citizens) you will be denied entry to China without a visa.
If you are a British citizen, like me, you will need to make your application in person at a Visa Application Centre. As part of the application process, biometric data (scanned fingerprints) have to be provided. There are Chinese Visa Application Centres in London, Manchester and Edinburgh.
As part of the application you will need to provide your travel dates, travel itinerary, and proof of onward travel.
For travellers planning a layover or a short stop in China, you may qualify for a 72 hour visa.
Always use iVisa to check your countries current requirements on visas.
GET A VPN BEFORE YOU GO
The Great Firewall of China blocks all access to Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter, YouTube and even WhatsApp. It feels very strange to all of a sudden lose access to social media and websites you’re so used to using especially when you use them to communicate with friends and family back home.
A way around this is by purchasing a VPN, or a Virtual Private Network. A VPN disguises the computer’s IP address so it looks like you are connected from somewhere else in the world even though you are in China.
I use Surfshark as my VPN which I pay a small monthly fee of around £10. It works perfectly in China and I can choose to connect via a variety of countries around the world.
Make sure you purchase the VPN before getting to China. China blocks access to the VPN companies so you will be out of luck trying to purchase one if you are already in China.
TRY AND LEARN SOME BASIC MANDARIN
The language barrier was such a huge culture shock for us when we arrived in China. Having previously done a lot of my travelling in Europe and knowing at least a few words to speak and reasonable understanding of most European languages it was such a different experience not knowing any Mandarin.
I wouldn’t say it was a necessity to know Mandarin but it helps alot!
If you plan on only visiting the larger cities like Beijing and Shanghai you will be able to get by with English. The younger generations can speak basic English and many are eager to help out.
If you plan on visiting smaller cities off the main tourist trail like Yangshuo and Zhangjiajie it’s useful to speak to basic Mandarin. We went to Zhangjiajie and had a pretty hard time due to our lack of ability to communicate. There was a lot of hand gestures and charades!
I really wish I’d made the effort to learn a little Mandarin before we went to China as it would definitly have helped our trip and I’ve heard from so many fellow travellers who did learn a little how much the locals really appreciated their efforts.
Some simple Mandarin words and phrases you can learn before you go to China:
Hello : Nǐhǎo (Nee how)
Thank you : Xièxiè (Shieh-shieh)
You're welcome : Bù kèqì (Boo kuh-chi)
Good morning : Zǎo (Zhow)
Goodnight : Wǎn ān (One-un)
My name is…: Wǒ jiào... (Wuh jeow...)
My friend's name is...: Wǒ de péngyǒu jiào… (Wuh duh pung-yo jeow...)
There are so many language learning apps and computer programs you could use to learn a little Mandarin. My favourite language learning app is DuoLingo and I use it alot for other languages.
It also helps to have a Chinese translate app on your phone. We used this to communicate many times as well.
CLICK CLICK CLICK
If you are travelling with children who have light skin and blond hair be prepared to have a lot of cameras in your face. My son was an 11 year old, sunkissed, fair haired child and I am even fairer haired. Most places we went to at least one person wanted to take our photo.
We made friends with another travelling family who had two boys who were 4 and 5 and they were hounded everywhere they went. So in my experience the blonder you are the more you’ll get photographed!
Most people were very polite, asking for photos with our family, but there were a few people who stood in the distance snapping photos of us which made us feel a little uncomfortable at times.
VIDEOS FROM OUR TIME IN CHINA
BARGAIN FOR EVERYTHING
Pretty much everything can be bargained for in China, even groceries. At most places you can expect to pay between 10 and 25% percent of the starting price. It’s quite an odd experience if you’re not used to bargaining for things.
Some people love this kind of things and if you’re one of those people you’ll find going shopping in China really fun. It’s like a game to see how much you can get the price down to. The added language barrier can make it more fun.
Personally, I hate bargaining! It’s really just not my thing and it makes me feel uncomfortable but I did have a little go at bargaining sometimes in China.
