Wonkyknee

In light of the advice and comments I have received, notably from PeterN_H, Nywoman and KJA, I have decided to spend more time in less places on my six-week trip. I am beginning to lose my fear of a quite different country (language,communication, size and transport) and have been spending an enormous amount of time reading and making notes.

Not really interested in tours, guides, factory/shop visits, Yanghste cruise - prefer to "go with the flow" as much as possible.

I have revised my original trip quite a bit as follows:

10 May 2 nts in Shanghai – stay in Blue Mountain Bund Hostel

12 May train to Beijing for 7 nights – (maybe 1 nt in Chengde if poss) - stay in Happy Dragon Hostel in Beijing

19th May - train to Datong - Pingyao and Xian - 7 nights

Accommodation possibilities: Howard Johnson Jindi Plaza – Datong

Pingyao Yide Hotel – Xian – Accomm - 7 Sages International Youth Hostel

25th May - fly to Jiuzhaigou from Xian - 3 nts – not sure where to stay

28th May - Sichuan - fly from Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu - 6 nts to include Emei Shan/Leshan and Zigong

Sim's Cozy Garden Hostel in Chengdu – not looked at other accommodation yet

3rd June - Yunnan- 7 nts - Fly from Chengdu to Zongdian - then Lijiang - Tiger Leaping Gorge - Dali and Kunming

10th June - 8 nts in Guanxi to see Wind and Rain bridges - Sangiang Dong Villages - Longsheng - Yangshuo (The Giggling Tree) - Li river raft trip - on to Guilin

18th June - Fly from Guilin to Shanghai and then train to Suzhou

18th - 2 nts in Suzhou and Tongli

20th June - 1 nt in Shanghai

21st June - fly back to London

Questions - Flights from Xian to Jiuzhaigou - where to book it?

Flight from there to Xian - same question as above

Where to stay in Jiuzhaigou and Xian?

Does train to Xian stop at Datong and Pingyao or do I have to go direct to Xian and then backtrack?

How soon in advance can I book train from Shanghai to Beijing and what is the best method of doing this.

Thanks for all help.

Brigid

kja

Good for you, Brigid! I wish you a very rewarding journey (and envy the luxury of a 6-wk trip).

For accommodation in Datong, you might consider the Yungang International Hotel. Here's my TA review:
I spent 2 nights at this very nice, comfortable, and very well located hotel. It looked and felt like a much more expensive hotel than it was. In fact, it was surprisingly inexpensive. My double for single use was nicely appointed and very comfortable. The hotel staff were extremely helpful, making sure I had everything I needed to enjoy my time and and around Datong. I particularly appreciated that they made a sandwich for me one evening when I waited too long to have dinner and couldn't find an open restaurant.

> maybe 1 nt in Chengde if poss
I don't think Chengde would lend itself readily to a one-night stay. With the time for the trip (a minimum of 3 hours each way, as I recall, not counting time to get to and wait at the station) and the time it takes to see the highlights of Chengde, I think it really makes most sense with a 2 night visit.

Hope that helps!

JPDeM

Book your flights online on ctrip.com or travelzen.com
The train from Beijing to Chengde leaves early in the morning while the return train is in mid-afternoon. I found that it gave me enough time to see Chengde while only staying one night.
Buy you train ticket to Beijing when you arrive in Shanghai. It will not be a problem getting some.

Wonkyknee

KJA - Thank you for info re Datong accommodation. What time should I leave Beijing in order to get to Datong in daylight? As I need to go from there to Pingyao (stay 2 nights) and then go on to Xian, do I need to book all sectors of the train journey at the same time when I am in Beijing?

Also - I never see any guidelines regarding money - the logisitics of where and when to change - do I carry USD or use a debit card and change each day - bearing in mind the amount of fees for entry to sites, lunches, accommodation fees, transport fees etc etc - a broad rule of thumb for these issues would be very helpful - especially from travellers like yourself who goes solo.

What are the most important sights to consider when in Chengde?

JPDeM - you have been very helpful with your advice - much appreciated.

I also have another question - the best way to get from Dali to Kunming and then more importantly go on to Guilin - bus/train/fly?? I am heading for Chengyang Bridge, then back to the Rice Terraces, then Yahgshuo, the back to Guilin for flight to Shanghai!! Hope this makes sense.

If you only wished to carry ONE GUIDE BOOK - which one?

Many thanks - I shall carry on with the reading!

kja

> Also - I never see any guidelines regarding money - the logisitics of where and when to change - do I carry USD or use a debit card and change each day

I'm surprised, since that info was covered in ALL travel guidebooks I've seen. But basically, you will find ATMs in most (but not necessarily all) areas. You can use an ATM to request various amounts of RMB (renminbi), with limits defined by the machine and your account. Be sure to let your banks know that you will be traveling (including when and where) so they don't block your card(s) for atypical use. If you check reputable travel guidebooks, I'm sure you will find information that allows you to plan for your own financial circumstances.

> If you only wished to carry ONE GUIDE BOOK - which one?

That's a choice that depends so much on you own interests and needs that I can't imagine offering an answer. But i'm confident that you'll find the one(s) that best suit your needs as you peruse them.

Wonkyknee

KJA - thank you very much for your help - I shall spend some time doing GENERAL reading of the guidebooks - I have been so focused on the trip that I have ignored this aspect of the books!!

My main interests are scenery, local culture and unusual sights (not necessarily, the most "famous" places - my hope is to see the "real" China and it's people.

