Beijing 9 days
#21
Not only will a car in Beijing be expensive, you will likely be stuck in traffic. I, too, found a guide unnecessary and I have less Mandarin than kja because I am tone deaf.
For info on Chinese trains take a look at seat61.com.
For info on Chinese trains take a look at seat61.com.
#22
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,005
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Regarding your question about hotels, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency in Beijing, and it was pretty nice. It's in a really good location, and if you upgrade to the concierge level, the food there is quite good. We used taxis to get around the city, and the concierge at the hotel wrote out little cards with our destination, so it was quite easy. We used a hotel driver for our day trip to the Great Wall and the Ming Tombs, but it was pretty pricey. I would not recommend using a guide in China, however, my older son said he wished we had a guide for the Forbidden City only, as it is quite large and confusing to navigate. I would only use a guide for a specific site, such as the Forbidden City, if I were convinced that the guide is actually an expert on history, and not part of the propaganda machine, but I'm not sure if such a person exists.
In Xi'An, we stayed at the Grand Hyatt, and the concierge there arranged for his favorite driver to take us on two consecutive day trips. The concierge helped plan the itinerary, and the price was quite reasonable. The driver also picked us up at the airport, and took us back. The concierge also sent us to some really good local restaurants where we were the only tourists.
In Xi'An, we stayed at the Grand Hyatt, and the concierge there arranged for his favorite driver to take us on two consecutive day trips. The concierge helped plan the itinerary, and the price was quite reasonable. The driver also picked us up at the airport, and took us back. The concierge also sent us to some really good local restaurants where we were the only tourists.
#23
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,565
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The prices we got for private cars and drivers were very reasonable though they were thru the companies my TA has access to. If you like I can try to find out for you.
In any case ultimately its your choice, your comfort level and your budget. Do whats best for you.
In any case ultimately its your choice, your comfort level and your budget. Do whats best for you.
Last edited by jacketwatch; Jun 24th, 2019 at 07:21 PM.
#26
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 318
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A car and driver to the Great Wall (Mutianyu) is 600 to 800RMB (about US$100 to 125).
For the Forbidden City, there are guides offering their services at the entrance. You can also rent an audio guide. Other places in Beijing also have audio guides for rent.
For the Forbidden City, there are guides offering their services at the entrance. You can also rent an audio guide. Other places in Beijing also have audio guides for rent.
#27
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,565
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A car and driver to the Great Wall (Mutianyu) is 600 to 800RMB (about US$100 to 125).
For the Forbidden City, there are guides offering their services at the entrance. You can also rent an audio guide. Other places in Beijing also have audio guides for rent.
For the Forbidden City, there are guides offering their services at the entrance. You can also rent an audio guide. Other places in Beijing also have audio guides for rent.
I would highly recommend this show in Beijing too.
https://www.goldenmaskdynastyshow.com/
#28
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you want to stay in four- or five-star comfort, then ignore all Chinese-run hotels and stay in a familiar brand, booking through the hotel's own website which usually will guarantee to offer the lowest prices. If you want something with more local flavour then stay in a siheyuan (courtyard) hotel. There are plenty of choices easily found on the Internet, ranging from those that work as hostels to those that certainly charge at five-star levels, although without necessarily offering the service to go with it. Booking from overseas in these cases will, however, see you paying more than you need to.
A tour guide is of no help to you (but often a great deal of help to him- or herself. If you want accurate historical and cultural background information you'll need to bring reading materials from home). For a more detailed discussion of the problem with tour guides, see here:
https://medium.com/a-better-guide-to...s-df5d9b0a6dca
There are Great Wall sites easily reached by public transport for a fraction of the prices mentioned above for a car and driver, and simply chartering a taxi yourself will bring prices down by at the very least a third, and as much as half, depending on destination.
For a discussion of some open Wall sections and a variety of ways to reach them, see:
https://medium.com/a-better-guide-to...l-a57b792050ce
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
jacketwatch -- yes, my daughter and I will be in Dubai in January. We are planning to stop there and also run over to Abu Dhabi as I understand it is just about 1.5 hours away..... on our way to the Maldives for a pre-organized excursion with a friend of hers. Air Travel there seemed to give us an easy choice of a stopover in Istanbul or Dubai. I think we have decided UAE for sure. We spur of the moment bought these Beijing airlline tickets ....have not started on the January trip planning much due to our spur of the moment China decision. Thanks!
