Looking to take my 80 year old dad to China-Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, and Hong Kong--in May 2007. Can Nyone reccomend quality tour companies?

Have you considered going to China on your own? It's really not difficult. You can then pace the trip to suit you both without having to worry about set schedules, etc. See what you want, when you want and you don't have to endure forced shopping stops. Fly into Beijing and home from Hong Kong.

I have 2 issues with not utilizing a tour company. 1) I have been advised that the only way to do China, at least on the first go, is to do a tour and 2) I am concerned about costs. When I travel elsewhere, I would never consider a tour and always prefer making my own schedule and plans...Can it (China) be done comfortably on one's own without knowing the language and terrain, and can it be done without spending tens of thousands?

Take a tour!! Only tour we have ever taken was to China with SmarTours. Worked extremely well. I also recommend Yantze cruise to break up the trip and provide a rest time. China very large, lots of flying and it is a busy trip. All tours include shopping but we often did not go into the "factories" but wandered in the neighborhood or took a taxi back to the hotel or to something we wanted to see. Some people just stayed on the bus.

A friend of mine (Chinese heritage but not a Mandarin speaker) took his father to China last year. They traveled on a Pacific Delights tour, and he was very pleased with the trip. I like independent travel, and I've now traveled in China solo, without speaking Mandarin, and found the people incredibly helpful. But I do think that for a first trip with an 80-year old it makes sense to take a tour, alhtough the itinerary you outline is very do-able solo.

Here's how we did it on our own:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34682619

It is so nice of you to take your dad to China, how is his physical condition? Have you traveled together outside the US in the past 10 years?

I like the 4 cities you chose, might add Guilin for its beauty and proximity to HK (1 hr flight and they are very do-able on your own. You don't need to spend tens of thousands unless you want to spend a month staying at the Ritz and 4 Seasons. Full service tours are more structured and less flexible, you can arrange day tours from the hotels.

This is just a prelim schedule --
Day 1 & 2: US to Bejing
Day 3, 4 & 5: Beijing
Day 6: Beijing to Xian
Day 7: Xian
Day 8: Xian to Shanghai
Day 9: Shanghai
Day 10: Towns near Shanghai
Day 11: Shanghai to Guilin
Day 12: Guilin
Day 13: Guilin to HK
Day 14: HK
Day 15: HK to US

You can add/delete/change as you wish.

You might check the frommers board, and see what people have to say about China Spree and China Focus.

shaghainese:

>>>Day 10: Towns near Shanghai<<<

Are you referring to the "water towns"...if so, which ones would you recommend? Heading for China in March/April..first time snce 1984. By the way, I took Pacific Delight Tour in '84 and they were great...very happy to be going on our own this time..impossible back then.
Stu T.

Wow! So much good help! I am so glad I posted. In response to Shanghainese, my old dad is in pretty dynamite shape...bout as good as any 6o year old, in my humble estimation. Moves a little slower maybe, but in excellent health overall. Will check out all suggestions!

Let me have a crack at this thread...

There are many tour companies with organized trips to China. The price range is also very wide. Some companies charge a lot as they use top 5* hotels, which aren't that cheap in cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. As food and transport costs are relatively cheap in China, accomodations contribute to a significant part of the tour cost.

After you decide on a grade of tour, you need to really investigate what's the sightseeing/shopping ratio. That's the main complain from many people who go to China on a tour. On many of the cheaper tours (and some expensive ones too), there's simply excessive shopping stops. At a sightseeing spot, your guide may give you 60 minutes and then bark at you if you don't arrive back in the bus on-time. But they'll then give you 90 minutes at some shopping place and they won't mind if you shop overtime.

[Now, if you consider shopping a major part of your travel experience, then that may not be such a bad thing afterall.]

So, really really check the companies and reviews about hotels and amount of shopping.

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As for going on your own, it's clearly doable. And for cities like those you're considering, I'd say that's the preferred way of travel, if you guys enjoy more in-depth sightseeing. Going on your own, you can have much more time at the places you're visiting. Cost-wise, if you forgo the luxury 5* hotels, you can do it relatively cheaply. US$100-120 can get you decent 4* hotels in Beijing and Shanghai. Less in Xi'an, more in Hong Kong. And plenty of 3* for ~US$60-80 if you want to save some more.

At those cities, you don't really any guide, if you like independent travel and don't mind studying guidebooks. Inside the city, just use a taxi. For daytrips in the nearby area, have the hotel arrange a car for you. Have someone write out the places you want to go in Chinese and English together, and just point. Not the easiest, but doable.

Tower/Stu T.: China is so commercialized since 84' you won't believe your eyes. Depending on where you are staying and you only have 3 hours, go to Chipao (7 jewels), it's small but has a canal, pagoda and a 1/4 mile pedestrian alley lined with shops. A cab can get you there.

Rent the DVD of Tom Cruise's flop "MI3" to see the medium size watertowns. My favorite daytrip is to Tongli, it's smaller than the other crowded 5. Equally as interesting and beautiful, very relaxing taking the 1/2 hour canal ride in a covered little boat. The residents are really friendly to Americans because more than 60 years ago General Chenault's Flying Tigers protected the village when the japanese troops were heading west from Nangking. They were pumping the hands of my American DH and mixed blood DD. I am not biased as I have japanese blood but I didn't tell the vilagers.

There is a chinese saying "there is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth". If you go to Yuyuan in old town Shanghai, you can skip Suzhou. I like Hangzhou by the West Lake especially when there is a light rain. Hiking to the tea plantations is also a treat. Wuxi by Lake Tai is another nice trip,the ferry on the lake is lovely, and the huge golden buddha is truly impressive.

Watertown closest to Shanghai is probably Zhujiajiao, which is still within the larger Shanghai "City". About an hour west of city center.

Don't agree YuYuan is a substitute for Suzhou! I spent a couple of nights in Suzhou, mostly visiting gardens but also Silk Factory (very touristy) and Embroidery "Museum" (also touristy but more interesting). As a day trip you could certainly visit, say, three gardens. I loved the way a small space could seem so large.

Yes, Zhujiajiao is lovely, a bit larger than Jibao, on the same highway to Tongli. The nearby Yangchen Lake is the famous Dazha hairy crabs homelake.

I agree one could spend days in Suzhou visiting gardens, but for a watertown recommendation, which is what Tower asked, the other locations are more applicable.

Correction: Tongli is east of Nanking and south central between Shanghai and Suzhou.