My advice - get the price, offer a little less, if they don’t move on their price, just walk away. 9 times out of 10 they will call you back and take you up on your offer.
BRING YOUR OWN TOILET ROLL
The toilets in China can be quite the experience for a Westerner who just isn’t used to the style.
The majority of toilets we used were squat toilets. Now, I dunno about you but I just can’t squat like the Chinese do and it was always so awkward for me!
If you don’t know what a squat toilet is they’re basically like holes in the ground and actually in some places the toilets we used were exactly that - a hole in the ground.
The toilets and bathrooms are not the cleanest in our experience so are rarely stocked with toilet roll. To make sure you don’t get caught out (I was and it was not a pleasant experience!) make sure you carry your own toilet roll whenever you go and due to the lack of cleanliness I’d also recommend taking some hand santiser in your day bag.
GET A TRANSLATION PHOTO APP TO HELP WITH MENUS
Something that was a massive help to us was the Speak & Translate app to translate menus, signs and other things.
I generally use Google Translate but due to the Chinese Firewall Google Translate isn’t available so I got the Speak & Translate app that was fantastic!
So many times we were at a restaurant and the menus were all in Chinese characters only. For some people this could be a fun game, just pick one and see what they bring out but anyone with dietary requirements can’t do this. I’m a vegetarian and there was just no way I could do that in China.
With a lot of dishes in China it’s pretty common for all kinds of animal anatomy to be included in your dish.
In bigger cities, you may find some menus with English on or some of them have photos that may or may not help you out.
If you get the translate app you can use it on the menus and it will translate it to English. It can also be used by speaking in to it and it will translate to Mandarin incase you want to say something to someone.
KNOW ABOUT THE POLLUTION ISSUES
The government in China have been working on reducing air pollution in China, particularly in the main tourist cities.
However, it is still really quite bad. On some days, in major cities like Beijing the smog can definately affect your experience, especially if you do have any respiratory issues.
Many of the Chinese wear masks as they’re travelling around the cities. We travelled through China pre 2020 and seeing locals travelling in masks was a really strange sight as it was something we hadn’t experienced before. Obviously since then, the world has had the expereince of wearing masks everywhere we go and so it wouldn’t be so strange to see now.
For your own comfort I would recommend wearing a mask when travelling around the cities or you could consider travelling in Spring when the pollution is at its least.
THERE’S NO NEED TO TIP
Unlike many western countries, it is not customary to tip in China and tips are likely to be awkwardly refused.
In some more upscale restaurants and hotels they are more open to a tip and in more touristy places.
However, leaving a tip in China is not necessarily seen in the same way as we see it in the west. In the west we see it as a gesture to show our appreciation for a job well done or someone going above and beyond in serving us. In China it can be seen as saying ‘you need this money more than I do’, or ‘I’m better off financially than you are,’ which is not welcomed by the Chinese.
It just isn’t the cultural norm in China and my belief, as a traveller, is to adapt to places cultural norms as opposed to forcing my cultural norms on others.
ADVICE FOR YOUR FIRST TIME IN CHINA
2023 UPDATE
There are no mandatory COVID-19 related requirements or restrictions for domestic travel. Mandatory mask wearing on public transport, including on flights, has now been lifted, although many people still choose to wear face masks on public transport (as per government advice).
COVID-19 restrictions on movement and quarantine arrangements for travel between different parts of the country have been removed.
ARRIVING IN CHINA
Most international tourists arrive in to China at either Bejing or Shanghai airport.
BEIJING AIRPORT
Beijing International Capital Airport (PEK) is the airport most foreign tourists arrive at. It is 32 km (20 miles) northeast of the city center. The airport is connected to Beijing city by airport express train, shuttle bus and taxi services.
Airport Express Train - cost 29 yuan (£3.20)
There is an Airport Express Train connecting Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing city center.
