12 China travel tips you must know for hassle-free travel as a foreigner

Hey, travelling to China soon? Here are 12 China Travel Tips you should know before travelling to China. 

As you see, travelling in China is quite different from travelling in other destinations. For example, Google Map that we are so dependent on for navigation and reviews would not be useful in China. Also, many websites and apps would not load when you are on China’s network. This include common apps such as Whatsapp. 

Therefore, before I start sharing my China travelogue, I thought I should share some quick and essential China Travel Tips. Hope this can make travelling easy, especially if you are new to travelling in China. 

>> RELATED: 2 Weeks in China: From Beijing to Xi’An and many stops in between

 

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12 China Travel Tips: How to prep for your trip?

The tips I’ll be sharing with you were gathered from my recent travel to Guangzhou, Beijing and Xi’an and numerous places around these cities.

This does not make me an expert in China, so do feel free to correct me or add on to the list (via comments) if you feel there are more things everyone should be aware of.

Without any further ado, let’s start with tip number 1 – how to navigate in China? 

1. Be Familiar with Baidu Map (China Travel Tips)

While Google map may work in China (if you are on mobile data vs China’s network), location markings are either off or non-existent, especially in lesser-known destinations. 

Therefore, you’ll need to pivot and familiarise yourself with Baidu map. Through Baidu, you can gather useful travel insights such as user reviews, attractions info and “destination strategy”.

Try to create an account before landing in China so that you can “star” and save your favourite locations.

I recall that registering for China apps and accounts isn’t hassle-free especially for foreigners. You would need to be very patient as the rewards would be well worth the initial hassle. This is especially so if you see yourself visiting China often and venturing out of major cities often on free-and-easy. 

2. Download Alipay & WeChat before landing in China 

In most food outlets in China, you’ll be placing your food orders through your mobile, or specifically through Alipay or WeChat. Hence, do make sure you have these apps readily downloaded. 

Not only are Alipay and WeChat used commonly for food orders, they are also the two key apps for making payments everywhere – from shops to even trains and buses. 

Do you need to download both Alipay and WeChat?

Yes. Please download both as some restaurants accept food ordering or payment through either one of them. 

Is cash accepted in China?

You may wonder if cash is accepted in China. Yes, it is accepted, but based on my experience, I believe it is not preferred. I recall taking a buggy ride from an elderly (over 80 years old). When I asked if I could pay cash, he looked very hesitant. 

Do I need to bring cash to China? 

Yes, you have to, but don’t bring too much. For my 2 weeks travel, I used less than SGD50 of China yuan. But you need to make sure you have some on hand as there may be situations in which your e-payment may not work. 

One instance was when we travelled to Chaozhou (Teochew) city on a public holiday. We couldn’t get a taxi and had to lug our luggage up public buses. While the locals could pay for the bus ride by tapping their mobile phone, it didn’t work for foreigners (the app required us to key in China IC number). So we inserted a 50 yuan note – the smallest note we had at that time.

This made the bus ride more expensive than a taxi ride. Did I tell you that we were sandwiched in the bus, without a seat for an hour? And after we alighted, we had to lug our luggage a long distance over extremely uneven roads to get to the hotel. Oh my! So memorable. LOL!  

3. You can use Alipay for subway rides (or even buses)

I’d shared that in point 2. But just to reiterate again that you should be able to board subways (or MRT) in most cities using Alipay. We did that in Guangzhou, Beijing and Xi’an and some other lesser known cities and towns.

Remember to first add a payment card in Alipay – I would recommend one with good forex, e.g. Youtrip, Wise or Trust. 

For subway, open your Alipay app and ensure the location is changed to the city you are in (see top left corner in screengrab below). Then click the “Transport” tab.

In your first attempt, you’ll be prompted to activate the “e-boarding QR”.  Thereafter, just scan the QR at the train gantry (look out for a squarish black reader). 

NEW: In Sep 2024, Beijing metro can also accept “tap-and-go” payment via foreign Mastercard and Visa. 

