peterad

For my 10 day China trip I was thinking :

Beijing 4 days
to Datong 2 days
back to Beijing to fly to
Xian for 3 days
back to Beijing to fly home.

this would be in early November. Shanghi as another big city doesn't terribly interest me, and the weather seems like it should be ok in these places.
Any feedback, esp the fastest way to get to and from Datong would be appreciated (prior post confused me with all the train info)

Thanks!

thursdaysd

What was confusing? Unless there's a flight, you'll probably want to take the train. Even if there is a flight, the train may be faster city center to city center.

peterad

I thought flying to Xian would be faster than the train.

Is the only way to get to Datong to and fro to Beijing by overnight train? I'm really trying to maximize our sightseeing and don't mind paying extra for speed.
also, is the weather in Datong nice in November?
thanks

thursdaysd

It's about six hours to Datong by train, so unless you want to leave very late or arrive very early you may need a day train. See http://www.chinatravelguide.com/ctgw...earch?method=1 The night train from Beijing works well for Xi'an, but I only see day trains from Datong to Xi'an.

I don't know about flights, I take the train. I would imagine it will be cold in Datong in November, but you can check at weatherunderground.com.

HappyMom32

You can fly with Air China to Datong from PEK. It is a short flight of about 45 minutes at 7:30 AM. We paid around 50 USD for the one way ticket.

peterad

Thanks !!!!

P.S. Would Xiamen be a smarter choice for our trip?

peterad

Was the airport inconvienient in Datong?

HappyMom32

Datong airport is small but adequate. There are taxis waiting outside for hire. Datong is very nice. The Hanging Temple and the Yongang Caves are quite special and are definitely worth a trip.

peterad

Is it practical to squeeze in any other towns in this itinerary by cutting out a day in Xian etc., or is that pushing it to much?