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Beijing 9 days
I just found a really good RT airfare to Beijing in September.
Looking for any ideas anyone has for an itinerary. Should we just stay in Beijing for the entire 10 days? This is a Mother Daughter trip. Any suggestions on lodging are appreciated as well! -:) This was an absolute spur of the moment flight purchase -- ! I appreciate your input! |
Well, there is loads to do in Beijing, but you could take a side trip to Xi'an. I'd recommend taking the night train one way (see https://www.seat61.com/China.htm ) and a high speed train or flight back.
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You certainly could spend the entire time in Beijing, but I'd be inclined to add either Xi'an, as thursdaysd has suggested, or another nearby location, depending on your interests.
My trip report is old, but you might find some useful information in it. It's searchable, and if it helps, I started and ended in Beijing with time in Xi'an in the middle. https://www.fodors.com/community/asi...mazing-844129/ |
Here's a third vote for Xi'an. It's a fascinating city, due to the Muslim influence, and the fact that it was the ancient capital. Allow at least two full days to see the city and the important sites in the vicinity. The food alone makes it worth the trip.
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I We did Beijing and Xi’an last September so yes I agree. Add Xi’an to your plan. We took the bullet train to Xi’an BTW, took about six hours. Its interesting how we also found great airfare for September too. https://www.fodors.com/community/asi...umpur-1658857/ |
When in September? Make sure that you are out of China before October 1st which is their national holidays.
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Can't give any advice on lodging without knowing a great deal more about your expectations and price range.
Agree if this is your one China trip than a second destination makes sense, and Xi'an is both convenient to reach and offers spectacular sights, albeit with the ills that come from high tourist pressure. But Beijing has enough to fill considerably more than nine days if you decide to stay there. See this thread. |
any of the holiday inns are good
Go to Tian An men square at dawn to watch the flag raising ceremony forbidden city chang'an street, cruise it! quan jude restaurant, roast duck house that brews it's own beer!! Get to the wall, t's a day trip but you'll never regret it Street food, eat it all the time. Get sanitized dinnerware at restaurant, Bottled water, no ice |
My expectations are hopefullly a safe and easy location for my daugher and myself. Our budget is flexible. We do not see a need to spend a lot of $$$ unless it is necessary to secure safety and good location - we won't be in the hotel room much - only to sleep. But we want to feel like we are in a good area. It would be fun to have a local vibe but if we need to stay in a chain - or like mentioned in another post - a Holiday-Inn in order to be comfortable and have someone at the front desk that speaks English we are fine with that as well. Any input you can give us is appreciated.
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We will be leaving on October 1. So hopefully we will miss the holiday you are speaking of....any input you have is appreciaed. Thank You.
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I see your profile says you are from a suburb of Chicago. We are from a suburb of Kansas City. Our son just recently took a job in Chicago. Any input you have is appreciated. We will definately add Xi'an. The train sounds good - do you recommend day train or overnight? And what was your experience with using credit cards and ATM for cash? Thanks so much.
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Trip report is wonderful!
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Wondeful trip report!
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October 1st is the first day of the holiday. All transport, stations etc. are likely to be mobbed, starting the evening before if not earlier. If you are flying out you might consider spending the last night in an airport hotel. |
I wonder if I can find a "Leo" he sounded SO helpful!
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Forgive me if I am using quck reply button wrong. I appreciate all your input. I am browsing lodging now. It is overwhelming. Do we need to hire an English speaking guide to pick us up from out hotel? Jacketwatch had a guide (LEO) and it sounded nice - we are okay with that or going it alone if everyhone thinks that is manageable also - any input is appreciated. Thanks!
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The bullet train took 6 hrs. Beijing to Xi’an and O don’t know if it goes at night. We took it in the morning but there wasn’t anything too remarkable about the scenery along the way. We did hit speeds of around 185 mph or 300 kph. We used the cc mostly though some stores in the shopping areas we went to in Beijing were not equipped for them which was weird. However for the most part it was ok. Get a cc with no foreign transaction fees if you don’t already have one. I used an ATM in the hotel once or twice and it was easy. I would recommend getting an English speaking guide for sure. They weren’t too expensive and few Chinese seem to know even a little English. Ours were prearranged by our TA and we were met at our hotels after calling their agency once we arrived. It worked very well. Some would say do it on your own but I am happy we did it our way. It was far more comfortable and hey you are on vacation but it’s up to you. We liked having a private car, driver and guide though you can see how some steer you into preferred stores and shops. All in all we would do it this way again. Thank you for reading my TR. It was pretty long. If you think of anything else please ask and if you get to Chicago it’s great especially in the summer. The restaurant scene is one of the best in the US. The variety and quality is vast. Cheers, Larry |
And BTW I saw you and daughter will be in Dubai in January and we will be there too. From what I gather the public transportation system is easy and cabs are inexpensive or moderate. We will be cruising out or Dubai after our stay there. |
Originally Posted by hendrenl
(Post 16941746)
Forgive me if I am using quck reply button wrong. I appreciate all your input. I am browsing lodging now. It is overwhelming. Do we need to hire an English speaking guide to pick us up from out hotel? Jacketwatch had a guide (LEO) and it sounded nice - we are okay with that or going it alone if everyhone thinks that is manageable also - any input is appreciated. Thanks!
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Public transportation in Beijing is easy and convenient. I understand that there are reasons that some people prefer to hire a car and driver, but if you do that, you will deprive yourselves of the opportunity to experience a part of Chinese culture that can yield many enjoyable moments and interesting insights. And if you decide to hire cars and drivers, you will pay way, way, WAY more than necessary.
Personally, I didn't feel the need for an English guide -- and I had only a few words in Mandarin, just a few civilities. I did use the audio guide at the Forbidden Palace; otherwise, I just used written material. No worries about the replies, but for future reference, either select the "quote" option or enter the name of the person you are addressing, e.g., @ hendrenl, I hope this information is useful. |
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