Are you thinking of making a trip to China soon? This Asian country is great and convenient for travel. Maybe you don’t speak Chinese, but that shouldn’t matter too much, although this should be the number one problem you encounter.
ARRIVING IN AN INTERNATIONAL CITY (BEIJING, SHANGHAI, SHENZHEN, CHONGQING, CHENGDU)
If you plan to travel around China, most likely you will be arriving in Beijing or Shanghai or another large city. These are big international hubs, and if your flight doesn’t land here, you will at least have a transfer at one of these airports. These cities are both easy and convenient for foreigners. When you get off the airplane, you will see that everything is neatly marked in both Chinese characters and in English. Follow the signs, and you can easily find your awaiting taxi, fast-train to town, or bus.
Next comes a more challenging part: communicating where you need to go, or figuring it out. Luckily, big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are filled with English speakers, especially at airports. Simply tell a clerk or fellow-traveler your destination, and he or she would be more than happy to write down the Chinese directions for you to show a taxi driver. You can also take the subway. Your subway stop will be marked in both Chinese characters and in Chinese pinyin (the English-version of the Chinese characters. You can read the pinyin to communicate Chinese).
LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL BY TRAIN
The Chinese have done a wonderful job creating a transportation system that is efficient, cheap and easy. Because of the huge population of China (estimated at over 1.4 billion), trains frequently come and go from any train station. Simply tell your taxi driver you want to go to the train station (huo che zhan 火车站) and then find the English-speaking counter (if you are in a big city such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Shenzhen or Tianjin). There you can tell the counter-worker the city you want to go to, and your ticket will be bought for you. The counter-worker will tell you all needed information, and you are set. Most likely you will see that trains leave for your destination at multiple times throughout the day. Sometimes you can even find that the train leaves within the hour or half-hour. This is wonderfully convenient, but be careful, sometimes trains fill up easily, and you will need to reserve your seat a week in advance. If you plan to go to Lhasa (the capital of Tibet) make sure you reserve your seat or bed well ahead of time, as this is a popular destination that is quickly booked.
You will see that train travel in China is not difficult at all. Don’t be afraid if you can’t speak Chinese, just show your ticket to a fellow passenger or worker, and he or she will be willing to help you out. They will see your destination and try to communicate with you as best they can when you will arrive.
TRAVEL BY BUS
Bus travel is always easy and convenient too, although it can be more expensive than the train. Basically, travel by bus in China is the same as travel by train, only you might have better luck booking a bus ticket than train ticket. Bus tickets have always been my second option, as I prefer taking a train for the cheaper price. One good thing about the bus, however, is that the travel time is usually faster than train.
TRAVEL BY PLANE
You can take a plane to any big city in China for a fairly low price. Flying in and out of Lhasa, Tibet is not recommended by me, however. This is the one place I would recommend taking a train, simply because of the altitude adjustment. Other than that, if you are in the Northern city Beijing going to Shanghai, take the plane, if you have the extra cash. A train ride is 12 hours, and the plane will save you the time if you are in a hurry. If you are going to Chengdu (capital of Sichuan) or Chongqing (a giant metropolis just south of Sichuan) going to Shanghai or Beijing, I would also recommend flying if you are don’t have long to travel. A train can take up to 48 hours, depending on the available trains.
IS TRAVEL DANGEROUS?
No. Travel in China is not dangerous and in fact perfectly safe. Do be careful of pick-pockets and over-curious locals though. Other than that, Chinese people are more friendly and helpful than even your American neighbor, mainly because they are curious about you as a foreigner. You are welcomed in their country. Do not be afraid of stares, and don’t be rude to the frequent “hello’s” or “Can I practice my English with you?” comments. Chinese people welcome you, so show respect.
Do you have any questions? I am well-traveled throughout the country, and I am proficient in the language. If you have any questions, drop me an email. derr.amy@gmail thanks and yi lu shun feng 一路顺风！ (have a smooth journey!)
ARRIVING IN AN INTERNATIONAL CITY (BEIJING, SHANGHAI, SHENZHEN, CHONGQING, CHENGDU)
If you plan to travel around China, most likely you will be arriving in Beijing or Shanghai or another large city. These are big international hubs, and if your flight doesn’t land here, you will at least have a transfer at one of these airports. These cities are both easy and convenient for foreigners. When you get off the airplane, you will see that everything is neatly marked in both Chinese characters and in English. Follow the signs, and you can easily find your awaiting taxi, fast-train to town, or bus.
Next comes a more challenging part: communicating where you need to go, or figuring it out. Luckily, big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are filled with English speakers, especially at airports. Simply tell a clerk or fellow-traveler your destination, and he or she would be more than happy to write down the Chinese directions for you to show a taxi driver. You can also take the subway. Your subway stop will be marked in both Chinese characters and in Chinese pinyin (the English-version of the Chinese characters. You can read the pinyin to communicate Chinese).
LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL BY TRAIN
The Chinese have done a wonderful job creating a transportation system that is efficient, cheap and easy. Because of the huge population of China (estimated at over 1.4 billion), trains frequently come and go from any train station. Simply tell your taxi driver you want to go to the train station (huo che zhan 火车站) and then find the English-speaking counter (if you are in a big city such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Shenzhen or Tianjin). There you can tell the counter-worker the city you want to go to, and your ticket will be bought for you. The counter-worker will tell you all needed information, and you are set. Most likely you will see that trains leave for your destination at multiple times throughout the day. Sometimes you can even find that the train leaves within the hour or half-hour. This is wonderfully convenient, but be careful, sometimes trains fill up easily, and you will need to reserve your seat a week in advance. If you plan to go to Lhasa (the capital of Tibet) make sure you reserve your seat or bed well ahead of time, as this is a popular destination that is quickly booked.
You will see that train travel in China is not difficult at all. Don’t be afraid if you can’t speak Chinese, just show your ticket to a fellow passenger or worker, and he or she will be willing to help you out. They will see your destination and try to communicate with you as best they can when you will arrive.
TRAVEL BY BUS
Bus travel is always easy and convenient too, although it can be more expensive than the train. Basically, travel by bus in China is the same as travel by train, only you might have better luck booking a bus ticket than train ticket. Bus tickets have always been my second option, as I prefer taking a train for the cheaper price. One good thing about the bus, however, is that the travel time is usually faster than train.
TRAVEL BY PLANE
You can take a plane to any big city in China for a fairly low price. Flying in and out of Lhasa, Tibet is not recommended by me, however. This is the one place I would recommend taking a train, simply because of the altitude adjustment. Other than that, if you are in the Northern city Beijing going to Shanghai, take the plane, if you have the extra cash. A train ride is 12 hours, and the plane will save you the time if you are in a hurry. If you are going to Chengdu (capital of Sichuan) or Chongqing (a giant metropolis just south of Sichuan) going to Shanghai or Beijing, I would also recommend flying if you are don’t have long to travel. A train can take up to 48 hours, depending on the available trains.
IS TRAVEL DANGEROUS?
No. Travel in China is not dangerous and in fact perfectly safe. Do be careful of pick-pockets and over-curious locals though. Other than that, Chinese people are more friendly and helpful than even your American neighbor, mainly because they are curious about you as a foreigner. You are welcomed in their country. Do not be afraid of stares, and don’t be rude to the frequent “hello’s” or “Can I practice my English with you?” comments. Chinese people welcome you, so show respect.
Do you have any questions? I am well-traveled throughout the country, and I am proficient in the language. If you have any questions, drop me an email. derr.amy@gmail thanks and yi lu shun feng 一路顺风！ (have a smooth journey!)
No comments:
Post a Comment