China Visa
 

Do you have an e-mail address of a firm that secures visa's for China? I am going to book the trip on my own and would like suggestions.

Thank you

I got mine from CIBT I think it`s called, but they charged me $109. If I could have gone to an embassy, it would have cost $50, so be aware of the fees. I read that you can even send in a friend to get one for you, rather than go in person yourself, but I didn`t know anyone in San Francisco, and I live in Reno.

In May 2006, I used satisfactorily <www.OasisChinaVisa.com>. They are located in MD near DC and their charge is reasonable.

I've used both CIBT and Travisa.

Thank you for your suggestions.

Another visa question - the application asks which cities/provinces you will be visiting. Are you held to these areas, or are you basically free to travel wherever the wind takes you in the event you want to make a spontaneous change in itinerary?

Work out a vague itinery. I did. They won't check up on you.

When I went to China, I hopped down to the NYC China Embassy, dropped off my passport, enjoyed my day there and then came back 4-5 hours later and they had it ready. All for $80. (instead of the weeklong wait with a $50 fee)

Do you live near a place that has the Embassy? Check the Chinese Embassies online. They have tons of info too. (that's how I got mine)

You don't need to stick to your itinerary, no one's going to check up on you. Consider getting a visa in Hong Kong, it's fast and painless.

http://www.travelsinasia.com/China/China.htm

The idea of mailing my passport to a visa service creeped me out, so I drove to the San Francisco China consulate instead. It's just like going to the DMV, so starting at least a week before your travels will make it a stress free task.

I've blogged on it:
http://informationanalysis.blogspot....francisco.html