How much does it cost to travel to China on your own? Traveling to China on your own - what you need to know Why tickets to China are expensive

It's time to talk about something important. I went to China again. I haven’t had time to write about my last trip yet, and here I am again.

What's on it? It's not just that I want to explore China completely. Nowadays tickets are damn cheap. We need to seize the moment.

And I will tell you two ways to do this.

*** Partnership project. Text and thoughts are my own. ***


The ability to choose the right airline tickets is an art. Experienced Travelers know which days of the week, seasons and phases of the moon have the best freebies. Sometimes this is not necessary. Look, now on Aviasales you can buy a ticket from Moscow to Beijing for 20 thousand rubles. Directly, without transfers, by Aeroflot. Even tomorrow, even in a month. Obviously, the airline has introduced a “flat” fare for this flight and until conditions change, the date does not matter. This happens periodically with in different directions, recently the same “things” were rolled out with Vladivostok and Tel Aviv. This is life hack number one, how long it will last is unknown. You need to catch this in.

The second life hack is more interesting because it always works. Everyone knows how to buy tickets through search engines, but not everyone knows how to use additional “tricks” that make the search easier and save money. Look, I have specific dates, and a ticket today still costs the same twenty-odd thousand rubles. There are two weeks before departure, and there is a chance that it will become even cheaper. It’s easy to send a message, and I receive any tariff changes by email. There will also be recommendations on whether it is worth waiting for a further decline or whether it is better to buy before the price rises.

By the way, it can be even cheaper. The guys from Aviasales gave me some statistics on ticket prices to China. That the cheapest month to fly there is January. It’s a long wait until the next one, but you can catch a ticket from Moscow to Urumqi for eight thousand (!!!) rubles. But from May everything will become more expensive: both seasonally and due to increased tariffs in Russian airports. So, even at the end of the year it is better to buy tickets in advance.

Something like this, don’t thank me.

I will continue to talk about amazing and awesome China. Soon!

How to organize an independent trip to China in 2019! Visa, tickets, hotels, food, transport, security. How much does it cost to travel to China? Cost calculation, tips and observations.

The material is prepared on the basis personal experience independent travel to China by the author of the text: three months of living in Shenzhen, as well as trips to Hong Kong and Guangzhou.

China is huge and very diverse, so it is impossible to clearly say where prices and conditions are. I will start from Shenzhen - the center of all electronics, a young and rapidly growing city in the very south of China, which borders on Hong Kong. I will tell you what a tourist can find useful when planning an independent trip to China in 2019, and I will also give my own observations about the country and tips for travelers.

How to get a visa to China yourself

A visa to China is required for Russians, except in rare cases. A regular single entry costs 1,500 rubles, a double entry costs 3,000, and a multiple entry costs 4,500 rubles. Plus a bank commission of 2.5% per person is charged.

Urgent single entry - 2400, urgent double entry - 3900, urgent multiple entry - 5400. There is also an express review, which costs more.

It is better to stay in chain hotels, as they care about their reputation. A night in such a hotel costs from $30-40 per Double Room. Chain hotels in Shenzhen: Greentree Inn, Sheraton, Novotel, etc.

Adviсe:

  • Look for a hotel with good soundproofing - the Chinese are noisy.
  • Photos of hotels do not always correspond to reality.
  • Sometimes a room may be clean and comfortable, but have foreign odors, such as dampness. Or the windows look out onto the courtyard, where there is a landfill or a Chinese street cafe (which produces odors no better).

Rent. If you want personal comfortable housing, look for a room, apartment or house on Airbnb. The choice of housing is huge. Renting an apartment in Beijing costs approximately $30-50 per day, in Shenzhen - from $27. You can rent an apartment on Airbnb for $600-$1,500 for a month (rooms cost $500-$900). The price depends on the city, area and condition of the house. For example, in Shenzhen, near the beach in a resort area, an excellent apartment was rented for $600. At long term rental There are discounts.


