Everything you need to know before going to China
Travelling to China can be overwhelming. There are a lot of things that you need to get ready before even taking a plane. When I went to China there were a lot of things that I had to get prepared in a short time mainly because my trip was planned in a very short time. In this post I will share everything you need to know before going to China.
Here are the things that we will talk about in this blog:
- Flights to and from
- Visa
- Hotels
- SIM cards and VPNS
- Apps for china
- Cash and cards
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Flights to and from China
There isn’t a simple solution for your flight options to be fair and this will always depend on your preferences. I normally use Google Flights.
There is normally some time involved in searching flights especially if you want to save as much as possible on your flights.
The first time you need to consider is the day of the week that you search your flights. Majority of the people search for flights during the weekend which makes prices sky-high. Instead, search for flights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and make sure your browser is on incognito mode.
I use Google Flights to check the rates and then go separately to each company to have prices directly from the airline. Not always prices are different, but sometimes is good to avoid buying from a third party.
Getting a visa for China
Getting a Visa for China will take a long time, currently, I have 25 pages of questions to fill out, plus very specific pictures and a series of another random requests.
When applying for a Chinese Visa you have to have your flight and accommodation sorted because you will have to fill in these details. Without these, you won’t be given a time slot to process your visa.
I was asked a lot of questions about my reasons for travel and I applied as a Tourist. I had to give answers about everyone in my family, the salaries of my immediate family, and my personal salary, there were questions about my trips in my last 5 years and the reason for each and so on. Indeed long.
Along with the visa application form, you need to take and provide pictures with specific dimensions: 48 mm x 33 mm, width of head: 15mm to 22mm, height of head: 28mm to 33mm.
You have to also present your pictures in digital format and add these to the visa application.
Important: you can’t show your teeth, smile, or wear glasses and your heard must be showing – so if you are like me and have a lot of hair, be prepared for a lot of takes!
Upon completion of your application and having all the pictures ready it is time to submit it online and request a time slot at the visa center to process it and add it to your passport. For the Chinese visa, you have to apply online and also provide all the documents in person. I provided my application in London and it took only one week. I think it was fantastic.
The address for the visa center in London is 12 Old Jewry, London, EC2R 8DU. This is all sent to you via email.
Here is a list of the documents that you need to show on the day:
- Proof of hotel bookings
- Proof of legal residency in the UK
- Flight details
- Online form filled and printed
- Passport
Be prepared to wait a little bit at the Visa office even when you select a time slot. I waited 3 hours to submit my visa, and only 2 hours to pick it up. I recommend taking a book.
In November 2024, China has decided to let visitors from certain countries entry Visa free for up to 1 month in the country. Read more about which countries don’t require a visa to enter in China here.
Hotels to stay in Shanghai
In general, hotels in Asia are very good. 3 Star hotels tend to be the same as 4 Star Plus in the UK.
For this specific trip, I stayed in Shanghai for 5 days, so I stayed always in the same hotel.
The hotel I stayed in was the DoubleTree by Hilton in Pudong, Shanghai, but there are millions of hotels to choose from.
Currently, the best hotels in Shanghai are:
- Grand Hyatt Shanghai – with the amazing lobby views
- The Ritz-Carlaton
- Mandarin Oriental Pudong
- Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Center
SIM cards and VPNs
I am not sure if you are familiar, but China has a band in the major apps that we use in Europe and the Americas. For example, you will not be able to use WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Tim-tok, Amazon, Google, Uber and so on. This is because in the country is protected by the Great Firewall, which makes any of the above not permitted or accessible unless you have a VPN.
For all the above reasons, having a VPN was the best thing that I have done and I urge you to do the same. Here are all the VPNs I used in China:
The majority of the networks allow you to use roaming, however, using your own data in other countries can be extremely expensive, in my case the Three and O2 were set to charge me £7/£10 per day – no way I could pay this much! My friend who is an air hostess suggested I use Airalo – which was a lifesaver, as I stayed traveling for 1 month across 4 different countries.
Check Airalo eSim cards here. There are also other eSim cards options affordable at Viator and/or Get Your Guide.
Apps and what to get for Shanghai
Everything in China is in Mandarin characters and English is not widely spoken.
Make sure you get yourself a good translator, Chinese Pro offers the facility of translating from a picture. You will have to use data from your eSim here. Alternatively, you can connect your VPN and use Google Translate.
You can also use Apple Translator that works amazingly without VPN.
Get an eSim
Depending on how long you will stay in China I recommend considering either get an eSIM card or buy a Chinese number when you get there. I normally do both. The reason to why is because in China the data is much faster than in other countries, and I can get full usage of the apps and search engines such as WEIBO (remember google is not allowed in China), so for that I normally buy a Chinese number in a shop. Please take into consideration that the process can take 20 min and they will scan your passport and do a lot of checks – but it is the best way if you want to have a lot of data to use the below apps.
I normally also use an eSIM when visiting China, so I can activate it outside China and connect to the VPN. VPNs in China hardly work with Chinese networks. So to check your western social media platforms you would need an eSIM card.
I currently use Airalo eSIM which was recommended from a Cabin Crew friend that uses the worldwide package including China and works perfectly!
Download Metro Map
I downloaded the Shanghai ExploreMetro Map to understand the lines – they have 19 different lines so I wanted to be aware of how to navigate and the places I definitely wanted to see before getting there. It was very handy because the application showed the metro stops in English.
You Will Need Alipay and DIDI App
I also recommend downloading the DIDI app and Alipay. DIDI is basically Uber in China. The best thing is that you don’t have to write in Mandarin to go somewhere you can use English and it will recognise. Alipay is a must-have app when in China. In China cards from Europe or americas are not well recognised in restaurants and shops. The best is to use Alipay or have cash. Things are cheap but is always best to be prepared for eventualities.
Stay Connected With WeChat
In China, WhatsApp does not work. Instead, download WeChat that works as WhatsApp in China. You can also connect your card to WeChat to pay in shops, transports, taxis and order coffee and food. Similar to Alipay.
Personally, when in China you only need two apps: WeChat and Alipay. With both you can survive.
Within Alipay you can order taxis, buy train tickets, buy food, transfer and receive money and pre-order food and drinks.
What to Eat in China
If you are travelling to China, you might be interested in what to eat whilst there, I definetly was. I have written the 7 Best Foods to Try in Shanghai, and if you are also visiting Beijing read the Best of Beijing Food Guide.
Both Shanghai and Beijing surprised me a lot. Shanghai by its vibrant vibes, modern looks and its delicious food and Beijing by its cultural heritage mixed with Modern China life and the imperial feel of the restaurants. I am sure you will love it!
**Everything you need to know before going to China post has been updated**
I hope this helps you prepare for your trip to China!
Safe travels!
M x
