Do most stores and restaurants take US credit cards? Should we plan on a good amount in traveler's checks for other daily purchases since I read somewhere that ATMs are not common.

In major tourist centers and airports (Beijing, Xian, Chongqing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Guilin) we had no trouble finding ATMs that worked. Some stores and restaurants take credit cards as well. I doubt that places that don't take credit cards will take traveler's checks.

You're right, Marja, but virtually all 4 and 5 star hotels will cash travelers checks into RMB (Chinese currency). Some major department stores and western-ish restaurants may take US credit cards, as will "tourist" shops, but most smaller places do not. Sometimes ATMs that work with US cards are not convenient in time or location to access, so I rely on travelers checks, especially if I can get a low rate on them or free through different memberships. I find I'm not likely to need more than $100 at a time, so I cash that amount and cash more if need be.

K

Hi

My wife and I went to Beijing a couple of years back. We only brought our credit/debit cards and we used ATMs to get the local currency. We also pais with credit cards on some restaurants. I have posted a trip report with some pictures on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/china_beijing.htm Maybe you can find some useful info there.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

We only used atm's (no TCs) when we went to Beiijing. We had no problem finding ATMs. We checked out where there were ATMs that accepted citibank cards and had no problem locating them in the city center. Your bank should be able to tell you.

Most restaurants and stores (except for the very expensive, large, touristy or western ones) took credit cards. We pretty much used cash except for the one fancy dinner we had. Most restaurants were so inexpensive that it was no problem to pay with cash.

We also used ATMs, plus Visa for larger payments, in several cities over 3 weeks. No problem. Travellers' cheques are becoming something of a dinosaur, aren't they?