- Important points
- Choosing wings
- Hotel or apartment?
- Transport subtleties
- Save a few RMB
- The perfect trip to China
Chinese historians claim that their civilization originated five thousand years ago and is one of the oldest in the world. In the Celestial Empire, there are 47 World Heritage Sites according to UNESCO, including ten are magnificent natural monuments, and another seventeen are recognized as masterpieces of human creative genius. Any trip to China for a European is an amazing adventure and immersion in a completely different culture, which seems exotic and unusual, from writing to national cuisine.
Important points
- A Russian tourist needs a visa to travel to the People's Republic of China. The exception is the special administrative region of Hong Kong, where you can fly for a period of no more than two weeks with only a valid passport.
- English in China is mainly spoken by the attendants of large hotels in the capital and residents of the same Hong Kong. Otherwise, communication may be problematic, and therefore an English-speaking or Russian-speaking guide-translator during a tour of China is not a luxury, but a means of survival.
- In large cities, free wireless Internet is available in hotels, restaurants and other public places, and for calls abroad and within the country, it is most rational to purchase a local SIM card.
- The most favorable foreign exchange rate is for dollars and euros. Rubles will also be bought, but they will be offered an unattractive price for them.
- Credit cards are accepted in all major stores and hotels. For payments in souvenir shops, street cafes and in the provinces, it is important to have cash with you.
- Credit card purchases include a service fee and no discounts. As a result, the selected product will cost 1-2% more than the cost on the price tag.
Choosing wings
Several air carriers operate direct regular flights to the Middle Kingdom from Moscow:
- On the wings of Aeroflot, you can go to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. Travel time will be 10, 9 and 7.5 hours, respectively.
- S7 will deliver travelers to the capital of China from Moscow, Vladivostok, Irkutsk and Novosibirsk. Their charter flights land during the summer season and at the international airport on Hainan Island.
- Chinese aviators also offer their services to transport passengers from the Russian capital to Beijing and Shanghai. Tickets for these destinations are sold by China Airlines and China Eastern, respectively.
Do you want to spend almost a week listening to the measured sound of wheels? The Yaroslavsky railway station of the capital offers to use trains to Beijing, following through Ulan Bator and Zabaikalsk. In the first case, you will need a transit visa for Mongolia. The price of the issue is about 14,000 round-trip, which is at least two times cheaper than the cost of a plane ticket.
Hotel or apartment?
Only world-famous hotels are subject to classical standards in the Middle Kingdom. Chinese hotels have special parameters according to which the star level is assigned. The quality of service in such hotels is significantly lower than that of similar ones in Europe, and therefore, when booking a room, you should carefully study the reviews of previous guests. So the breakfast menu may contain entirely local cuisine, and the staff will not be able to answer an elementary question due to their lack of knowledge of English.
The price per night in an average Chinese "three-ruble note" in Beijing will range from $ 35 to $ 50, while the hotel will have free Wi-Fi, and the nearest metro station is a few minutes' walk away.
Hong Kong is very expensive in all respects and prices for its hotels, even in remote areas from the center, start from $ 70-$ 80. Hong Kong "treshka" - these are cramped small rooms, which may not even have a wardrobe, and the shower in the bathroom will be located directly above the toilet.
Prices for hotels in the PRC skyrocket on the eve and during the celebration of the Chinese New Year. If you plan to visit the country in the second half of winter, be prepared for the crowds on the street, crowded transport and the unreasonably high cost of even a bed in a simple hostel.
But prudent Chinese usually do not rent apartments for a short time, or the price per day will be no lower than in a hotel.
Transport subtleties
From the point of view of saving time, it is best to travel around the country by plane. The developed network of local airports allows you to cover significant distances quickly and, in general, not expensive. Asian low-cost airlines offer flights between cities in China for $ 20-$ 30 and even lower.
It is advantageous to buy train tickets for short distances. A few hours in a soft compartment at night will help to save on the cost of a day at the hotel, and daytime flights in hard seats will be very cheap and will turn out to be a good version of a sightseeing tour of the Middle Kingdom in parallel.
In cities, it is most profitable to purchase magnetic cards, which give almost half a discount on public transport and are replenished at special ticket offices at metro stations.
It is very unprofitable for a foreigner to order a taxi in a hotel, but literally around the corner you can catch a car one and a half times cheaper. Be sure to carry with you a business card of the hotel where you are staying. This will help to avoid the difficulties of translation when communicating with Chinese taxi drivers who are in no hurry to learn foreign languages.
Save a few RMB
China will not seem too expensive even for an average tourist, especially since during the trip you can save additional money:
- Children under 110 cm in height enjoy free admission to museums and attractions.
- You do not need a ticket to visit the National Museum of China in Beijing. Among the exhibits is an authentic sculpture of a warrior from the famous Terracotta Army.
- It costs only two yuan to enter the park in the north of the Forbidden City, which offers the best panoramic views of this ancient landmark of the Chinese capital.
The perfect trip to China
When planning a trip to the Middle Kingdom, take into account the weather in the part of the country where you will find yourself. You can sunbathe on the beaches of Hainan all year round, but be prepared for the fact that it can be windy in winter and even cool in the evening.
Beijing is often humid, frosty in winter and too hot and stuffy in summer due to polluted air. The best time to travel to the capital of China is March and April, when precipitation is unlikely and the air temperature is comfortable for long walks.
