Your first trip to China
starts here
Visas, payments, data, transport and stays — sort the important things before you fly, and find answers fast on the road.
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Four things to sort before you fly
These are the four steps first-timers most often get stuck on. Do them in order.
- 01Check your entry routeMany nationalities can visit visa-free for up to 30 days; passing through to a third country, 240-hour transit may apply.Do I Need a Visa for China?
- 02Set up mobile paymentsAlipay and WeChat Pay support eligible foreign cards; check the payment screen for fees and promotions, and keep cash as a backup.How to Pay in China
- 03Sort out mobile dataCheck roaming or travel-eSIM compatibility and activation before departure; ask an official carrier store about passport-based local SIM registration.Internet, SIMs & eSIMs in China
- 04Learn to book trainsTrain tickets are issued in your name; book with your passport on 12306, usually from 15 days ahead.Booking Trains in China
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Browse by topic
Eight topics covering the practical side of a trip, from planning to leaving.
Entry & Visas
Visa-free entry, transit, visas, arrival card and border
Many nationalities can visit visa-free for up to 30 days; passing through to a third country, 240-hour transit may apply.
- Do I Need a Visa for China?Find the entry route that fits your passport, length of stay and itinerary.
- Understanding China’s 240-Hour TransitEligible countries, ports, permitted areas, timing and the third-country rule.
- Your First Day in ChinaArrival card, border and customs, then getting online, paying and reaching your stay.
Money & Payments
Alipay and WeChat Pay with a foreign card, cash and ATMs
Alipay and WeChat Pay support eligible foreign cards; check the payment screen for fees and promotions, and keep cash as a backup.
- How to Pay in ChinaAlipay first, WeChat Pay as backup: card linking, fees and limits, cash as a fallback.
- When a Payment FailsWhy cards fail to link, payments get declined or accounts are limited — and the fix for each.
- Cash & ATMsHow much cash to bring, where to exchange or withdraw, and using small change.
Internet & Apps
Roaming, travel eSIM or local SIM, codes and essential apps
Check roaming or travel-eSIM compatibility and activation before departure; ask an official carrier store about passport-based local SIM registration.
- Internet, SIMs & eSIMs in ChinaRoaming, travel eSIM or local SIM — and how to keep receiving verification codes.
- Essential Apps for ChinaPayments, maps, ride-hailing, translation and bookings — installed and signed in before you fly.
- Not Getting Verification Codes?Why sign-up and card codes don’t arrive, dual-SIM setup and alternatives.
Getting Around
Train tickets and high-speed rail, airport transfers, taxis and metro
Train tickets are issued in your name; book with your passport on 12306, usually from 15 days ahead.
- Booking Trains in China12306 sign-up and passport check, sale windows, ticket status and boarding.
- Train Sold Out? What to DoWaitlisting, other trains and classes, split tickets and backup transport.
- From the Airport to the CityMajor airports including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu: metro, express lines and taxis.
- Taxis, Ride-Hailing & MetroHailing cars via Alipay or DiDi, riding metros by QR code, and addresses in Chinese for drivers.
- Domestic FlightsWhen flying beats the train, booking names, baggage and power-bank rules.
Stays & Bookings
Passport check-in, accommodation registration, sights and restaurants
Hotels must register foreign guests and cannot refuse solely for lacking foreign-guest qualifications. Register non-hotel stays promptly and check sight reservations.
- Hotels & Accommodation RegistrationPassport check-in, hotel registration duties and registration in friends’ homes or other non-hotel stays.
- Booking AttractionsOfficial channels for the Forbidden City and other sights, passport details and booking windows.
- Restaurant Bookings & QueuesBooking and queueing for a table without a Chinese number, and ordering online.
Planning
When to go, holiday crowds, budget, routes and packing
Choose seasons by destination and check the year’s holiday calendar; the 2026 National Day holiday is 1–7 October.
- China Pre-Trip ChecklistWhat to sort early and what to check before you fly: documents, payments, internet, bookings, backups.
- Best Time to Visit ChinaWeather and crowds month by month, and how Chinese New Year and Golden Week change things.
- Planning Your First RouteClassic 7, 10 and 14-day routes: which cities pair well and how many nights each.
- What a China Trip CostsThree illustrative budgets and a calculation method, adjusted using actual hotel, transport, food and ticket quotes.
- Packing ListPlugs and adapters, power-bank flight rules, medicines and your day bag.
Food & Etiquette
Ordering and dietary needs, water, plugs and tipping
Restaurants, taxis and hotels generally don’t expect tips; ordering by scanning a table QR code is common.
Safety & Help
Common scams, lost passport or phone, medical help and emergencies
Mainland emergency numbers: police 110, ambulance 120, fire 119. Hong Kong and Macao use different numbers.
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When something goes wrong
Start from what happened and go straight to the fix.
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Pre-trip checklist
Ticks are saved in this browser, so you can come back to it.
1When you decide to go
2As plans take shape
3Before you fly
4On arrival and on the road
Ready? Start planning your route
Pick cities and plan your days on one map.