Once you’ve done some research and decided where you want to go, you’ll probably want to write an itinerary to create a clear plan for your entire trip. The primary purpose of the itinerary is to help you to plan your trip in a way that you will be able to see all that you want in the time you have and execute your plan smoothly. A secondary purpose for your itinerary could be to leave a copy at home with contact information so that others can know where you will be and how to reach you case of emergencies.
One useful format for an itinerary is to make bullet points with the dates that you will be on your trip. Under each date you can then put where you will be and what you plan to do that day. A more general format could just list the cities and how long you plan to stay in each.
The level of detail you put in your itinerary is up to you, but you will probably want to at least consider what cities you will be going to, how you plan to travel from city to city, where you plan to stay, and at least a general idea of what you want to do in each city. Most other decision can be made once you arrive; though planning them out in more detail before you leave will most likely be beneficial.
Destination cities
As you consider the cities that you would like to visit and the order you would like to visit them you will want to consult a map. Most likely you will want to plan so that you move from one city to the next closest city and move around in a systematic order. This way you will be able to save on time and cost of transportation. Where you begin will most likely depend on where you fly into. Generally you will fly into either Beijing or Shanghai, though you could fly to Hong Kong and enter the country that way.
To determine which cities you will go to and how long you would like to stay in each city consult a guidebook and travel websites (see additional resources). Try to get a feeling for how much there is to do in each city. You may not want to plan out every single thing you want to do in a city, but the more you plan the more likely you will get to do what you want to do. But remember to plan for change, because you may find that things are different than you expected when you arrive.
Additional Resources: (see “What resources are available?” for additional details)
www.realtravel.com – travel advice from real people
www.lonelyplanet.com – travel information for cities
Travel between cities
As you plan where you will go you will also need to consider how you will get there. The amount of planning you can do for your itinerary will depend on what type of transportation you chose to take. For instance plane tickets can be arranged before you leave, but you’ll have to buy train and bus tickets once you get there.
You will probably use a combination of the different modes of transportation throughout your trip. For closer cities you will probably want to take a train or bus to reduce cost, but for a farther city you should plan on traveling by air to reduce travel time. Below are additional details for the three main methods of transportation air, train, and bus.
Air
Traveling by plane is the fastest and generally most convenient way to travel, but it is also the most expensive. For connecting distant cities traveling by air is your best option.
Tickets can be booked online before hand, but you can also get them once you arrive (often even the day of the flight). There are many ticketing services throughout China that help you purchase tickets with good discounts. You can find them by asking at the place you stay if they have the service or know where one is. You may be able to get better pricing from inside the country, but you may decide it is better to have the arrangements already made. Your best option is to get e-tickets which you can pickup once you arrive in the airport.
You should plan on arriving at the airport an hour early for your flights. You should also plan on the possibility that your flight may get cancelled. If there are not enough passengers on a flight to make it profitable, the airline may simply cancel the flight and most likely won’t be able to notify you before hand. They will arrange for you to be on a later flight, but this can be very inconvenient if you have a tight schedule. Plan accordingly to avoid frustrations.
Train
Trains offer an inexpensive way to get from city to city. China’s railway system is extensive and you will have little problem getting to most cities via train. For some smaller or more remote cities, however, you may also have to take a bus. Trains are also a great way to meet people and have good conversations.
In addition to seated trains there are also “sleeper” trains in which you get a bed on the train and travel during the night. The sleeper trains are an excellent travel option because by traveling at night you don’t waste large amounts of time on travel and you save money on a place to stay at the same time. For instance you can board a train from Shanghai headed for Beijing in the evening around 9:00pm and arrive in Beijing around 8:00am the next morning ready to start the day. You need to be careful of your belongings on the sleeper trains, however, or you may find that someone has cut your bag and stolen them during the night. Try to push your bags as far under the bottom bunk as you can.
Tickets can be purchased either at the railway station or through a ticket booking service. A booking service will generally have a small fee, but it may be worth it if it saves you a trip to the train station. Tickets can only be bought from the city which you are leaving from. So if you are in Shanghai, you cannot buy a ticket from Beijing to Xi’an. There are also restrictions on how early you can purchase your tickets. Generally you cannot purchase tickets more than 5-7 days in advance. If you happen to be traveling during a peak travel time for the Chinese, train tickets will be difficult to get, even a few days in advance. Otherwise you shouldn’t have much difficultly getting your tickets. If you know when you want to leave a city, a good option is to buy your tickets when you first arrive. You will already be at the station and then you won’t have to worry about getting the tickets later. Tickets can generally be exchanged if you decide to change to a different time or if you miss your train. You should plan on being at the station at least 15-20 minutes before your train leaves.
