Kristina

I've been told on another thread to avoid traveling in China in the first week of May since it's a holiday week. Supposedly everything will be packed and more expensive.

Unfortunately, the best FF tickets I can get now are arriving in Hong Kong on April 29th (Sunday) and departing from Beijing on May 8th (Tuesday). In between the two we hope to go to Xian.

So, is this just a really BAD idea, or, if we book everything in advance (hotels, internal flights) will we be ok?

Kristina

Anyone?

Really, it's so hard to get an itinerary that works for us I'm tempted to just book it even though it will be busy. Better than not going, right?

JC98

My friend and husband (both expats in Shanghai) said they always fly out of country during major holiday weeks to avoid the on-rush of millions of people moving about all over China. It's packed everywhere--at airport, on the road and train-- because they're either going home to visit their families or going on domestic vacation. It's probably best to avoid it.

keldar

Hi Kristina:

As a Canadian working for the present in China all I can say is that the May holiday week is one of the busiest travel weeks in the year. The Chinese and the rest of us who work here get at least a portion of that week as a holiday so we take advantage of it and travel. It is definitely busy for parts of the week and you can pay higher than normal prices for the accommodation. But if you are wanting to save money you could check out some Chinese hotels instead of Western chains. We always book accommodation and inter China flights ahead for that week, so we get what we want and not what's left.
But having said that, we do travel within China that week. So if you are able to use frequent flyer points that week (so flying free)then you will just have to know you will be paying more than you would usually for some other things.

So it's not really that it's a "bad" travel week, just busy. It's like going to the Mediterranean in August or cottage country in Ontario in July or August, it's busy but it's not impossible.

have a great time
regards,

Neil_Oz

We travelled in the October holiday week, which I think is on par with May. It was busy, but we'd booked transport and hotels ahead, and while we'd have preferred another time it wasn't exactly unbearable. China is a crowded place at the best of times.

Cicerone

The thing I dislike about that week and the golden week in October is going places like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City which can be absolutely jammed to the point of impinging on personal safety. I once had a very frightening crowd experience in the Forbidden City during a golden week when we really could not move and were pushed by the crowds and people were almost crushed when they were tripping over the door lintels (which are raised as they are in every temple and ancient building in China). It is that more than crowds in airports and train stations that I don’t like, and why I won’t travel there any more during those weeks. However, as more people get more money in China, restaurants and hotels are going to be more jammed and more expensive during those weeks too, so the FF miles may not turn out to be such a bargain.

Also really if your trip is not until May 2007 I would suggest your consider waiting another year and either gong TO the Olympics or going after the Olympics when all the work is done, the subways and highways are done, the airport is done and all the scaffolding currently surrounding things like the Forbidden City are gone. IMO they will be working quite furiously at this in May 2007 even more than now when there is quite a bit. This applies not only to Beijing but to other major tourist cities which are preparing for the Olympics. I think the Olympics are going to be one of the best ever, but even afterwards everything will be spruced up still and they may want your tourist dollars even more.

petitepois

I visited the Great Wall at Mutianyu during the height of this year's October golden week (I'm an expat in Beijing... we had a visitor... and told him not to come during that time but...) and really, it wasn't that bad. There were some tourists at the wall, but it wasn't overwhelming at all. We were able to pause at spots and not see any other tourists. And I certainly didn't feel like anyone was impinging upon my personal safety (personal space, yes, but not safety.) The Forbidden City was mobbed, of course. But it's always mobbed. Besides, that's Golden Week, right? If you can ONLY come during golden week, come. It will be crowded, but it won't be the WORST MOBS YOU'VE EVER SEEN. You won't be miserable. But, yes, it will be crowded.

Kristina

Thanks for the replies. Oddly, I think it's not the crowds so much that will deter me, but rather the construction for the Olympics. I'm taking my mother and it's been a long time dream of hers to see China. I would hate for her to go and have everything she wants to see obstructed by scaffolding. I think we may wait until after summer 2008.