Entrance to Shenzhen Novotel Watergate (Photo © booking.com / Shenzhen Novotel Watergate)

Food and cuisine of China

Another difficulty you will encounter when independent trip to China in 2019 is food. It is very specific here, so going to a cafe can cause problems, especially if you don’t know the language. But here McDonald's and KFC come to the rescue. There are also many well-known European chains where you can order food from pictures. However, their prices are much higher - for example, a side dish with meat costs from $6. Sometimes tea is included in the price. At McDonald's, a Big Mac (potatoes, cola, double cheeseburger) will cost about $5.

In general, you can eat in a cafe for $5 or more; in restaurants, a simple dish costs from $10.

Where you can eat inexpensively and deliciously in China:

  • Cafe for locals. You can eat a hearty meal there for $1.50, but no one guarantees the quality of the products and compliance with sanitary standards. The downside is that it is difficult to order dishes, since often there are no pictures or there are few of them, and if there are, it is not clear what it is.
  • "Muslim women"- these are local cafes run by Chinese Muslims. The food there is prepared in compliance with all standards and is really very tasty. I really love their noodles and recommend you try them. They cook it in front of you, and it’s interesting to watch this process. Cost from $1.5 for a huge portion.
  • Supermarket. A kilo of bananas costs $1-2, apples $2-3, tangerines $1-2. I do not recommend buying sausages. This is not at all what we expect: Chinese sausages are made from soy with a bunch of spices and additives. They taste sweet and have a specific smell, but for the sake of curiosity you can try them once.

(Photo © Jo@net / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Internet and cellular communications in China

All SIM cards are sold only with a passport in specialized places. Price mobile communications quite high - from $20 per month, plus for purchasing a card and choosing tariff plan they charge the same amount. To purchase a normal tariff and understand everything, you need to know Chinese. If you need internet in China, it's easier to use Wi-Fi while traveling - in big cities it can be found everywhere.

There is another problem that many people encounter - blocking all Google services, YouTube, Instagram. To access them you need to install a special VPN program.


China Mobile is the largest mobile operator in the world (Photo © Open Grid Scheduler Grid Engine / flickr.com)

Transport in China

Transport in China is excellent. The infrastructure is very developed. Planes, ferries, trains (including high-speed), buses, subways and taxis. You can get to any point without any problems. Travel on buses - from $0.3, in the metro - from $0.5.

If you are going to China for a month, buy a travel pass. The plastic card can be topped up and used in the metro and buses, and then returned and received money back. Cost $4. This is very convenient: you don’t need to find out the cost of tickets, buy tokens, or stand in lines. Accordingly, the problem of language disappears. For trips within one city, $10-30 per month is enough.

A very common type of transportation is electric mopeds. Essentially this is a taxi, only less comfortable, more extreme and cheaper - from $2. The main advantage is the absence of traffic jams, since mopeds go wherever they want. The only negative is the language. You need to agree on the price and destination.

(Photo © Lαin / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

ATMs and cards

Be prepared that many stores may not accept your Visa or MasterCard card, since in China there is another payment system - UnianPay. This card can be issued at any bank for free. If you need to withdraw money from yours, there are many ATMs for this.

Chinese mentality

Don't be surprised if in China you feel like a monkey that everyone wants to take a photo with. For a Chinese, having a photo with a European is an indicator of coolness and status, so you will always be the center of attention. They will always turn around at you and, without hesitation, look straight at you. In addition to increased interest, the Chinese will try to make money on the “white man”. For them, we are walking money, so bargain in all stores. For example, we once reduced the price of a shirt from $35 to $5.

We can talk for a long time about the culture and upbringing of the majority of Chinese. Giving way to a girl, letting her go ahead, letting people exit a vehicle, throwing garbage in the trash bin - this is not about them. They also have no sense of tact. Don’t be surprised if at the first meeting you are asked about your personal life, salary and health. The Chinese themselves are very cunning and enterprising, but at the same time good-natured.

Useful words in Chinese for a traveler:

Security in China

Do you know where the tradition of wearing a backpack on the front came from? From China. Petty theft is very common there. In big cities you can find a policeman everywhere who will gladly help in any situation. Also on all buses, metro, shopping centers, and there are simply cameras hanging on the street, so in big cities there is nothing to be afraid of when walking along the streets in the evening. From personal experience: I walked with photographic equipment, and not once did anyone try to pester me.

