BeachGirl247

We've added a few days to our itinerary to allow us to visit Xi'an. We would like at least two days, maybe three so we may take it at a slow pace rather than hurrying through the sites.

Shanghai sounds like we would enjoy wandering the streets of French Concession and Old City more than gazing at the sky scrapers and shopping. DS has no interest in the museum so that will be on the "rainy day" list. That being said, I'm not sure that I want more than 2 1/2 days in Shanghai.

But, I'll rely upon the wisdom of my fellow fodorites.

What would you do? Below is our itinerary with day 3 and 4 in question. Would you add Shanghai overnight to Day 3 and take one day off of Xi'an? Or, take a day out of Beijing and add either Shanghai or Xi'an (3 day max on Xi'an)?

Day 1: arrive Shanghai 1:45. check in. Wander. Eat.
Day 2: Shanghai
Day 3: Shanghai all day. Take night train to Xi'an.
Day 4: Xi'an
Day 5: Xi'an
Day 6: Xi'an all day. Night train to Beijing
Day 7: arr Beijing 7:20am.
Day 8: Beijing
Day 9: Beijing
Day 10: hike Great Wall at Simatai
Day 11: Beijing (either overnight here or take evening train to Tianjin)
Day 12: Tianjin
Day 13: travel home

Thanks for your help! It's coming too soon -- just under a month away!
BeachGirl

HappyMom32

Hi BeachGirl

Are you going to Tongli? If not yet planned, I recommend you take Day 3 to Tongli and spend Day 4 in Shanghai.

two full days 5 and 6 should be enough for the highlights of Xian.

If you are flying home from Beijing, I think Tianjin can be done as a day trip to minimize checking in and out. If you fly home from Tianjin, I think your plan now is good.

Have a fabulous trip.

BeachGirl247

Hi HappyMom, I've read your posts recently and they have helped me very much.

I considered adding a day trip to Tong Li but thought that was too much trains, planes and automobiles for a short time. No?

I've heard so many comments on Xi'an "I wish we had more time". I don't want to plan too much each day. Just "being" is good for us sometimes to enjoy our surroundings and not go-go-go. That's what I'm worried I was doing by adding a river city.

Tianjin is to drop of ds at school so we have to have a full day there to familiarize him with the city and his apartment.

thursdaysd

If you're not interested in shopping or the museum I would keep time in Shanghai to a minimum. You'll find plenty to do in Xi'an.

BeachGirl247

Thanks, thursday, I was wondering about that but wanted to hear from those of you that have been there.

What changes, if any, would you make to the Shanghai portion of our trip (2.5 days)?

thursdaysd

Are you flying in from the US? If so, you'll need time to get over jet lag. I was thinking of suggesting a day trip to Suzhou or Hangzhou, but it does depend on how alert you'll be.

BTW - do try to convince DS to visit the museum - or go without him! I went back to Shanghai solely to spend more time in the museum (lovely, lovely jade on the top floor, some dating back to the Neolithic Age). The building itself is worth seeing, plus it's a good intro to China. OTH, I've been to Xi'an three times, and would go back.

Nywoman

Agree with thursdaysd. Xi'An rather than Shanghai. If your son tryly does not want to see the museum, leave him in the park and visit it by yourself. It is one of the not to be missed museums in my opinion.

He will most likely be picked up by some fake students from somewhere else, who have friends that are doing an art exhibition, or going to see a tea ceremony. Tell him to decline both invitations, unless he wants to part with a lot of money.

BeachGirl247

Thank you all. Yes, we are flying from the US.

We are considering a river city day trip but it sounds like it is a lot of moving a round in such a short amount of time. Check out. Taxi to train station-train to Suzhou - walk to bus - bus to Tong Li. Visit. Take bus back to the train, the train back to Shanghai in time to catch our 8:05pm Ztrain to Xi'an. And we would have our luggage in tow as well. I'm tired just thinking about that.

Is Xi'an a nice place to relax as well as visiting the sites? If it isn't then we'll rethink all of this.

From your responses, we have moved the museum up the list.

Thanks.

thursdaysd

"Is Xi'an a nice place to relax" - well, it's a big city, like so many places in China. However, I enjoyed wandering round the back streets (assuming the older buildings haven't been knocked down and replaced by glass and concrete by now), and I found a nice park. The Muslim quarter used to be a good place for a stroll, too. But if you want somewhere really relaxing you need to get off the tourist track and out into the countryside, and you don't really have time for that.

