My husband just told me today that we (family with kids ages 10 and 12) will have the opportunity to go to Shanghai in November 2007 for a business meeting. He's thinking we'll stay a week.

I think it sounds like a LONG way to go with kids for just a week. Our kids have travelled extensively in the States (by plane) but have never been on a flight longer than 5 hours. 15 hours sounds wild!

And if he is in business meetings for two or three of those days, how easy will it be for the other three of us to tour the city if we don't know Mandarin?

Just curious....I know very little about China and tend to be more timid than my intrepid traveller husband. But I will consider the adventure if it's not too crazy.

What a great opportunity for the entire family. Your children are old enough to appreciate the wonders of China. You can tour Shanghai without any Mandarin, just get yourself a good guidebook. You may want to consider adding another destination in China or a daytrip. Here's a description and some pictures of our trip to China:
http://www.fodors.com/wire/archives/001468.cfm

I agree, it's a great opportunity for the kids to experience another culture at first hand, even if the flight is a bit of a drag. If you can talk your husband into taking the 430 km/hr Maglev train from the airport they'll have an exciting entree to the city (search this forum for posts on that subject, and others). The fast trip to the observation floor of the Orient Tower is another must-do. Then there's the opporunity to wander through the old French Concession and atmospheric Old Town, and shop till you drop - you can do all that with a decent map and guidebook.

We took our kids there a couple of years ago....at the time they were 11 and 16, and they had a ball. Some of the things they enjoyed....bargaining like mad for trinkets and knock-offs in Xian Yang Lu market, a day tour (escorted by guide and driver) to the water village of Zhou Zhang, strolling through Yu Yuan Gardens, an evening performance of Chinese acrobats at the theater at the Portman Center. We would have gone up in on one of the towers for the big view but it was too hazy while we were there.
It sounds as though your kids may never have been out of the US. If that's the case, everything about China, including just a walk down the street, will be pretty exotic. You need to prepare them for some of the cultural differences, so that they can appreciate and enjoy them and not be intimidated. This is the best advice I can give you, as an American living in Asia with children for the past 5 years.
I have watched many American families expereience Asia for the first time. Children emulate their parents. Those who approach the experience with open minds come away changed forever in a very positive way.....with a more global perspective and a new appreciation for the diversity of our planet.
The one negative thing about taking your kids to China....you could end up with a pair of travel junkies, who will never again be satisfied with just an ordinary American vacation.

you should definitely take the opportunity to travel. in any case, shanghai is a city bustling with expats from all over the world. to get info on the lifestyle in shanghai, visit www.thatssh.com. have fun!

I also think this is a great opportunity and with a week, they will have time to get over jet lag and enjoy themselves. The city is huge, but it is relatively easy to get around, and the main tourist parts are in fact kind of centrally located along the river. Shanghainese food is excellent and there are numerous good restaurants serving Italian, French and basically every cuisine you can name, it is a very cosmopolitan city. You should not have any issues getting around or touring sites using English. For a start, click on "Destinations" above, and also look at frommers.com

Remember that in November it will be cool and can actually be cold in Shanghai so bring warm clothing and layers. Take a look at weatherbase.com and worldclimate.com for an idea of what temps to expect.

A trip to Suzhou, would definitely be a place to go to get outside the city and see something of ancient China, of which there is really nothing left in Shanghai, there isn't really much left from the 1940s.

The air pollution is quite bad and is worse in the winter, this may bother your children, just bear this in mind, perhaps another reason to plan a night or two out of the city if you can.

If your husband can add a few days or a week or more for vacation I think you should use this opportunity to see other parts of China or Asia. Beijing would of course be a good add on as there is so much to see and do, or a place like Bangkok (of course completely different clothes would be needed there as it would be very hot and humid). The weather in Hong Kong is absolutely beautiful in November (sunny and mid 70s F) and that would also be a good place to go, lots to see and do, good walks and hikes in addition to city stuff.

Just so Mom knows more than the kids, you should probably get some books and do some reading. For instance, Mandarin is not the native language in Shanghai, the language spoken by the locals is Shanghainese, which is not at all like Mandarin (although the written language is the same).

Thanks for all of the great advice and encouragement. I'm sure my post came across like I was a narrow-minded American who wasn't comfortable exposing her children to other cultures. Couldn't be further from the truth. We have focussed on seeing our great country (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Southwest, California, much of the East Coast) while they are young thinking that with age with come a better appreciation for things like art, music, language and that we can start exploring other parts of the world then.

My biggest fear is the flight and jet lag. But it sounds like I will need to get my arms around that for the sake of my kids. Also, my son has anxiety issues (diagnosed as such) so it is always a stretch to take him to new places without him being uncomfortable for the first few days.