Also in China there is an unspoken rule that animals, children and laovayam(for foreigners) anything is possible.

(Photo © Today is a good day / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

How much does an independent trip to China from Russia cost?

Let's calculate how much a trip to China costs for two for 10 days when departing from Moscow:

  • Single entry visa - $52.
  • Flights from Moscow to Beijing and back - from $586. Find a ticket >>
  • Hotel in the center of Beijing in low season - $130. Find a hotel >>
  • Meals in eateries for locals - $120.
  • Insurance - $23.
  • Transport and attractions - approximately $200.

So, how much does it cost to travel to China on your own? The minimum cost of the trip, if you are ready to save, is approximately 1111$ for two for 10 days.

If you are used to living comfortably, then the trip will cost approximately 1711$ for two (accommodation in a 3* hotel - $250 and meals in cafes and restaurants - $600). We spent $1,500 a month for two of us.


Fragment of a 100 yuan bill (Photo © super.heavy / flickr.com)

Take advantage of our useful tips on an independent trip to China in 2019:

  • Before you travel, watch how the Chinese count on their fingers. The match with our score is only up to 4, then everything is different.
  • Be sure to download a translator to your phone.
  • Take the necessary medications, as you are unlikely to find anything familiar in Chinese pharmacies. You are more likely to encounter dried toad than activated charcoal.
  • Download the Baidu program and maps of the cities where you plan to live on your phone. This program will help you choose the route, time and type of transport, determine the best option ways. You won't get lost with her. I highly recommend it!

I hope you have a general idea of ​​prices and conditions. And the problem of language, as you see, is not so terrible. Travel, because there are so many interesting things in the world!

(Photo © monkeylikemind / flickr.com / Licensed CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Introductory image source: © mandylovefly / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

So, you are planning to go to China. And they did it right! This country is famous for its centuries-old culture, inventions, natural landscapes, food and much more. Now there are many offers on the tourism market, but they are all of the same type and run along the same well-trodden routes. Besides, they don’t give you freedom: look to the right, look to the left... How about entering a country where they look at you with genuine childish interest, like an alien, where the whole carriage stands up when they see you)). Or chat with local residents and get to know the life of the country from the inside. Independent travel provides all this.

Below we discuss the main practical issues related to independent travel in China.

1. Visa to China

The first thing you will need for such a trip is a Chinese visa. There are several types of visas, and accordingly they require different documents, different prices. The simplest one is a one-time tourist trip. You can register with a travel agency, which will naturally charge an additional fee for their work. You can apply for a visa yourself by taking the documents to one of the Chinese consulates: in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok.

2. How to get to China and travel within the country?

There are several ways to get to the Celestial Empire from Russia: by plane, by train or by bus, and by hitchhiking. It all depends on your budget, where you are going from and what places in China you are going to visit. China, as you know, borders Russia by Far East, from there the route to Beijing is the closest. You can cover this distance by train. The easiest way to travel from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the European part of Russia is by plane. There are both direct flights and with transfers in Astana, Almaty, Dubai, depending on the airline. Cheap tickets can be found on the website .

Inside China, you can also travel in different ways, whichever suits your taste. We traveled by train, buying tickets ourselves at the ticket office a few days before departure.

3. How much money to take to China?

It’s difficult to give a definite answer here - everyone has their own requirements and preferences. I can only give a link to our

It is better to exchange cash in Russia for dollars in advance, since rubles are not exchanged in China. Dollars are exchanged for yuan mainly by the Bank of China; the rate in the spring of 2013 was 6.1 yuan per 1 dollar. You can also use bank cards Visa and MasterCard. A fee will be charged for withdrawing money from the card. It varies from bank to bank, check with your bank before traveling.

Anya and I applied for ISIC youth cards; in some places they give a good discount. For example, we saved 90 yuan (450 rubles) on Mount Emeishan.

4. What to take with you to China?

Experience is the son of difficult mistakes)) It’s unclear why we were dragging sleeping bags with us, but it turned out that China is full of cheap and comfortable housing.

