July 18, 2011
by admin
in China Travel Advice, Travel Tips
Tags: China, Eight, Eight Tips, Eight Tips for Traveling, Eight Tips for Traveling in China, tips, Tips for Traveling in China, Traveling, Traveling in China
Bargaining
What’s the fun of buying something if you have to pay full price?
Bargaining to the Chinese is like seduction to the French. You are creating a relationship with the merchant, not a price war. Remember to establish a friendly rapport first. Shouting, arguing and pointing are not very seductive. Smiling, being friendly, offering to buy more for a better price are.
Open-air markets and privately run stores are best for bargaining. Large department stores have set prices, but don’t be afraid to ask, “Can you offer me a better price?” Clerks will be more than happy to point out sales and other bargains in their stores. More
June 27, 2011
by admin
in China Travel Advice
Tags: 11, 11 Essential Tips, 11 Essential Tips for Traveling, China, Essential. Tips, Tips for Traveling By Train In China, Train, Traveling
China has an intricate network of trains that connect amost anywhere you would like to go in the country. For many people in China, tourists and locals alike, trains are the first choice because they are cheap and convenient. Here are 11 things you’ll want to know for train travel in China.1) There are four classes when traveling by train in China. Most expensive to least is as follows: soft sleeper ?? ru?nwò, hard sleeper ?? yìngwò, soft seat ?? ru?n zuò, hard seat ?? yìngzuò. Sometimes there is only one seat class on a train. Occasionally there are standing class tickets as well. For overnight train trips, be sure to purchase a soft or hard sleeper. Either will allow you to sleep on the overnight trip (you will not want to sit for a 12-16 hour trip). The soft sleeper shares bunks with 4 people, while the hard sleeper shares with 6. The soft sleeper also has more room to sleep in. My personal recommendation is to get a bottom bunk ?? xià pù (slightly more expensive). It is much easier to get out at night if you have to go the bathroom. You also have much more headroom for when you want to read or use your computer. Your other alternatives are middle or upper bunks, or just upper for a soft sleeper. Be sure to have your passport handy. If you are in a soft-sleeper bunk, a train employee will ask for your passport number.
2) You can purchase food on the train, but it is best to bring your own. Food on the dinner cart is small-portioned, overpriced, and not all that good. Make sure to bring drinks, snacks, a sandwich from Subway (if possible), and a few beers if you’d like.
3) Traveling around certain holidays, namely National Holiday (October 1st-8th) or Spring Festival (early February), can be a complete mess. You should prepare to book your tickets as early as possible, which is usually about 2 weeks. You may want to have a backup plan in mind because it is possible that all the tickets will have been booked out by students who are allowed to book even earlier than regular passengers.
4) Trains leave on time. I have never taken a train that didn’t leave within a couple minutes of its scheduled departure time. You will be allowed to board up to 5 minutes before departure time.
5) You can buy your tickets at the train station, or at kiosks around Chinese cities. The kiosks only charge a 5 kuai commission that is well worth it to avoid the sometimes horrendously long lines at stations. Tickets, as of now, cannot be purchased online. In non-peak travel times, 2-3 days before travel should be ample time to buy your ticket.
6) Bring some magazines, e-readers, iPod, ect. Traveling by train is not the most exciting thing. And because you will mostly travel at night, you will not even have a chance to see the country side. Make sure your batteries are charged for the trip!
7) If you cannot speak Chinese, there will often times be a ticket seller at train stations who can sell you a ticket in English. Don’t expect too much, though. It’s likely they speak just enough English to sell you that said ticket.
Don’t freak out! Chinese trains are mostly full of Chinese people, doing Chinese things. It’s likely you will see people spitting on the train floor. It’s disgusting, I know. But theres not a whole lot you can do about it.
9) Be very wary of your belongings. Theft is commonplace on Chinese trains. ALWAYS sleep with your valuable under your pillow or close to your head. You have less to worry about in a soft sleeper bunk, but still take precautions.
10) Don’t plan anything too important for the next morning. Even though you skip out on having to pay for a hotel for one night, you don’t often get the best night of sleep on a train. I usually find myself needing a nap the next day, or at the very least, a hot shower before I go out and enjoy the days activities. So plan accordingly for your morning arrival.
11) When deciding to travel by train or airplane, consider that train stations are often much closer to city centers, and hence, closer to your hotel or guest house. Security for traveling by train is also very minimal, making it easier to get in and out of the station.
