I haven’t traveled outside of Europe for quite a while, so it was time for such a journey. Japan was initially my main goal, but after seeing a cheap flight ticket, China became the destination instead. In part 1, I’ll share important information with you!
In March, I started thinking about an Asian trip: I couldn’t find flight tickets to Japan under 650 €, and I don’t usually travel at that price. Then, looking at China, Hainan Airlines had much cheaper tickets. Since I like to visit multiple places, I started looking at multi-city trips (this means returning home from a different location than where I arrive).
After a little searching, I found a Beijing arrival – Shanghai departure combination (04.28-05.08) for 405 €. I booked it immediately, as this was a good price. Additionally, I booked it with a 10-hour transfer time in Shenzhen on the way back, which is enough for a few hours of city sightseeing.
Finally, I put together this brief itinerary (which I’ll present in detail in separate articles):
- Beijing
- Great Wall with an organized tour
- To Shanghai via the famous high-speed train
- Hangzhou (one hour train ride from Shanghai)
- A few hours in Shenzhen during the transfer on the way home
Table of Contents
Entry requirements
Until 12.31.2025, Hungarian citizens can enter China without a visa and stay for 30 days. Thus, there’s no need to pay for or apply for anything, making travel easier.
Since I transferred in Shenzhen, entry processing happened there. I was indeed pulled aside at Immigration. A man traveling alone with just a small backpack must have looked suspicious. They asked why I came, what I planned to see, where I would stay, etc. They also checked my belongings, then let me continue my journey. It’s advisable to print out accommodation confirmations, which they verified in their system.
Mobile applications
Safety first! Unfortunately, anything can happen during a trip abroad. Therefore, it’s important to know where to turn in case of problems: the local consulate or designated institution can help. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, if it is possible to register, please do so! If there’s any problem, you can contact them here and vice versa.
I recommend downloading Alipay for payments, but I’ll write about this in more detail below.
For accommodation booking and purchasing internet data packages, I used trip.com, which I’ll also write about below.
Google Maps has limited data about Chinese cities, so it can’t be used as we’re accustomed to. For maps, I recommend the maps.me application. Provinces can be downloaded and used offline. There’s a map style that shows metro lines and stations, which is a great help in Chinese cities.
Very few people in China speak English, so it’s good to have a translation program on your mobile. I used Google Translate and downloaded the Chinese language for offline use (there’s simplified and traditional; in my experience, traditional works best). There’s also a voice recognition feature, but it only works with internet access. I used this a few times, and it translated quite well.
Payment
In China, credit cards can be used directly in very few places. You need an application to help with payments. The two most popular are Alipay and WeChat. I used Alipay, so I’ll write about that in detail.
It’s important to note that a live internet connection is necessary to use it. So don’t forget to ensure you have working internet!
First, download the application from Google Play or the Apple Store. Register with your phone number, and you’re already on the main page. In settings, you can switch to English. Here you can also add a bank card. The system also asks for a six-digit code, which you’ll need to confirm payments.
Payment is QR code-based. There are two main payment methods visible on the main page:
- Scan: use this when a machine shows a QR code that you need to scan. This is used when buying metro tickets.
- Pay: here, you show a QR code, and the system scans it. This is typically used in shops and restaurants.
The whole process is very simple and fast; after a few payments, everything will become routine.
Internet
As I wrote above, the payment application also requires internet, so it’s mandatory to have some data. It can be purchased in many places; I bought it very cheaply on trip.com, which I can write about.
We no longer need to bother with physical SIM cards, as eSIM makes everything extremely simple. This is completely digital, with only one requirement: an eSIM-capable mobile phone. Newer phones already support this.
I purchased 1 GB of data per day for the 10 days, which cost about 4.5 €. So it’s very cheap, and you can buy additional data anytime. When the daily limit is reached, the internet slows down, so you can purchase more data.
Accommodation booking
There’s no Airbnb in China, and some of the well-known accommodation booking sites are not present in the country. Despite this, there are plenty of booking options.
I booked the Beijing and Shanghai accommodations on trip.com and was satisfied with everything. There are tons of accommodations listed with many reviews, so it’s hard to make a wrong choice. However, be careful because after browsing for a while, prices tend to increase, though this happens in many other places too…
Travelling by train
I have travelled by fast trains (three times), so I can tell you about it. I also tried the (very) fast Beijing-Shanghai train, which runs at 350 km/h. 🙂
You should buy your ticket in advance, although you can also buy it at the departure station (if there is a ticket available). I bought it on this site, one of the most reliable brokers, I can highly recommend it. It is important that you don’t get a train ticket in the confirmation, but an e-ticket number.
At the train station you can board the train with your passport. However, it is also possible to ask for a paper ticket. First you pass through security (passport required) and enter a large main hall. Here you have to go to the Ticket Service (similar names everywhere), where they print out your train ticket with your passport and e-ticket number. It is worth printing out the paper train ticket because, for example, in Beijing the system did not recognise my passport. In such cases it is good to have the ticket.
In the main hall there are boarding gates (like at airports), here you have to check in with your passport 10-20 minutes before departure and then you can go down to the platform. The departure gate is announced on the large display (also in English). The trains and stations are clean and comfortable, with adjustable chairs.
Restrooms
This is one of the cardinal things concerning our needs, so it’s an important topic. 🙂
Fortunately, this won’t be a problem for anyone. In every place I visited, there are plenty of restrooms (except of course on the Great Wall, but even there, there are a few). And the best part is that they’re all free! Every toilet has a cleaner; they’re clean and pleasantly scented everywhere.
