Just a few more months and the Olympics will be here! I have been planning to visit China for the Olympics since it was officially announced that it was going to be held in Beijing. I have never been to mainland China and I thought, what better time to do it than when they hold the Olympics, right? Knowing how difficult and expensive it would be to set up a trip at this time, I did tons of research. I’d like to share some of the tips I have come across with you.
It is not necessary to go straight to Beijing.
Of course, it would be the most convenient thing to do – just hop on a plane that goes straight to the city of your destination, right? Then again, there are so many other places that you can visit in China – with cheaper air fare to boot! I am considering a plane ride to Shanghai first then going on to Beijing on the train. They actually have great train rides from one city to another and that in itself would be another experience. Other possible cities would be Nanjing, or Tianjin. You can also opt to take a domestic flight to Beijing from the other cities if you don’t feel like taking the train. Depending on your planning, it could actually be cheaper to take the train.
Here are some links to more information for domestic train travel:
Train Travel in China
China Train Ticket
China Train Schedule
In the next post, let’s look at some tips for accommodations.
hi Noemi,
I am also thinking of taking trains between Nanjing/Shanghai and Beijing during the olympics. The main thing I’m concerned about is the availability and cost of booking sleeper trains at this time. They can only be booked 10 days in advance (the websites may let you submit a booking request before this but they won’t be able to confirm anything until 10 days before). Do you think it is possible that they will decide to increase the price of train tickets during the olympics (just as hotels have increased their prices)? I don’t want any nasty surprises after I arrive!
Hi Georgia,
Thanks for dropping by. Yes, I do believe that the prices might go up. If the hotels are doing so, why not the trains? Although I am not totally sure about this. Maybe the best thing to do is to prepare for the increase – just in case.
For those that want to avoid high roaming fees on mobile phones (as high as $2.25 per minute), here’s a special site for the Olympics selling GSM SIM cards that work in your phones when traveling in Beijing.
Unique thing about this SIM card is unlimited photo and video uploads to capture events at the Olympics on your mobile phone to share. And calling rates are much lower when using SIM card.
http://www.gotobeijingchina.com
Hi Pajor! Thanks for the information. I am sure that many travelers to Beijing will find this useful.
Thanks Pajor! Just ordered a ‘Gold Card’$100 for 1000 minutes home, hope it works on my iPhone.
very useful tips, Pajor! i hope to see your next travel tips for London Olympics in the following year.