All of your suggestions are great. And the idea of shopping til you drop sounds terrific to me and would be a #1 deal breaker for my husband!

If we decide to go, I'll be back on here to get more ideas.

Many thanks!

Don't worry about jet lag for the kids. They will be much less bothered by it than the adults.

We did a 1 week trip to Tokyo a few years ago when my kids were 9 and 10 years old. They still talk about the experience with respect to food, local toy shops and walking around with a few thousand yen to decide what to buy.

The trick with jetlag is to find a few potential activities that you can do at 6 am, since that's when you'll be starting your day!

Don't let the thought of jetlag deter you. I took my kids (6 & 8) from Montreal to Sydney last August. Between flights and airports, our travel time was 24 hours. They did what everyone else does on a long flight - eat, sleep and watch movies. As long as you sleep on the flight, you may not have any jet lag at all. None of us did. We went to bed at 8 p.m. local time the evening we arrived, and got up the next morning at 7 a.m. ready to go. I was amazed!

How comfortable you will be on a long overseas flight depends, in large part, on the airline you choose. Some airlines are more user friendly than others. Choose wisely!

Cicerone, as usual, is correct. The people in Shanghai speak Shanghainese even tho, in school, they are forced to learn Mandarin, the "national" language. They generally feel more comfortable speaking Shanghainese.

Be sure to get a hotel business card for each person in your party. Carry the card with you at all times. You just have to show the card to the taxi driver and he'll get you back to the hotel.

Have the hotel write out in Chinese the name of any destination you wish to go to and show that to the taxi driver. Even though the spoken "dialects" are all very different, the written language is the same all over China.

If you still feel concerned, get each kid a cell phone once you arrive in China. Cell phones are ubiquitous in China and you can get a used, older model for $10 or less. Get them phone cards with enough time to last them for the length of your stay. Your husband's business contacts will probably be happy to help with this. You'll always be in touch with your kids!

You didn't say which part of the US you live in, but I'd suggest going out to some Chinese restaurants in your neighborhood to get the kids used to Chinese food. While in China, the local food is delicious and really inexpensive. In Shanghai, I loved going out early in the morning and getting the just-cooked buns on the street. All the workers and students start their day with buns, etc. They are piping hot and the dough is so fluffy and light.

In Shanghai Old Town, try the "Little Dragon" buns. These are a Shanghai specialty and the Old Town ones are the most famous. These are small buns with some broth wrapped inside, so don't bite into them if you can at all help it. Just pop them whole into your mouth and savor the broth.

Yummy! Talking about food has made me forget all the rest of the hints I was going to pass on to you - LOL! Like carry some Purell...

Just come back to this forum, the Fodorites offer wonderful and invaluable advice!

Have fun planning your trip!

Goog thread...

Just want to say to easytravler that those are not "little dragons" in your buns. The second character refers to the bamboo steamer. It has the "bamboo" radical on top of the "dragon".

Hi, rkkwan!

You're absolutely correct! (when are you not? )

But I thought calling them "little dragons" would be easy for Westerners to remember, than to say "little steamer baskets".

And they're not buns, more like dumplings.

But they are steamed.

(At least I got one thing right!)

My son has mild to moderate autism so I understand your concern. Just do it.

Our family spent 3 weeks in Beijing last year with a 4 and 6 year old and had a great time. DH & I have been to China four times since 1982 and expect to travel there every two to three years with our children.

Suggestions for your trip:
-- book a hotel with a swimming pool as that can be a great de-stressor for the whole family
--- consider a serviced apartment rather than a hotel ... gives you the chance to cook food your kids like if either of them are fussy and not spend 3 meals a day in restaurants

--- aquariums are often fun for kids and parents alike and I believe Shanghai has an aquarium
--- I would echo a previous poster who said the kids will take their cue from you ... make it a great adventure, get the kids collecting postcards/tickets, etc for a journal, send emails home to their schools, and they'll have a ball ... international travel is a great gift for your children as it will expand their frame of reference (works for we adults too <g&gt
--- the plane ride is definitely looong. IF you can fly on an airline with individual entertainment screens in each seat, all the better. If not, get a DVD player with long battery time. Let the kids play all the gameboy they want. Take chocolate (for you).
--- take into account the inevitable jetlag and plan for early morning activities your first few days in China. Almost any park in Shanghai will likely have people doing tai chi, ballroom dancing, acrobatics and various games and exercises from 5 a.m onward.
--- get out and walk around ... soaking up the sights/sounds/smells will be more rewarding than any organized tour could be.
-- think about what your family likes to do when it goes on holiday in the U.S. (hike? bike ride? fly kites?) then look for opportunities to do the same while you're in China.

Above all ... take a sense of humour and have fun!

Best wishes,

Catherine B. in Toronto