It starts from Terminal 3 and passes through Terminal 2. Within 6 minutes it reaches its terminus Dongzhimen. From Dongzhimen you change to line 2, which is a circuit line going around the city center. Get off at Qianmen (cost 4 yuan/£0.44). Then you are at Beijing's city center, and Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City will be within walking distance.
AirPort Express Train Facts
Ticket Fare : 25 yuan (£2.70), while the rest of the subway lines in Beijing range from 3 yuan to a maximum of 9 yuan
Operating Times : 06:22-22:52 PEK T3 to Dongzhimen; 06:00-22:30 Dongzhimen to PEK T3
Frequency : every 12 minutes
Airport Shuttle Bus - cost 29 yuan(£3.20)
The shuttle buses at Beijing Capital International Airport operate 13 routes heading to different areas in the city. Tourists who wish to go to Beijing downtown should take route No. 3 heading to Beijing Railway Station. You can get off at either Dongzhimen (cost 25 yuan) or Beijing Railway Station (cost 30 yuan). Then take subway line 2 at either of the two stops and get off at Qianmen to reach Beijing's city center.
Shuttle Bus Facts
Frequency : No. 3 Airport Shuttle Bus runs every 30 minutes from 05:30 to 21:00.
Time : The bus trip to the city center will normally take around an hour.
Ticket Counter : Shuttle bus ticket counters are on the ground floor of the airport, near Gates 7 and 9 in T3, Gate 11 in T2 and Gate 7 in T1.
Night Shuttle :There are also night shuttle buses to the city center between 21:00 and 04:00. They depart any time there are more than 6 passengers on the bus, though the fare is higher, around 50 yuan (about £5.50).
Taxi - cost 100-150yuan (£11 - 17)
The starting price of Beijing taxis is 13 yuan (£1.50).
To get a taxi from Beijing Capital International Airport to Beijing city center, e.g. Tiananmen Square, normally takes about an hour (if there are no traffic jams). It costs around 100 yuan (£11) during the day, inclusive of toll fee, and around 150 yuan (£17) at night, because of the night service surcharge after 11 pm.
Private Transfer
The most convenient way of getting from Beijing International Airport to Beijing city is by private transfer service. In this case you don't have to queue for a taxi at the airport, which during weekends and holidays can take a while.
If you’d like to save the hassle of any transfers from the airport you can prebook your private transfer here.
SHANGHAI AIRPORTS
Shanghai is a huge city and when you first arrive it will probably feel overwhelming how to navigate around. There are two airports in Shanghai - Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. You may arrive at either one.
SHANGHAI PUDONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Shanghai Metro Line - cost 7 yuan (£0.80)
This is your cheapest option, and probably the fastest if you're coming in around peak times. Shanghai Metro Line 2 will take you from Airport Station to People's Square in approximately 67 minutes, and costs 7 RMB. Trains run between 6:00 and 22:00.
Airport Shuttle Bus - cost 20-30 yuan (£3.20)
There are 10 airport bus lines available to the center of Shanghai from Pudong International Airport. They cost 20–30 yuan, and journeys take up to 1½ hours. Shuttle buses may be too challenging with the language barrier and finding the right stop for you.
Taxi - cost 150-190yuan (£16 - 21)
A taxi in Shanghai from Pudong International Airport to downtown will cost between 150 and 190 Chinese Yuan and take approximately 45 minutes. This can be longer if you're traveling during rush hour, but is an easy option if you really don’t know what you’re doing or where you’re going or have lots of luggage.
Private Transfer
The most convenient way of getting from Shanghai airport to your downtown hotel or wherever you want to go to after your airport arrival is by private transfer service.
If you’d like to save the hassle of any transfers from the airport you can prebook your private transfer here. Prices start from around £20 per person.