 

Did you know: Alipay has many mini apps within it, such as DiDi Travel (a ride-hailing app) and even HelloRide (rent bicycle). I often used the former to book my “taxi” ride.

4. Bring a good power bank (China Travel Tips)

You’ll be using your phone a lot in China – from transport and payment all the way to food ordering. Hence, you may find your phone battery running low quickly. 

Also, I believe I’d received phone alerts that some local mobile apps can drain battery quite quickly. So, do ensure you have with you a good power bank at all time (and fully charged).

5. Purchase enough mobile data 

In China, you will not be able to access some (many) websites or even use Whatsapp unless you are on your own mobile data. This means that you may be using mobile data instead of hotel WIFI even when you are resting in the hotel. 

Hence, do ensure you purchase enough mobile data. I find that 1GB per day works fine for me (I don’t surf a lot of video).

6. Rent and drive in China isn’t straightforward for foreigners

We normally enjoy self-drive when we travel as it’s logistically easier. However, in China, it isn’t that straight forward. I understand that International license is not recognised in China. 

To be able to drive in China, you need to have a China license and getting that can be time-consuming. It may be better off getting a car that comes with driver. But we typically prefer not to have a stranger travel with us. :)  

Fortunately, China has a very good public transport system and network. Pretty impressive actually!

>> RELATED: Road Trips in Asia

• 14-days road trip in Kyushu
• Self-drive Itinerary in Okinawa
• 2 Weeks Osaka, Kobe and more by rental car
• Self-drive in Central Taiwan: 9 Days Travelogue

 

7. Board high-speed train using “manual” channel (China Travel Tips)

When boarding a high-speed train in China, there would be many lines in the queue.

Join the one at either the extreme left or right of the boarding gantry that is manned by a human. The staff would help scan your passport through the system. 

How to buy train ticket? You can buy directly from 12306.cn (website or mobile app) or do so through Trip.com.  

8. Pack instant noodle, coffee & cup to high-speed train

High-speed train has hot water dispenser. Although we would normally eat before boarding the train, some of our rides were a few hours long. 

To ensure we wouldn’t go hungry and to have hot food to savor on the train, we packed cup noodles on board. Another tip – I would also pack an empty mug and coffee sachet or teabag so that I can enjoy a sip while enjoying the train ride.

Not sure if it’s just me. But I find eating and drinking on board a train or plane a delightful experience. :)

9. Carry your passports everywhere you go

You need passport to board train and enter attractions in China (assuming you’d purchased or booked the tickets online). At an MRT near Tiananmen, I also had to scan my passport before I could leave the station.

So, remember. Don’t leave your passport in the hotel safe.

10. Bring western-style tea and coffee 

Most hotels in China either do not provide coffee and tea, or if they do, only offer Chinese tea. Hence, if you are a coffee lover or prefer Western over Chinese tea, do pack some from your home country. 

Also, there aren’t as many places in China selling coffee as there would be in other countries. Whenever we crave for a cuppa, we would look for either Luckin Coffee, Starbucks, KFC or McDonald’s. 

11. Bring portable fan if you travel during hot months

We visited Beijing, Xi’an and all the places in between in September. It’s supposed to be autumn, but was freaking hot! So hot that we had to stay indoor during the day on some days. 

So bring or buy a portable fan! It would be extremely useful.

12. Download Google translate especially if you don’t speak Chinese

We’d travelled in small cities and towns in China, and found that most people do not speak or understand English. So if you intend to travel to places off the tourist map, do ensure you have Google translate ready.

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That’s all I have for you today. What would come next would be my travelogue to Beijing, Xi’an and several cities and towns in between (most are off tourists’ map). I really enjoyed travelling in China as there are so many beautiful sights and experiences. Plus public transport system is solid, and the city is well digitalised in many aspects. 

So stay tuned and stay connected in which I’ll share my experience – just click the button below. Thank you for reading and see you soon!

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