I'm planning a trip to China, wondering the best way to go about it. My friend and I are young (college) and are both relatively fluent in Mandarin, but have never gone to China before.

We want to hit multiple destinations without spending much time in Beijing. Should we go with an American touring company, travel on our own, or find a (cheaper?) Chinese travel tour? We are lost as to what to do.

Anyone can travel independently in China, and every year tens of thousands of people with no Mandarin whatsoever do precisely that, saving themselves considerable of money, being able to pick exactly the itinerary they want to follow, and being able to adapt that itinerary on the fly (because somewhere has turned out to be more interesting, or less interesting, than expected; because new information comes to light; or because some interesting people have been met on the road and its decided to make a party of it.)

If you're 'relatively fluent in Mandarin' you'll have no trouble travelling independently. Read widely, make a list of places you think most important to see, arrange them into a sensible order, and off you go. Spend at least your first few nights staying in accommodation favoured by other college students, and get first-hand accounts and recommendations from those who've just come from where you're thinking of going next (not always reliable, but always lively). You may change your plans, which should anyway be flexible, straight away.

Peter N-H
http://members.shaw.ca/pnhpublic/China.html

> My friend and I are young (college) and are both relatively fluent in Mandarin, but have never gone to China before. <

Then don't even THINK about going on an escorted tour. Just do your research (i.e., check out the major guidebooks and web sites) and take off. It is the language thing that intimidates most people considering travel to China and leads them to conclude that a tour or escort is necessary. If you have even a rudimentary knowlege of Mandarin (much less being "relatively fluent&quot you are well equipped for such a journey.

That said, I do take modest issue with our resident and highly esteemed (at least by me) China guru (P N-H) who contends that if you can get around France on your own without speaking French, you can do the same in China without speaking Mandarin. Yes, many people do successfully accomplish this. But at what cost in stress, difficulty, and aggravation? In France I can at least read all the signs and decipher my train ticket's departure and destination info. I had a great trip traveling independently with very limited Mandarin (total vocablary of less than 400 words) but would have had a considerably less agreeable trip had I tried to muddle though exclusively with just English, good intentions, and a flexible disposition. I tip my hat to all those who can pull this off but also wish to acknowlege that those who choose to have at least some third-party assistance in negotiating travel within the Middle Kingdom have well-founded reasons for doing so.

Thanks for your input. I heard that tours might be cheaper than travelling by yourself. Is that false? Also, I hear it's more convenient because it is efficient. Can you tell me your thoughts on this? Also, do you know if rates are ever bargainable in China?

> I heard that tours might be cheaper than travelling by yourself. Is that false?

False, but the tour companies would like you to believe it's true, of course.

> Also, I hear it's more convenient because it is efficient.

Er... obviously true, surely?

Of course, tours almost always include shopping stops you'd prefer to avoid, and you may not find it convenient to be rushed round some sight quicker than you'd like to be in order to get to some other less interesting ersatz experience which pays kick-backs to the guides, as happens on some tours.

But if you can find a tour which is covering exactly the ground you want to cover, then of course you may get more done.

> Also, do you know if rates are ever bargainable in China?

That's the point. With the exception of rail fares, museum entrance fees, and meals, everything (and in particular hotel rates and airfares) is bargainable. The claims that tours or booking agencies can do cheaper than you can do for youself is based on making comparisons with published rates, which no on on the ground ever pays. You can do it all cheaper yourself.

Peter N-H
http://members.shaw.ca/pnhpublic/China.html

We've just returned from 24 days of independently arranged, on-the-fly travel to Beijing, Xi'an, Luoyang, Kaifeng and Qingdao. We absolutely did not miss being with a tour, and in fact, were grateful to be on our own. We do not speak Mandarin and while sometimes it was a problem, we managed just fine. You will need to do your own research with guide books and internet info.

It was essential for us to have our destinations written down in Chinese characters, and the new Frommers China and Wood's Blue Guide to China have these. Tear out the pages you will be using each day (bring along a small stapler to keep track of your little packets). Show them to taxi drivers or just friendly looking people on the street. We found the Chinese people to be very helpful. Don't forget to tear out the menu/food pages also to show to restaurants where no English menu exists. We also took menus from Houston restaruants that listed Chinese characters and English. These were very, very useful. And the waiter/waitresses loved reading the menus!

We also had an unlocked triband phone with SIM card and used it to call destinations and then have the taxi driver or hotel speak with them to get directions. This was invaluable.

We also used the phone to call ahead for hotel reservations. Waiting till arrival at a city to book rooms proved to be a disappointing experience or worse. One night we had to stay in a tiny smoke filled room with a needed but non-functioning air conditioner with only a single twin bed for the two of us. And we were grateful to have the room since hotels all the hotels we could find were completely booked.

Because we were on our own, we could spend an entire day at the Forbidden City and another entire day at the Summer Palace. Tours limit your time at these places and we wanted to enjoy ourselves completely. We were also able to change our itinerary when a medical emergency disrupted our trip.

Good luck, and enjoy! We met German university students studying in Qingdao and they raved about their experiences.

Edna

I'm always delighted when people with no Mandarin speak up for travelling independently in China.

The mobile phone tip is a good one. Although I do speak Mandarin I sometimes use it, too, simply calling a destination, asking whoever answers to speak to the driver directly, and handing him the phone. Navigation in China has nothing to do with street numbers, and everything to do with landmarks. So the driver can ask questions based on the landmarks he knows, but which, if the town is new to me, I don't.

But its many years since I booked ahead in any town (other than when specifically invited), and only twice have I found myself unhappy: once the river had risen flooding a town and everyone was stranded, so I ended up staying in a hotel staff member's room with three other foreigners I bailed out. Another time I happened to bump into a trade fair, but the only result was that I paid more for my room than I was happy with. And the next time I went back, the staff remembered me and gave me a special discount and free breakfast.

On the phone you will rarely get the price you'll get over the counter. You also cannot be sure that if things are busy, any reservation you make will be honoured. If rooms are running out and someone arrives before you, cash in hand, your room will often go to them. This is objectionable, but it's partly a response to the fact that there's a very high proportion of 'no-shows' in China, that few reservations are backed with a credit card number, and that of those that are, only in a small proportion of cases is it possible for the hotel to deduct a no-show charge. So the tendency is to grab the money while it's there.

But many a time I've stood negotiating with front desk staff, paused while they answered the phone, and heard only the first price I'd been offered, but already considerably undercut, be offered to the person on the phone.

Someone else mentioned possible language difficulties with negotiation. Obviously, in this case, with Mandarin being spoken, it's not an issue. But it's not for anyone else, either. If you walk into a hotel carrying bags (or even without them), no one assumes you've come to inspect the hotel for elephants, to search for a missing guitar, or to lead a study group on why Mao Zedong's secret love of the bossa nova. They assume you want to stay the night. Everything else is a matter of price, and that you can deal with using pen and paper or an electronic calculator. They want your business: you want to stay in a comfortable room for a decent price. Anyway, there's usually someone who can at least manage a few phrases of English, and a little bit of mime will get you sight of a room--it's a standard request.

Call ahead to check availability (since you have the Mandarin for it) if you wish. But on your way to your first choice, keep your eyes open for obviously brand new hotels. These are almost always the best choice, and they open up much faster than even the guide books which try to be accurate can keep up with.

Peter N-H
http://members.shaw.ca/pnhpublic/China.html