SHANGHAI HONGQIAO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Shanghai Subway - cost 5 yuan (£0.60)
From Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, this is your cheapest option at 5 RMB. You can take Subway Line 10 from the airport's Terminal 1, and Subway Line 2 or 10 from the airport's Terminal 2. Trains run every 6-12 minutes between 5:35 and 22:50, and take about 35 minutes to People's Square.
This is a fast option during rush hour when traffic will be busy on the roads, but trains will also be very full during this time.
Airport Shuttle Bus - cost 20-30 yuan (£3.20)
There are 10 airport bus lines available to the center of Shanghai from Pudong International Airport. They cost 20–30 yuan, and journeys take up to 1½ hours. Shuttle buses may be too challenging with the language barrier and finding the right stop for you.
Taxi - cost 150-190yuan (£16 - 21)
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport is a little closer to the city then the other airport and a taxi will take around 30 minutes and set you back between 100 and 150 RMB. This is the most convenient way to get to Shanghai's downtown from the airport if you have heavy cases or are traveling with kids, but beware of taking taxis during rush hour if you are tight on time.
Not all taxi drivers speak English so most important thing is to make sure you've got your destination written out in Chinese (ideally printed off a hotel website) before getting in the taxi.
Private Transfer
The most convenient way of getting from Shanghai airport to your downtown hotel or wherever you want to go to after your airport arrival is by private transfer service.
If you’d like to save the hassle of any transfers from the airport you can prebook your private transfer here. Prices start from around £20 per person.
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED IN CHINA?
To visit China as a first timer you need at least 10-14 days and you can spend months and months exploring.
A basic 14 day itinerary includes sights such as Beijing and the Great Wall of China, Xian with the Terracotta Army, Chengdu where you can see the pandas of China.
If you are travelling from afar make sure you give yourself a day or so where you can ease in to the time difference. There’s a 7 hours time difference between the UK and China.
For UK travellers we’re also heading east and ‘East is a Beast, West is Best.’ This means that travelling eastward has a much greater disturbance to our biological clock than travelling westward. This is because we are giving our circadian rhythms less time in the day to adjust to the new time zone.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT CHINA?
The months of April, May, June, September & October are ideal months for travel almost anywhere in the country, but this means that some tourist areas can be busier. There are also a few festivals that you may want to avoid or be around for.
Changes each year but for 2024 is it 10 Feb : Chinese New Year - the most important festival to Chinese people. Many activities are held to celebrate the festival, such as dragon dances, setting off firecrackers, making dumplings and more
Mid/end September : Mid Autumn Festival - also known as Mooncake Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in many East Asian communities and people celebrate it by gathering for dinners, worshiping the moon, lighting paper lanterns, eating mooncakes.
DO YOU NEED A VISA TO VISIT CHINA?
For citizens of many countries you will need a visa before entering China. Your visa needs to be organised before you travel to China.
There are different visas available such as single or multi entry visas or 90 days - 1 year tourist visas.
You should always check whether you need a visa or not before you travel.
CHINA ESSENTIALS
Planning a trip to China? Here are some of the resources and tools I personally use to organise my travel plans in the Kingdom.
FLIGHTS : Find the best deals on flights to Beijing, Shanghai or any Chinese airport using Skyscanner.
VISAS : Use iVisa to check how to get a tourist visa for China. Use OneWayFly to obtain proof of onward travel/hotel reservation for your visa application if needed.
TRAVEL INSURANCE : Insure your trip with my preferred insurance for single trip and annual cover HeyMondo
AIRPORT TRANSFER : Pre-book your hotel transfer from Beijing Airport or from Shanghai Pudong Airport.
ACCOMMODATION : Find the best hotel deals for all hotels in China on Booking.com.
BUS TICKETS : If you’re travelling around China I recommend you prebook your flights/buses/trains. Use Bookaway to get online tickets and get organised in advance.
DAY TRIPS : Find the best city tours and day excursions in Thailand on Viator or Get Your Guide.
China Guide Books & Good Reads
Videos of places to visit in China
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