Practical Guides
The logistics, solved
Read these in order and you will have answered every question that stops first-timers from booking: can I get in, how do I pay, will my phone work, how do I move around, where do I sleep. Each guide is maintained as rules change.
- 01
Who qualifies for China's 240-hour visa-free transit, the 30-day visa-free policy — Canada included since February 2026 — and the paperwork to bring.
- 02
Pick your month by what you want to avoid, not what you want to see. Crowd calendars, regional weather, and the three weeks that can wreck a trip.
- 03
How to link your Visa/Mastercard to Alipay and WeChat Pay before you land in China, what the fees really are, and where you still need cash.
- 04
Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube do not load on a mainland connection. Here is what is blocked, what works instead, and the legitimate way travellers stay online.
- 05
What is blocked in China, why an international travel eSIM sidesteps the Great Firewall, and the exact apps to install before your flight.
- 06
Real numbers for a China trip — flights, high-speed rail, hotels, food and tickets — with three daily budget tiers and the specific things that blow a budget.
- 07
Booking 12306 or Trip.com with a passport, which seat class to pick, station security timing, luggage rules and the routes worth riding — the complete first-timer guide.
- 08
How to use Didi with a foreign phone number and card, what a taxi should cost, how to avoid the airport tout, and what to do when the driver cannot find your hotel.
- 09
Why some Chinese hotels cannot accept foreign passports, how to filter on Trip.com, what registration means for visa-free travelers, and realistic price expectations per city.
- 10
Violent crime against tourists is rare in China. The real risks are pickpocketing, a handful of well-worn scams, and traffic — here is what to watch for in each city.
- 11
Spring Festival moves every year and shuts down more than visitors expect. Here is what stays open, how early to book, and how to handle it if your dates are already fixed.
- 12
The questions people actually ask before a first trip to China — visas, money, phones, trains, safety and language — answered short, with a link to the full guide for each.