#30
@Peter - good to see you posting. I was wondering about the post above about credit cards. i was just talking to friends who visited family in Shanghai earlier this year, and they said that US credit cards were pretty much useless. All the locals were using apps, but cash would still work. Any comments on that?
#31
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 10,565
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
jacketwatch -- yes, my daughter and I will be in Dubai in January. We are planning to stop there and also run over to Abu Dhabi as I understand it is just about 1.5 hours away..... on our way to the Maldives for a pre-organized excursion with a friend of hers. Air Travel there seemed to give us an easy choice of a stopover in Istanbul or Dubai. I think we have decided UAE for sure. We spur of the moment bought these Beijing airlline tickets ....have not started on the January trip planning much due to our spur of the moment China decision. Thanks!
We will fly to Delhi first so my wife can see her relatives, then go to Dubai for 5 days before embarking on a 7 day cruise which actually ports in Abu Dhabi among other stops. Then its back to Delhi for a few more day before going home.
I think getting some sort of app to help with Chinese is a good idea.
All the best. Larry
#32
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 318
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
@Peter - good to see you posting. I was wondering about the post above about credit cards. i was just talking to friends who visited family in Shanghai earlier this year, and they said that US credit cards were pretty much useless. All the locals were using apps, but cash would still work. Any comments on that?
In my case, I only joined for one month and for tourists nothing changed. You need cash nearly everywhere as credit cards are only good for hotels and better restaurants. Same a before.
#34
If you want local, we stayed here in 2008. A long time ago but we keep referring friends to it and they keep loving it.
https://www.booking.com/hotel/cn/kellyscourtyard.html
https://www.booking.com/hotel/cn/kellyscourtyard.html
#36
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,120
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you want local, we stayed here in 2008. A long time ago but we keep referring friends to it and they keep loving it.
https://www.booking.com/hotel/cn/kellyscourtyard.html
https://www.booking.com/hotel/cn/kellyscourtyard.html
#37
Hi Kja. It was ideal. Being in a hutong area really added to the experience. When I first reserved there there were only a few reviews on the Internet. That sure isn’t true now.
Our PBS station is now showing a program on the events of Tiananmen Square. It’s the only place in the world I sometimes wonder if we were really there. Just a bit surreal.
Our PBS station is now showing a program on the events of Tiananmen Square. It’s the only place in the world I sometimes wonder if we were really there. Just a bit surreal.
#38
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,120
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#39
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was wondering about the post above about credit cards. i was just talking to friends who visited family in Shanghai earlier this year, and they said that US credit cards were pretty much useless. All the locals were using apps, but cash would still work. Any comments on that?
But WeChat wallet, part of the ubiquitous WeChat app found on the phone of every single Chinese, and a principle form of payment, can now be linked to a foreign credit card or debit card (this has been possible since 2018, in fact), opening mobile phone payments to foreigners. So the option to download that app and set it up to make sure it works before leaving home is also there. (Alerting your card company that you're doing that would probably be a good idea.) It is possible that the other main phone-based method of payment, Alipay, can now also be linked to foreign cards, but it is said that you have to have a Chinese bank card to link first, before adding a foreign one. So that will be of little use to most.
Lovers of privacy may like to note that WeChat reportedly (and entirely unsurprisingly) has a back door a mile wide which enables the Chinese government to see what else is on your phone and upload any kind of spyware it likes onto it. You may well take the view that you are of no significance to the Chinese government and so this is unlikely to happen. Others may prefer not to open themselves up to this possibility.
But credit cards, unless linked to one of the mobile payment systems, remain of as little use as they've ever been.
Last edited by temppeternh; Jun 27th, 2019 at 04:52 PM.
#40
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On Kelly's Courtyard, some caution:
My observation was that the volume of foreigners staying there had led to a number of bad habits, including a 15% 'service charge' which is just abuse really, and prices for other services needed watching, too. There are other courtyard hotels that are better priced (and more willing to bargain), and rather less cluttered, although Kelly's is charming and well-located for the Forbidden City and assorted sights on the western side of the city.
My observation was that the volume of foreigners staying there had led to a number of bad habits, including a 15% 'service charge' which is just abuse really, and prices for other services needed watching, too. There are other courtyard hotels that are better priced (and more willing to bargain), and rather less cluttered, although Kelly's is charming and well-located for the Forbidden City and assorted sights on the western side of the city.