What You Need To Know About Traveling To China

Combined with the money, language barrier, visas, and the Great Firewall, traveling to China can be slightly daunting. Yet it can be enjoya...

Combined with the money, language barrier, visas, and the Great Firewall, traveling to China can be slightly daunting.

Yet it can be enjoyable and easy when you come prepared.

A vacation in China provides unmatched cultural experiences.You are able to walk over crumbling parts of the magnificent Great Wall, watchthe beautiful pandas based in Chengdu, and even watch the archaeologistsdigging the Terracotta Warriors out.

We have prepared a list of the things you should beconsidering and arranging before you decide to make the trip to China.

Internet

China is your opportunity to take a break from all yoursocial media platforms, and break away from technology. Access to Google willbe limited and The Great Firewall of China is real. There is no access toFacebook or Instagram.

Yet if this seems like something you are not willing to partwith, there are ways around this firewall. You will need to get a VPN app. Youwill need to install the app on your phone before you leave for China and thiswill provide you with access to Google, Instagram, and Facebook. It will also unblockNetflix abroad, and let you stay up to date with all your binge watchfavorites.

We used Express VPN and once installed, all you need to dois log on, choose your preferred internet connection for another city likeTokyo, LA, or Hong Kong and you are all set.

If you do not have a VPN, you will not be able to accessGoogle. In this case, you can use Bing.com to conduct your internet searches.

Don’t bother with trying to use Google Maps in China. It isfar better to download the local maps in the cities that you are planning tovisit. The stories about tourists that try and find points of interest orrestaurants that don’t actually exist using Google maps are true. It is oftenvery wrong, so rather don’t use it.

Visas

When I first looked at the Chinese visas they appeared sooverwhelming, and the forms looked huge. Yet once you start filling them in itis actually very easy.

In fact, today there are a number of companies that charge afee to do a Chinese visa on your behalf. Yet if you are looking to save somemoney, it is possible to do it on your own online. To start off with find the Visafor China website for the capital city that you live in.

Make sure you complete each section of the form and completea form for every person that is traveling with you. From here you need toschedule an appointment at a visa for China center in your local area.

Before you go for your appointment, make sure you haveprinted out your accommodation and flight details, and copies of all yourpassports. At this appointment, you will be asked to hand over your passportsfor processing.

You don’t have to worry if you have forgotten your printouts. The Visa centers have their own photocopiers where you are able to emailyour details to the guard on duty and they will print out your documents foryou.

When you arrive at the Visa center you will be given anumber and you will wait in a line until it is your turn. Once you reach thecounter, hand over all your forms, the photocopies of your accommodation andflight details, and all the passports.

After a week you will be able to return to the Visa center,pay a fee and collect the Visa’s. It is really that easy and simple.

Money

Trying to use a credit card in China is pretty useless.

Most of the locals in Chinese pay for everything throughtheir phones. Alipay and WeChat are the most common of the mobile-paymentsystems. On our trip, we were unable to access either of these systems. Youwould need a Chinese bank account in order for WeChat wallet to work. It ispossible to ask someone that you know that has a bank account in China to sendyou what is known as a “red packet” which are money transfers. Yet this is nota great option for most people.

The other option is to carry cash withyou. Before you leave, find out about the banks in China that will accept yourbank cards, as not all of them do. When you find out which bank does acceptyour card make the most of it. If you want to save money on bank fees, avoidwithdrawing multiple times.

WiFi

In many countries, there is an option to buy portable WiFidevices when you land at the airport in order to minimize how much data you areusing while you travel from one city to the next. Yet in China, this is not agood option due to the Great Firewall.

The best option is to buy a Chinese Sim card and use thedata on the card when you are away from your hotel. There are a number ofcompanies that will deliver your Chinese Sim Card to the hotel that you arestaying at once you arrive. We made use of a company that sent us an email withinstructions in Mandarin and English. When we checked into our hotel, we showedthe email to the receptionist and she handed over our package. This providedeasy and simple internet access. All you need to do is change your sim cardsand you are set to go.

These sim cards allow you to set a primary account holder aswell as one other person as a partner to the plan. We do warn that you ignorethe random text messages sent to you in Mandarin. If you do not understand whatit is, avoid clicking on it.

Tongren train station in Guizhou

Trains

If you are thinking you can just hop onto the bullet train,think again.

The fastest and besttrains typically sell out a couple of days before, which leaves you withonly one other choice which includes a multi-stop and much longer journey.

If you prefer to avoid these long journeys make sure youbook ahead. There are two options to book, you can either visit the trainstation and find the English-language service window or book online. If youbook online, they will send you an email with instructions in Mandarin andEnglish with the tickets at the station you are traveling from.

Another handy tip would be to use an app which plans yoursubway travel while in China. This will show you the connections you should betaking to get to where you want to go to in English. Some of the stations, justlike the 1 in this photo, have limited English. This is when these apps becomeyour lifeline.

You will be required to put every bag that you are travelingwith through X-ray machines at all the train stations. You will soon get usedto this.

Water And Snacks

Do not drink any of the water in China ever. This means thatyou need to buywater to carry with you every day.

The markets often sell items such as fresh fruit so makesure you stock up every time you see one.

On our trip, we found that it was difficult to find snacksin Xian and Beijing. Make sure you have a big breakfast at your hotel beforeyou leave for the day. You might find a few convenience stores like Our Hourswhich sell a few snacks. However, we found that the majority of these items hadminimal nutritional value. If you do eat out at any of the restaurants makesure you eat until you are full.

China street food in Hunan

Dining Out

Many of the restaurants will offer menus in English. If youhave VPN installed, you can also use Google translate by hovering over the menuto find out what you would like to eat. Once you have made a decision all youneed to do is show your waiter what you would like to order. The dumplings andnoodles are always a great choice. Some recommendations include First NoodleUnder the Sun located in Xian, or if you are in Beijing, Dandong Duck does areally tasty Peking Duck.

Our top recommendation is to check on Trip Advisor to getadvice from past travelers to that area. This offers you the information youneed on the best eating spots in the local area.