Time tables and costs can be found online so you know which trains leave when. You’ll need to know some Chinese characters, however, to use these sites. The train station will also have a listing of times posted, or you can just ask what times are available when you buy your tickets.
Bus
The bus system operates similar to the train system in China. There are sleeper buses, which travel overnight, as well as day buses. They are often cramped and the beds in the night buses are very uncomfortable for taller individuals. Tickets are very inexpensive, however, and for some locations buses may be your only option.
Similar to train tickets, bus tickets can be purchased at the station or at a ticket service. Time tables for buses are not as readily accessible, however. Guidebooks may list some bus times that will be helpful in planning but make sure you get the correct times at either the station or a ticket service once you arrive. Tickets are generally easy to get, even on the day of the trip, but you may want to buy them earlier to be safe.
Additional Resources: (see “What resources are available?” for additional details)
Lonely Planet – Transport (p906-925)
Eyewitness – Travel information (p624-633)
www.ctrip.com –plane tickets
http://www.piao.com.cn/en_piao/shouye.asp - plane tickets
www.elong.com – plane tickets
www.huoche.com.cn/ – train time tables (in Chinese)
www.shike.org.cn/TrnInfo/ - train time tables (in Chinese)
Accommodations
There are a wide range of accommodations throughout China but for your trip hostels will most likely be the best choice. You may, however, decide that you want to stay in hotels for a few added comforts. Below are some considerations for choosing between the two as well as what types of rooms are available.
Hostel vs. hotel
The distinction between a hotel and a hostel is often not very clear, but here the distinction will be that hotels are generally higher end accommodations offering a more comfortable stay for tour groups, while hostels cater to those traveling on their own and on a tighter budget. Hotels will offer greater comfort at a much greater price. 5 star hotels (highest ranking) can be found in all major cities and many smaller ones as well – especially popular tourist cities.
For your trip you will most likely want to stay in hostels - both to save money and because they are designed to help travelers that are on their own. Hostels are generally smaller-scale operations with friendly staff that will love to talk to you and let you know what there is to see around their city. They often provide maps, information on hostels in other cities, laundry service, and travel services, such as ticket booking. The hostel will serve not only as a place to stay but also as a resource for information and other services you’ll need.
Room choices
Most hostels offer decent quality and cleanliness, but expect it to be different than a nice hotel. Generally a hostel will offer your choice of private rooms or dorm rooms. Private rooms will be like a hotel room, though at some hostels you may share a public bathroom. Dorm rooms come in different sizes, anywhere from 4 – 10 people in a room, and you simply get a bed in the room with other travelers you don’t know. Many hostels also provide you with a cupboard in the dorm rooms in which you can lock your belongings in. Dorm rooms will be your cheapest option anywhere for accommodations.
Booking online
Many hotels and most hostels can be booked online before you leave. You can check online (see below) to find different hostels and then look at them yourself once you get there before deciding if you want to stay there. Many of the online postings offer pictures and a list of services so you can get an idea about a place, but sometimes pictures can be deceiving. There will be a service fee, though, which can be avoided by simply booking once you arrive.
You may decide that having the arrangements made before you go is worth the cost of the service fee, but remember to plan to be flexible. One good option is to book a hostel for just the first night you will be in a city. This way you don’t have to worry about having a place to stay when you get there, but you can choose a different place after your first night if you don’t like it.
Additional Resources: (see “What resources are available?” for additional details)
Eyewitness – Where to Stay (p550-73)
www.hostelChina.com – hostel listings and booking for China
www.hostels.com – worldwide hostel listings and booking
www.hostelworld.com – worldwide hostel listings and booking
www.ineedhotel.com – hotel listings and bookings for China
Sights and activities
As you decide what to do in each city consult a guidebook, travel websites, and previous travelers. You may also want to look at travel agencies planned tour itineraries to get an idea of which sites are most popular. Often though, there is much to do in a city beyond the popular sites. You will probably want to plan some time to rent a bike and travel around, do some shopping in a market, or just wander around the city on your own. Biking offers a great chance to get away from the tourists or even the city itself. If you want to get back into the countryside and meet people, sometimes biking is the best option. Shopping can also be fun even if you don’t really need to buy anything. Simply walking around the city can offer you a great view of what life is like for the average person.
Try not to make your itinerary so packed with just seeing sights that you don’t have time to experience anything or interact with people. You’ll also want to take some time to try the specialty food for the area you’re in. You may not find out some of the best things to do in a city until you arrive there and ask the local people what there is to do. Often times the most popular sights are not the most interesting. Plan ahead, but don’t plan to be so busy that you can’t try something else when you get there.
Additional Resources: (see “What resources are available?” for additional details)
Lonely Planet
Eyewitness
Travel blogs