When packing, pay attention to what kind of weather awaits you in China. For example, in the spring there is a lot of rain and dampness in the southwestern regions, while in Xinjiang it can be cool but dry. From here, choose what to take. For independent travel, a backpack is an irreplaceable and convenient thing that you must have =).

As a last resort, buy what you need in China, all the clothes are made there anyway!

5. Accommodation in China - where to spend the night?

As mentioned above, the choice of accommodation is huge, especially in places popular with tourists. And competition makes prices reasonable. You can book a hotel or inn in advance - this is easy to do on the website. If you prefer to improvise, you can decide on housing on the spot. But I strongly advise against doing this if you are traveling on holidays: at the beginning of May and in the first half of October.

If you want to stay in an apartment or rent a room from the owners (often this works out cheaper than a hotel), try Airbnb (go to and get $25 as a gift for your first booking).

6. Where to go in China, attractions

The choice here is simply endless, China amazing country! Discovery awaits at every step =).

We visited 4 provinces, or rather , and the province , Yunnan and Manchuria. We simply passed by the rest of the districts by train.

7. Food

People in China love and know how to eat! Locals adopted the rule “War is war, and lunch is on schedule”)). The choice of food is very large, although the main products for the Chinese are rice and noodles, as well as additives for them. You can have a snack at local chifans or buy food at the market or supermarkets.

It should be noted that Chinese food is very spicy - be careful, especially in the first days.

Helps a lot when organizing an independent trip mobile applications. We wrote .

That's all I wanted to say about traveling to China on your own. Come to the Celestial Empire, you will definitely be satisfied! Easy roads!

For the past decade, our enterprising compatriots have been constantly traveling to this exotic country for the goods. If at the end of the last century they brought bags of clothes, today the flow of clothing consists of electronic equipment, cosmetics and even furniture and cars. You can buy everything in China!

In addition to commercial interest, “the Celestial Empire” became a discovery for Russian tourists, like an unknown land rich in exclusive attractions. Today it is very easy to purchase a tourist package to any country, including China, including specifically for goods. But it turns out that it is much cheaper and more interesting to organize an independent trip.

What awaits you there

It is difficult to list the sights of the country, on the territory of which one of the most ancient civilizations on the planet arose, in one article; let’s try to mention at least the most famous in the world.

Leshane. Giant Buddha in the west of the country in Sichuan province is carved out of rock giant statue 71 meters high. There are taller structures on the planet, but this work was hewn out of stone in 713.

Xi'an. Terracotta Army More than 8,000 warriors, 670 horses, 130 chariots carved from natural material in 200 BC. and dug out of the ground are now in three special halls of the museum. And this is not the entire army of ruler Qin Shi Huang. Some of the sculptures are still underground.

Forbidden City At the beginning of the 15th century, one of the largest palace ensembles, consisting of thousands of buildings and walls 10 meters high. Now the Forbidden City has become a museum and is open to tourists.

The great Wall of China. The only man-made object on the planet visible from Space with the naked eye. It is difficult to imagine a trip that would not include a visit to this colossal structure, erected in the 14th-16th centuries to protect the country from attacks by northern nomadic tribes.

Transfer natural monuments China is almost impossible. Li River, Huangshan Mountains, Hainan Island, Victoria Harbor and thousands more interesting places are waiting for you.

When planning to get acquainted with the places that interest you, historical monuments, interesting artifacts, you need to be aware of natural conditions, which you will find yourself in. Excursion China is most favorable in spring and autumn. In summer, the air temperature here rises to 400, and in winter, on the contrary, it drops to the same temperature with a minus sign.

A huge country, of course, has a different temperature range from south to north and humidity from east to west. Best time beach holiday on the famous Chinese resort island of Hainan from October to May. And you can take part in the grandiose, original celebrations of the New Year according to the Chinese calendar at New Year holidays in all major cities of China.

Need a visa

China is a visa country. You can arrange it either through a travel agency or independently at the Chinese embassy. In the first case, it will be done for you quickly, without unnecessary delays and bureaucracy, but for an amount that will exceed two or three times the embassy visa. In the second, you will have to fill out all the paperwork yourself, but it will cost an order of magnitude cheaper (about 2,000 rubles).

