The journey of planning our China travel adventure began with casual talks among friends in 2006. We first set our sights on the 2008/2009 holiday season. This timeline would give us enough time to request leave from work and save money for the trip.
However, waiting proved difficult for those of us with mandatory annual leave. By September 2007, we had moved up our China travel plans to the 2007/2008 holiday season and started researching hotels and flights in earnest.
Our China travel planning involved thousands of emails, group chats, and several in-person meetings. While I can’t detail every decision, I’ll share the key choices we made and alternatives we considered for your own China travel preparation.
China Travel Planning: Transportation Options
Our initial focus was finding affordable flights between Chinese cities. We considered trains but decided against them due to the lengthy travel times—often half a day or more between major destinations.
We discovered that direct flights from Hong Kong to mainland China cities were more expensive as they’re classified as international flights. One alternative was taking a ferry to Shenzhen and flying from there, but we rejected this idea because of the time wasted going through customs, especially during the busy Christmas season.
Booking domestic flights in China presented challenges. Many websites weren’t available in English, and those that were often rejected foreign credit cards at checkout. We eventually found success working with a Hong Kong travel agent who offered competitive rates.
Useful China Travel Transportation Resources
| China Domestic Airline Codes | Comprehensive list of airline codes for major Chinese carriers |
| Train Travel in China | Detailed information about train schedules and fares throughout China |
| Ctrip | Popular platform for booking hotels and flights within China |
| eLong | Reliable service for hotel and flight reservations in China |
| Ticket 9588 | Discount service for domestic Chinese flights |
China Travel Planning: Accommodation Choices
After ruling out hostels, our group settled on 3-4 star hotels. Key factors in our China travel accommodation decisions included proximity to public transportation, distance to major attractions, and overall room quality. We spent an average of AUD $82 per night for double rooms.
For booking accommodations, we used several websites that accepted foreign credit cards:
- Expedia Australia – Offers a wide range of hotel options in China
- HotelClub.net – Provides competitive rates for China accommodations
- Booking.com – Features extensive reviews and flexible booking options
Pro tip for China travel planning: Always read recent hotel reviews before booking. This saved us from several potentially disappointing stays!
China Travel Planning: Research Tips
When researching hotels for your China travel itinerary, simply search the hotel name online to find numerous reviews. This helped us avoid several properties with consistent negative feedback.
I recommend creating a shared document for your China travel group to track flight options, hotel choices, and estimated costs. This approach streamlined our decision-making process significantly.
Essential China Travel Preparation Checklist
| Planning Stage | Timeline (Months Before Trip) | Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Early Planning | 12+ | Research visa requirements, request time off work, start saving |
| Transportation | 6-8 | Book international flights, research domestic travel options |
| Accommodation | 4-6 | Book hotels, read reviews, confirm reservations |
| Final Preparation | 1-2 | Arrange currency exchange, download translation apps, pack essentials |
Looking back, our China travel experience was enhanced by thorough planning. Despite some challenges with booking systems and language barriers, proper preparation made our journey much smoother.
/* China Travel Planning Timeline */
Start planning: 12+ months before
Book international flights: 6 months before
Book hotels and domestic travel: 4-5 months before
Apply for visas: 2-3 months before
Finalize itinerary: 1 month beforeFor anyone considering their own China travel adventure, I recommend starting the planning process early and being flexible with your itinerary. The effort you put into China travel planning will definitely pay off with a more enjoyable and stress-free experience.