Beijing to Shanghai Express tour

Check out our Q&As

• What currencies are required for this tour?

  The Chinese currency is Renminbi, shortened to ‘RMB’ (‘the people’s coins’). RMB is also referred to as ‘yuan’ or ‘kuai’. You can generally withdraw money in RMB from ATM machines all over China using your home debit/credit cards – just make sure you’ve told your bank that you’ll be travelling there in advance and be prepared to pay a percentage conversion / commission fee. Alternatively, you can carry cash round with you and convert into RMB in banks in in Honk Kong or mainland China. Travellers cheques also remain widely accepted. Food in China is very cheap. We advise you to budget approximately 80 RMB per day for food in great local restaurants your tour leader will suggest which they know are safe and tasty. If you want to eat cheaper than this you can by eating more simple dishes like fried rice/noodles which come in at less that 10 RMB per meal. As an example of prices of everyday items: Small bottle water- 2 RMB Basic Chinese meal- 35 RMB Drink in a night club- 70 RMB Beer in a restaurant/hostel 10-20 RMB Coke/soft drink - 6 RMB Taxi- 10 minutes- 20 RMB (taxi prices vary depending on the city, but are very cheap compared to Europe/North America)

• Do you require a visa for this holiday?

  Visa arrangements are the responsibility of the traveller, and requirements are subject to change by the local authorities. In general, all nationalities (except Singapore, Brunei & Japan) need to apply for and obtain a China tourist visa before entering Mainland China. Most nationalities are not required to have a visa for travel solely to Hong Kong. If your flight into Hong Kong connects in mainland China (for example, in Beijing or Shanghai), you will need to tell the Immigration officer in the airport NOT to cross out a single-entry visa, as you are only transferring. If the Immigration officer crosses out a single entry visa, you will encounter difficulties when you start your trip with us and need to cross the border from Hong Kong back into mainland China. In order to apply for your China tourist visa to travel on this tour, you will need the following: 2 passport photos an invitation letter (which we will provide) an itinerary (you can download and provide these tour notes for this) photocopy of your passport a completed visa application form a confirmed flight/train ticket with entry and exit dates shown clearly Please send us a scanned / photographed copy of your passport identity pages as soon after booking as possible so that we can start to arrange your invitation letter. We also need a copy of your passport in order to book your accommodation and train tickets in China, so please ensure we get it as quickly as possible. We'll send your visa invitation letter to you together with a detailed itinerary as soon as its ready. You should then apply for your visa within three months of your travel start date. Visa application form assistance: You can download a copy of the official China visa application form here. Please note the following when completing the form: You must print the form off as double-sided. This is an embassy requirement. Please fill the form out using black capital letters. In Chinese culture dates are written in the order of year / month / day, so please follow this on your form. 1.9 - Leave this blank, it is not referring to your passport number. 2.1 - Tick the Tourism box. 2.2 - Unless you plan to enter Mainland China again before or after your tour with us, you will require a single entry, 3-month visa. 2.4 - Please write the number of days of how long your tour in Mainland China will be. For example: China on a Shoestring - 25 days, please input 24 days here (Day 25 is in Macau and Hong Kong, both of which are not in Mainland China). Highlights of China should be 15 days, and Beijing to Shanghai Expres should be 9 days. 2.5 Please enter the following addresses and phone numbers in the ‘Detailed Address’ column according to your itinerary. 1. Yangshuo 11 international Hostel NO. 11 Lian Feng Xiang West, Street YangShuo GuiLin GuangXi, Yangshuo 2. Mr Panda Guesthouse 75 2nd Ring Road North Chengdu Tel: +86 028 8662 8336 3. Shuyuan Youth Hostel No. 2 West Shuncheng Road Xian Tel: +86 029 8728 7720 In the fourth row, just write the following note: “please see detailed itinerary for further accommodation details” 2.8 Please enter the following: Name of Inviter: Shanghai Zhonglei Travel Service Co. Ltd. Address of Inviter: 822 Zhennan Road, Shanghai, China Contact Telephone Number of Inviter: +86 21 6150 3200 Relationship with applicant: Tour Operator For further information on your visa requirements, please either contact us or your local Chinese embassy/consulate.

• What is the tipping policy?

  Tipping in China is not customary and is not necessary. Of course, voluntary tipping is completely up to you, but in places like restaurants, bars or taxis it is extremely rare.

• Are vaccinations required for this tour?

  You should ensure you are fully insured for medical emergencies including emergency evacuation and repatriation. Recommended vaccinations and other health protection measures vary according to the country you are visiting and where you are travelling from. We recommend you contact your GP/medical practitioner or a travel clinic for current information on vaccinations needed for your destination. You should ensure that you are up to date with vaccines and boosters recommended for your normal life at home, including for example, vaccines required for occupational risk of exposure, lifestyle risks and underlying medical conditions. In addition, additional courses or boosters normally recommended for the countries in this region are: China: Hepatitis A. Malaria map. Malaria risk is low throughout the year throughout the country apart from areas that border Myanmar and Vietnam which have high risk. It is not generally present in Hong Kong unless contracted abroad. Yellow Fever vaccination certificates are required for travellers over 1 year of age arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission and for all travellers having transited through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission Hong Kong: Hepatitis A. Malaria is not generally present in Hong Kong unless contracted abroad. Malaria: Vaccinations are not available against Malaria, which is a disease transmitted by mosquitoes that can be very serious and sometimes fatal. You should avoid mosquito bites by covering up bare skin with clothing such as long sleeves and long trousers and applying insect repellents to exposed skin. When necessary, sleep under a mosquito net. Mosquitoes are most active during and after sunset. You should consult with your GP/medical practitioner/travel clinic about the most appropriate malaria prophylactic medication to take for the regions you are visiting. In general the lowland regions Bhutan are considered malarial zones, while higher altitudes including central Bhutan including Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and Bumthang are not. Nepal is considered mainly low risk with prophylactics not normally required. Yellow Fever: This disease is spread by infected mosquitoes that bite during the day. A Yellow Fever Certificate of vacinnation may be required as a condition of entry depending on which country you are arriving from, or that you have travelled or transitted through recently (including connecting flights with stopovers of over 12 hours). You can view this US CDC information about where the virus is present and follow the links to further information detailing which countries need you to have a Yellow Fever vaccination as part of their entry requirements. Please ensure you have this certificate with you and to hand if necessary. Please inform us of any pre-existing conditions such as diabetes or asthma and any prescription medicine you may be taking. We also need to know about any food allergies or physical disabilities that you may have.

• What is the maximum group size?

  The group size on our budget China tours is min 5, max 20.