As I hope to just take a backpack, I only want to have one guidebook and had thought of downloading onto my Kindle and just use notes and maps while I am there - is this feasible?

Thank you. Brigid

dgunbug

Brigid - we traveled to India recently and downloaded approximately 70 pages of notes that we had taken from various tour books and forums. It would be helpful if you could also photocopy your notes as a backup. This worked wonderfully for us.

Wonkyknee

dgunbug: An excellent idea! Did you divide your notes into areas - by date, by topic (eg accommodation, restaurants, sightseeing) it would be helpful to me to know which method is the easiest to work with. I also agree about having a back-up copy. I usually type out a landscape sheet with all accommodation details and dates but, in this case, where I have been advised to book when I arrive in places, this would not be an option. Your thoughts would be much appreciated - thanks. Brigid

kja

In my experience, e-readers are NOT good for maps, and for traveling in China, I would think you would want to have a hard copy guidebook with good maps. Whatever I use for planning a trip, I would NOT take one of the guidebooks with heavy paper and lots of pictures with me - too heavy. Here are other comments about e-readers:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...r-e-reader.cfm

dgunbug

I did not download guidebooks onto my kindle, but rather took notes over a 9 month period and then down loaded my notes. Those included places I wanted to visit, restaurant recommendations, etc

I make separate files for each city and then include notes on sites to visit, hotels, restaurants, special tips, etc.

We also made copies of maps both on the kindle and hard copies. While I didn't always carry the kindle (often just the notes for the day was easier to carry), I did read through my notes on my kindle and it was convenient to not have to be burdened with multiple books.

HappyTrvlr

I would add a day to Shanghai and taking it from Beijing.

Iowa_Redhead

<<<As I hope to just take a backpack, I only want to have one guidebook and had thought of downloading onto my Kindle and just use notes and maps while I am there - is this feasible?>>>

A combination works best for me. Usually (not always) I take my favorite guidebook in a paper version, and have a handful more in ebook format on my eReader/Nook. I carry full sized maps and don't rely on the ones in the guidebook (too small and/or I can't see the whole city at a glance). I love the foldup maps that are laminated so that they hold up to use and abuse.

I organize all of my notes into an Excel spreadsheet and have a tab for each city/area. The tab includes info like addresses, phone numbers, opening times, closest bus/train station, misc notes, dress code requirements if needed, etc. I save the Excel file as pdf's and put them on my Nook and also print a copy. That way I have a single sheet of paper for each city that contains all of the info I need and I have the electronic copy as backup.

Magster2005

Love all these great ideas for organizing touring info. I have not used my Kindle as yet for anything other than a back-up for my overall trip plan, but now I am inspired to do more.

I always cut out the guidebook pages for the cities I will be be visiting (an idea I have to admit I got from Rick Steves). It pains me terribly to cut up a book, but it works quite well. Then, I create a "packet" of info with maps and other stuff that I print out on the internet. Very handy and concise -- and all in one small package.

One other thing that I did for China was to print off pictures of (lesser known) sights that I wanted to see in cities like Shanghai and Beijing. I added the name of the place (in both English and Pinyin) at the bottom of the picture. This worked out really well with cab drivers and also when asking people for directions out on the street. And with a picture, I could identify the place when I got there!

maxfab

Just a little suggestion about travelling light: since compact cameras have now quite big screens, it's a very good thing to take pictures of the most important maps before starting the trip, so you have them first on the memory card, and easily accessible and zoomable. A 5 Mpix camera is more than enough for a optimum resolution, modern cameras have even more Mpix. Used this system for showing places to people for informations, worked perfectly, expecially in China where you have to zoom in into small chinese characters. You can keep the rest of the guide as e-book on common readers.

As for Xian I have been at Bell Tower Youth Hostel, very nice and backpacker friendly.
Bye,
max

ileen

Maxfab---Great idea. Would love to try it soon.

Trav_Eller

I print out two copies of the information I will be taking with me on all my trips. Because paper is heavy I keep it to a minimum, but it still adds up to a significant size on a long trip, but not as heavy as a Rough Guide or Lonely Planet. Each page is slipped into an A4 plastic sleeve and I collate those sleeves in two cheap A4 binders.

Included at the back of the folder are:

1. Basic documents: copies of my passport main page and any visas for that trip; a copy of my travel insurance cover with emergency numbers; a list of addresses (email, snailmail, phones) for anyone I would like to contact while travelling and similar stuff.

2. Medical. I have a few interesting conditons, so I carry a doctor's letter covering those and all prescribed medications to help with security and immigration.

The facepage of the folder has a spreadsheet page of my itinerary. After that the pages are arranged in itinerary sequence and include copies of all bookings (hotel, transport etickets etc) and selected info I have printed relevant to each location visited or specific sights at a location.

I carry one folder in my carry-on luggage and one goes in checked luggage (if I have any) as a reserve in case of loss. The duplicate binder is smaller, because it only includes the essential info and not the pages on local sights. As I travel I discard pages no longer needed and replace them with souvenirs such as local maps, tickets to sights and similar.

That system has proved its worth many times. The ability to produce copies of bookings or emails with hoteliers has caused “lost” bookings to miraculaously appear; the doctor's letter has helped get meds and liquids through airport security and meds through customs control. Map printouts showing hotel locations or names in the local language are a great help with cab-drivers.

I would be lost without it now.

Cheers, Alan, Australia.
Born Under a Wandering Star