BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi all,

Expect me to ask quite a few questions in the next months.
Im travelling to china in april/may 2009 and had some basic (I hope) questions to start with.

First of all a visa. Somebody told me that you had to apply for a visa in your home country. So for instance if you have a Dutch passport (like me) you cant apply for a visa in London (although I live here). I actually have to go back home and apply there. Is this true?

2nd question is budget.
The trip is just 3 weeks (i like to see this trip as my initiation in China travel) and I'm spending it in Beijing, Nanjing, Xi'an and Shanghai.
I budgetted around 35GBP ($70 or so) per day. This is excluding train-travel but including accommodation in hostels.
I'm not planning to go out to bars/clubs a lot (I hate that during my travels as it messes everything up)

Do you think thats enough or should I budget more?

Any advice is as usual really appreciated!

1. Unlikely, I got my Chinese visa in Hanoi (Vietnam), which certainly isn't my home country :P

2. Erm well I got by on £15 per day incl everthing except train travel. I went to all the places you are and to be honest accommodation - aslong as you don't mind dormatories - is very cheap. You shouldn't pay more than 50-60RMB per night for a hostel bed. I didn't go out to bars and clubs much either, but a beer will set you back around 5-7 RMB (local, 12RMB foreign if I remember right). Food is damn cheap, you can get meals for under 40RMB.

Definitely don't budget more, you have easilly enough. I would just go with what you have, and you might end up with some spare at the end.

1. Ah thanks! I always dread going to the Hague, now I dont have to. Can get a visa in London

2. Oh I dont mind dormatories, so that should be fine.

Thanks!!
Btw, how was Nanjing?

Really the simple answer regarding visas is to ring or call at the Chinese Embassy. They will be up to date with any changes that are happening. Whilst we expect things to be a little easier after the middle of October I dont think they will simply go back to what was happening before. Travel visas shouldnt be a [problem but as you have time on your side perhaps wait until early November before you make enquiries, by then any changes will have had a chance to settle down. The biggest problem during the Olympics was that no one seemed to know what was going on exactly. Everone knew a bit (and that included the Visa offcie).
By the way your budget should be no problem based on curent exchange rate and prices (and even allowing 10% swing to either or both).
If you decide to stay at a hotel once or twice (if you are within budget then pamper yourself) instead of hostels then the rates they show are very negotiable. If it says 400 offer 250 they usually accept it.

Your bugget is really enough, I think for UK people to travel in china is cheap, except you spend a lot of money on hotel.
Good luck!

A quick breakdown of hat I'm used to spending down in South and Central China. Should be more in places like Beijing, Xi'an, Nanjing, Shanghai where more tourists (both Chinese and foreign) are apt to visit.

Bed in 6-person dorm: 35-40 RMB
Noodles or steamed buns for breakfast: 4 RMB
Taxi ride to another part of town for some sightseeing: Maybe 10-20 RMB.
Lunch or dinner: 8 RMB per dish + 2 RMB for the beer =D.

Biggest question-mark would be admission to a place, but you can see it's easy to get around for a touch over 10 USD a day, even with taxiing around and hostel costs. Hostel costs and taxi rides are going to cost more in Beijing than Wuhan, but eating should be around the same. Train from Beijing to Guangzhou is around 420-something RMB for a hard sleeper I think.

Hope this helps =D