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Back cover |
Beijing Travel Guide
Travel tips and background information on Beijing, Chinese culture and the 2008 Olympics.
April 2008; black & white, text only.
97 pages, A5 size.
Available worldwide. Price : £ 7.49 UK (approx: USD $ 13; Euro 10). PayPal available.
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Tours
Beijing, with the Great Wall, Forbidden
City, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven, is a great city
destination. It is usually one of the destinations in
holidays based on a cruise or tour (Beijing is close to
the port city of TianJin). Other places that may be
included in an 'all-China' type tour are the modern port
city of Shanghai, the ancient city of Xi'An (past capital
and home to the famous Terracotta Warriors), Tibet and
many others.
There are many tours and holidays
available to Beijing. It is also very possible to create
your own plan, or even simply to fly in, take a bus
downtown and check-in somewhere that takes your fancy!
Although not everyone speaks English (most older people
speak little, with some notable exceptions), younger
people often speak english well and you will never have
much difficulty finding help with communication if you
need it.
Whether you choose a package tour or go
as an independent traveller depends on your personal
preferences.
Flights
A number of airline companies fly to
Beijing and they often have special seasonal low fare
offers. When buying an air ticket, consider if and how
much it costs to change the return date and maximum stay
- and also the maximum allowable luggage weight. The same
ticket may vary widely in price depending on where you
buy it, so it certainly pays to shop around.
Hotels
From 5 star hotels to budget hotels and
hostels, Beijing has a vast array of choice.
Compare Beijing Hotels with HotelsCombined.com
Visas
All visitors to China
require a valid passport and a visa. Visas must be
arranged beforehand through your nearest Chinese embassy.
CTS and CITS, China's state travel agencies, can also
arrange visas and have offices worldwide.
There are a few
exceptions. Most tourists will be granted a tourist visa
on entry to Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region)
and Macau SAR. Some nationals visiting Shanghai and
Guangdong for short visits do not require visas. It is
advisable to consult your nearest Chinese embassy or
their website to get the latest information. The Chinese
embassy in the US website has useful information on all
its offices in the US and links to Chinese embassies
worldwide.
In general, you will
need a visa to fly into mainland China.
There are a variety of
types of visas. Most tourists opt for a single entry
tourist visa, which is valid for 3 months and costs
around US$40. Multiple entry visas, business visas and
student visas are also available.
If you plan to spend
time in Hong Kong before entering the mainland, visas can
be obtained quickly and easily in the SAR within 1 or 2
working days. Most travel agents will arrange this for a
small fee or you can go directly to the Visa Office of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC. The office is
located on the 5th Floor, China Resources Building (low
block), 26 Harbour Road, Hong Kong.
In China, your passport
will be the prime means of identification - you will need
it to check into a hotel, cash travelers checks, buy
plane and train tickets and as a general identification.
It is a good idea to have photocopies of your passport in
different places just in case your passport is lost; it
makes getting a replacement much easier. Keep one copy
with you in your wallet or purse.
Health and
Travel Insurance
Vaccinations are not mandatory and
probably unnecessary unless part of your journey will
take you to tropical areas. You can check the
recommendations of your health service or tour operator.
You should consider travel insurance
and health insurance (travel insurance with medical
cover). If you visit China on a package tour or cruise,
check with your holiday company about opt-in or opt-out
cover and exactly what is, and what is not, included. |
