Travel Information has been provided by Complete Travel Solutions
Airfares
Whether China is your focus, or you want to visit this fascinating country on the way to another exciting destination – there are literally hundreds of great value airfares to choose from!
Go China is happy to help you make the right decision to meet your needs:
Baggage Allowance:
First Class - 40kg per person
Business Class - 30kg per person
Economy Class - 20k per person
* For travel to/from/via America, the free baggage allowance is 2 pieces at 23kg each per person.
Please ensure you read the following information on Australian Customs and Luggage restrictions:-
(left click to read or right click and 'save as' to download)
- Luggage Guide
- Aust Customs Brochure
China Experiences
Click on the links below to open a fact sheet or right click and 'save as' to download.
· Chopsticks
· Food Experience
· Peking Duck
· Shopping
· Table Manners
· Travel Safety
· Beijing Underground
Hotels
Go China tours all use a minimum of three star hotels. You may upgrade at a surcharge to a four or five star on any package. Simply call/email us today for a quote.
Click here to view some of the hotels we use.
When you check into your hotel, you will need to show your passport and fill out a temporary residence form. Usually foreigners can only stay in hotels that are three-star and above, or any hotels, mansion or hostels which have the licensed permits to take foreign tourists. Hotel ratings in China are quite different than anywhere else in the world. Here are some examples of what you can expect:
One-Star hotels: One-Star hotels must have at least air-conditioning guest rooms with 12-hour a day cold and hot running water. Of course, 80% of the rooms must have private bath facilities. They must have a lobby with information and reception desk, postal service, coffee shop. They should have a dining room.
Two-Star hotels: Two-Star hotels must have at least 20 air-conditioning guest rooms and 90% with private bath facilities. Also 50% of the rooms are equipped with telephones and 24 hours of cold and hot running water. They must offer Western and Chinese breakfast.
Three-Star hotels: Three-Star hotels must have well-furnished standard guest rooms with dressing table, desk, drawers and close. All rooms are equipped with the carpet or wood floor. Each room has a telephone with international direct dial(IDD); mini-bar and refrigerator; colour television sets, in-house movies, music and more.
Four Star hotels: Four Star hotels have spacious rooms, good quality toilets and hair dryers. Most of the hotels should background music, health club, swimming pool, sauna, business centre and 24-hour doorman. Laundry should be returned by next day. Business Centre. Nice Chinese and western restaurants.
Five-Star hotels: Five-Star hotels have large lobbies. They are more luxury and spacious. Service is better than the four-star hotels described above
Visa
A visa for China WILL be required for all Australian passport holders, travelling to China. Contact your Go China specialist today for your application form and/or if your passport is of a different nationality.
Click here for more details (attached)
We would recommend providing the attached details (either by ‘registered mail’ or in person) at least 3-4 weeks prior to travel, to avoid any last minute delays to Integrity Travel for processing, or you can apply directly to the consulate in person in your own state.
CHINESE CONSULATE IN BRISBANE
LVL 9 / 79 ADELAIDE STREET
BRISBANE QLD 4000
PH: 07-3210-6509
0900-1200 MON-FRI
CHINESE CONSULATE
39 DUNBLANE STREET
CAMPERDOWN
SYDNEY NSW 2050
PH: 02-8595-8000
0900-1200 MON-FRI
CHINESE CONSULATE
534 TOORAK ROAD
TOORAK
MELBOURNE VIC 3141
PH: 03-9822-0604
0900-1200 MON-FRI
CHINESE CONSULATE
45 BROWN STREET
EAST PERTH
PERTH WA 6004
PH: 08-9222-0333
0900-1200 MON-FRI
Foreign Exchange
For all your currency needs, Go China can order your foreign currency before you leave, without the long queues at the airport, trying to find a place to convert overseas or eating your eftpos card in an atm.
Currently AUD100.00 = CNY515.00 (rate of exchange as at 7th September - 5.1530)
Call us today to confirm exchange rates!