Shanghainese

Visiting China's major cities is no way a relaxing trip, there will be crowds everywhere. The french concession in Shanghai is nice to stroll but there are office and residential highrises on every block except a few. The old city area is a big crowded shopping bazaar with a garden in the middle. Tell us what DS likes so we may make some suggestions.

BeachGirl247

Thank you. I'm actually looking to stay in the French Concession -- more my speed!

DS is 28 and is going along for the ride with us before we drop him off in Tianjin for 4 months. He's really good about going with the flow but I know how museums aren't his first choice but I mentioned to him how special it is and he wants to go with us.

The three of us like the major sites, of course, but also like to get lost on side streets and find cafes and parks where the locals hang out. A little of both sightseeing and strolls is good for us. We do not speak Mandarin so I hope this doesn't prevent us from enjoying non-touristy sites of the cities.

BeachGirl247

*typo* DS is only 25. (DD is 28.)

thursdaysd

"We do not speak Mandarin" - take a guide book with place names in characters. Take a phrase book ditto (you canNOT rely on people reading pinyin on the mainland). Do not leave your hotel without the card with the hotel name in characters to show to taxi drivers.

I believe the places you are going have more English signage around than they used to because of the Olympics. In very small eating places be prepared to point at other people's food. In places off the beaten track I've been known to go into the kitchen and point at ingredients, but not in Beijing or Shanghai.

Doesn't DS speak Mandarin?

BeachGirl247

DS does not speak Mandarin. The school is a US business school and while there he will learn basics but nothing in depth. My husband has an office there so he will get some training from them while there but nothing other than niceties learned before he leaves with us.

I have a list of things to print to carry with us with the Chinese characters. I'm gathering everything I can -- restaurants, bars, sites -- all with the characters to help ease our language gap.

I also ordered "Me No Speak" & "Point It" to help us with the communication gap. (We also other travel guides with phrases.)

We're pretty adventurous and not shy so we're looking at this as a new adventure! One I'm sure that will give us many stories to tell once we're home!

BeachGirl247

OK. I've put a day trip in for Tong Li or Suzhou (whichever makes sense for a day trip)>
I took one day out of Xian leaving 2 days there, and putting the river city trip in between Shanghai days so I would have to rush back to catch the 8:05pm train.

Is this better?

Day 1: arrive Shanghai 1:45. check in. Wander. Eat.
Day 2: Shanghai
Day 3: Day Trip: Suzhou OR Tong Li
Day 4: Shanghai all day. Then take night train to Xi'an.
Day 5: Xi'an
Day 6: Xi'an all day. Night train to Beijing
Day 7: arr Beijing 7:20am.
Day 8: Beijing
Day 9: Beijing
Day 10: hike Great Wall at Simatai
Day 11: Beijing (either overnight here or take evening train to Tianjin)
Day 12: Tianjin
Day 13: travel home

Booking hotels this weekend!

thursdaysd

You do know that if you go to Suzhou you can take the train to Xi'an from there? I'd be inclined to go to Suzhou the afternoon of Day 3, and spend the night there. Plenty to do for a full day, and you could take in the evening performance at the master of Nets garden. (See wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004/index.html - China on Holiday)

BeachGirl247

Great suggestion, thursday.

I was looking to buy the Z train from Shanghai to Xi'an (non-stop).

Would I be changing trains in Shanghai if I took the train from Suzhou?

thursdaysd

I haven't looked at the schedule lately, but I took a train from Suzhou to Xi'an without backtracking to Shanghai. If you wanted the non-stop Z train, though, you'd have to go back to Shanghai.

BeachGirl247

You are correct. I checked chinatraintickets.net and the Z train from Suzhou would go to Beijing. Only T & K trains available from Suzhou to Xi'an. Z train to Xi'an departs from Shanghai.

I'll start a different post regarding the train questions. Thank you so much.

BeachGirl247

OK. I guess the above itinerary will be the day trip only to either Tong Li or Suzhou and then take the train back to Shanghai. Spend the night. And, tour Shanghai for the day until the 8:05pm Z train to Xi'an.

Does that work? If so, which would you choose? I've heard Tong Li is preferred my some over Suzhou but it also requires taking a bus after the train ride. Is this too much travel time for one day? (Travel would be on a Monday if that helps decide.)

Thanks again very much!!