8 posts · Curated China travel tips
High-speed train or budget flight? I've done both hundreds of times across China. Here's my honest comparison — time, cost, convenience, and what I recommend to my clients.
Three ways to travel China. I've helped clients with all of them for 15 years. Here's the honest breakdown of costs, pros and cons, and who each style is best for.
Booking a hotel in China is different from anywhere else. Which platforms work, which hotels accept foreigners, and how to avoid the 10 PM scramble — essential **China Travel Planning** for a smooth trip.
China's high-speed trains are the best travel value in the world, and I'll die on that hill. ¥540 for Beijing to Xi'an (1,200km in 3.5 hours). ¥600 for Chengdu to Shanghai (1,800km in about 10 hours). Clean stations, departure on the dot, WiFi that mostly works, and food carts that come by with hot meals that are actually edible. I've taken the G-series trains hundreds of times. A few things I've learned: Second class (二等座) is perfectly fine — ¥50-70% of first class price for the same journey time. First class (一等座) gives you more legroom and a quieter carriage. Business class is only worth it if someone else is paying. Book through Trip.com if you want English. Use 12306 if you can handle some Chinese — it's cheaper by ¥20-30 per ticket. And bring your own snacks. The train food is fine, but the woman walking through the carriage with a cart of braised chicken feet and beer is where the real action is.
Real pricing data across 35 Chinese cities from 15 years of planning custom tours. Compare costs by city tier — from Beijing luxury to Zhangjiajie adventure. Part of your **China Custom Tour** planning toolkit.
I took a British family to a Kunming night market. The dad bought a scorpion stick and said it was the best meal of his trip. Here's everything I've learned about Chinese street food over 15 years — what's safe, what's worth it, and how to eat like a local.
I had an Australian couple show up in Shanghai last month with nothing but a Revolut card and a prayer. No cash, no Alipay, no backup. "We heard China is cashless!" they said proudly. They're right. But there's a gap between "cashless" and "your foreign card works everywhere." Most places accept Alipay and WeChat Pay, but your Visa/Mastercard only works at international hotels, big malls, and some chain restaurants. Street stalls, local restaurants, metro tickets? App-only. Here's what I tell every client: bring ¥500-1000 in cash for emergencies, set up Alipay with your international card before you leave, and treat WeChat Pay as your backup. That combo covers 99% of situations. I once had a client try to pay for hotpot with his Amex. The waiter laughed. Not in a mean way — just genuinely amused that someone would try. We paid with Alipay. Everyone moved on.
How much does a China trip actually cost? Real prices for hotels, food, transport, and activities — from ¥12,000 budget trips to ¥80,000 luxury tours.