Changing money in China:
You can exchange traveller's cheques or cash at most banks, and hotels always have a money exchange counter. To change money, you have to have your passport at hand. If you want to change money in a hotel, you usually have to be a guest there. Sometimes if you are not a guest in a hotel but need to change money there, you can just say a random room number, but this doesn't always work. At present ,the RMB is not exchangeable on the international market, so it is only usable within the country. So when you are changing money, don't change too much, because it is difficult to change back into other currencies. To change RMB back into your home currency, you must retain the exchange slips that are given to you at the bank or money exchange counter. Then when you want to go home, you have to bring the slips with you to prove that you are merely changing back money you haven't spent.
Credit cards:
Major credit cards such as Master Card , Visa, JCB and American Express can be used to purchase goods in large department stores. Credit cards cannot be used in small restaurants or small convenience stores.
They are mostly useful for paying for really expensive things. They can be used to pay for hotel rooms and for meals in some of the fancier restaurants. Amex can also be used to get a cash advance in the main offices of the Bank of China. It is also possible to cash a check against the Amex card ,but again, only in the main offices.
Time
Beijing is 2 hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time
(Ie: if it is 10am in Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne, it is 8am in Beijing)
Language:
Spoken communication has been a problem in China for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Different people from different regions separated by rivers and mountains tend to speak differently from each other. There are hundreds of different dialects in China , and many of them are like totally different languages, though they are all lumped together into the category "Chinese."
The official language of China is Mandarin Chinese, actually a northern dialect, and this is what the people of Beijing speak. Often when Chinese people from the countryside or far flung regions of the country come to Beijing, they have a hard time communicating. So if you are having difficulty making yourself understood, you are not alone!
Most hotel staff can speak English, so this is not a big problem, But on the street it may be difficult to communicate. If you are going to take a taxi, get someone to write down the address of your destination in Chinese. Street signs have characters as well as pinyin (Chinese Romanization), so if you have a map, it is easier to figure out where you are. Also, nowadays most young people are studying English, so for simple directions and help, you can most likely get assistance from a younger person. If they can't help you, they will most likely do their best to find someone who can.
When addressing somebody, remember that in China, the surname comes before the given name, there are hundreds of surnames, the most common being Zhang, Li, Wang, Zhao and Liu, so if a woman's name is Wu Runmei, you should call her Ms. Wu. Names are usually composed of two or three characters and occasionally four. If a person has four-character name, the first two are the surname and the second two are their given name. Women keep their own surname after marriage, so if somebody's husband's surname is Wang, it doesn't mean that she is Mrs. Wang. She is still Mrs. Maiden name.
Click HERE for some key phrases to get you started.
(Left click to view PDF or right click and 'save as' to download.
Beijing Transportation
As you will be on a private tour arranged by Go China, all your transfers to/from sightseeing, shows, airports and attractions will be included, and will collect/return you to your hotel.
Should you wish to explore on your own, you need to understand how to recognize a legal taxi in Beijing?
1) The taxi plaque number starts with the number "B"
2) The taxi should be equipped with the light on the top and meter measuring.
3) It's better to take a taxi on the road instead of a taxi waiting somewhere. The empty taxi must show a red light in the front window.
4) If possible, arrange at your hotel for the same taxi to meet you at a spot in several hours time to return you.
5) Always get someone to write down the address of your destination in Chinese. Street signs have characters as well as pinyin (Chinese Romanization), so if you have a map, it is easier to figure out where you are.
Clothing
Beijing's climate is defined as "continental monsoon." The four seasons are distinctly recognizable. Autumn is the best time to be in Beijing; the temperature is mild and the sun is out a lot. The temperature in spring is nice, too, but it is very dry and winds whip sand around the city.
Summer can be unbearably hot, and winter is equally freezing cold, assisted by winds blowing down directly from Siberia. Wear nice clothes for going out at night, but for touring during the day wear casual clothes and comfortable sturdy shoes.
In autumn, jeans and a sweater are usually enough. In the warmer months, T-shirts and light pants or shorts are the best bet. In the colder months, it is wise to dress in layers; long underwear and jeans, shirt, sweater and down jacket. It you want to go local, you can buy a cool army coat (jun da yi ) for less than 100 yuan.
Independent Traveller
If you’re an independent traveller, and like to go out and explore the world at your own pace, and experience life to the full in another country, well this is for you!
Go China has put together an Independent Traveller Guide book for Beijing.
Click HERE to view PDF brochure or right click and 'save as' to download.
Travel Check List
Left click HERE to view PDF or right click and 'save as' to download.
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