zverybestfamily

Thanks so much for all the good wishes, we are getting so excited and I must admit I am getting a little bit nervous.

Ellen, thanks so much, that is a great idea about the business card we will all definitely carry cards with us.

It is so much fun to read everybody's suggestions. I am keeping a book that we are taking with us with all of them in it. We will post a report when we get back.

Have a great weekend!
Lauren

BeachGirl247

Have a great trip, Lauren. I've been piggybacking your post as we leave in a month. I hope to finish the plans this week.

I look forward to reading your trip report before we leave for more tips!

zverybestfamily

BeachGirl- We will still be traveling in a month from now, but if I can post some tips as we go I will. Where are you going? Can you post your plans? Maybe you have some good ideas for us.

Lauren

BeachGirl247

Lauren, our plans just changed to depart earlier giving us more time -- 11 1/2 days.
Shanghai (3.5 days) - Xian (2 days)- Beijing 4 days with Great Wall day trip to Simatai) and one day in Tianjin to drop off our son and depart next day from Beijing. I want to add a day trip to Suzhou or Tong Li if I can without making this a whirlwind trip but still reading and deciding. I will make firm plans this week. We may cut a day out of Shanghai for this trip as the three of us would like to see something different than city life.
I plan on taking the night train from Shanghai to Xian for 2 days one night. **debating here whether to take the night train to Beijing or fly to Beijing. ** After reading several reports regarding dependability of flights and our lack of not speaking Mandarin it may be easier to take the train and not air.

Feel free to email me if you want to chat about China offline.
beachgirlsfk at mac dot com

BeachGirl247

Actually, we have 4 1/2 days in Shanghai and that's why I thought 3 1/2 days would be plenty for us and gives us one day for Suzhou or Tong Li.