There are privileges in obtaining visas for groups of tourists numbering more than 5 people. Visas also differ into tourist, business, multiple and double entry visas.

On the resort island of Hainan, you will be issued a visa on the spot for two weeks, but it is not a fact that you will then be allowed to travel with it to other territories. This tropical island with craters has long been extinct volcanoes is a special economic zone oriented by the government of the country to beach holiday tourists from all over the world.

Are we flying or driving?

The most convenient transport, which brings tourists here is considered to be aviation. Even within the country there is a well-developed network local airlines allows you to quickly and inexpensively reach any remote point.

Experienced tourists advise starting their trip to China in Hong Kong. The short distance to the capital, inexpensive flights and visa concessions speak in favor of this particular route.

Trains and Shuttle Buses They also run between cities and regions and are quite inexpensive, however, they do not offer the comfort we are accustomed to. Don’t be surprised if the train, subway, or bus suddenly turns out to be smoky and dirty. But the prices for travel will pleasantly surprise you.

Don't be afraid if your trip suddenly takes you to the most remote area. There are villages in China where no white man has ever set foot, and where all the cafe visitors will stand up when you enter.

The Chinese are very peaceful and friendly to all guests. And you can get out of any remote places by calling a taxi. By the way, don’t forget to write down their phone numbers immediately upon arrival.

Hotels and others like them

A huge selection of hotels with different star ratings and comfort explains the wide range of prices. There are hotels familiar to Russians, where all-inclusive with five stars on the façade. A day there will cost you from 5,000 to 18,000 rubles.

If your trip is not designed for long stay in one place, you can stay in an inexpensive hostel or hotel, spending only 1000-3000 rubles per night.

You can freely and safely use private sector services. It will become even cheaper. Prices vary from 180 rubles to infinity. They are comparable to the price ranges of Crimean offers and, naturally, depend on the location and comfort.

In many hotels it is more profitable to book rooms in advance. This will not only provide significant discounts, but will also give you a guarantee that you will not be left under open air, especially if you come on holidays. Moreover, it is recommended to make reservations two to three months before the trip.

To eat or not to eat - that is the question

China has very spicy food. Be careful. If you want to prepare dishes yourself, try to purchase raw materials for them in stores, without being tempted by low market prices. It's not difficult if you don't give in to curiosity and don't experiment with display offers. All the products we are familiar with and at the same price can be found in all Chinese provinces in large department stores.

It is most profitable and interesting to eat in local cafes and restaurants. Of course, even if you know Chinese, you will not understand anything of the menu that will be served to you. Do not be shy! Feel free to point your finger at the plate from which a white gentleman is devouring both cheeks on the next table. You can even, taking the waiter’s hand, make a defile for yourself around the hall and choose on the tables the dish that seems most edible to you. Point your finger at it and they will bring you the same.

What do you guys have in your backpacks?

What to take on a trip is a big problem for the female half of travelers. Despite the diversity of climatic and natural areas, and therefore weather conditions, you don’t have to take anything to this country. Yes, just put your documents and wallet in the case and go light. Remember that all clothes, electronics and other necessary little things are made in China!

If you still want to be independent from stores, look on the Internet for the climate of the place where you are planning your trip. Be sure to study the weather forecast for the duration of your trip and only then pack umbrellas, swimsuits or fur coats in your suitcase.

The long-awaited vacation has begun. Unexpectedly for myself, I was left without a travel companion - my companion was unable to participate in the planned trip at the last moment.

But I decided not to cancel anything and go to conquer China alone, a decision I didn’t regret for a minute.

And here I am with my two suitcases waiting for check-in to begin at the Minsk airport. Until I got on the plane, the boredom of waiting was stronger than the fear. I wasn’t worried about the plane ride, I was worried about whether I would be able to navigate the huge Beijing airport. I admit, once I was there, fear took over for a moment, but, having pulled myself together, I found a taxi rank. I stood in a short line, showed the taxi driver the address (I had booked the hotel in Beijing, as well as the air ticket, in advance on the website BiletyPlus.ru) and off I went. By the way, in China it is very good hotels: the price is quite low, and the atmosphere and service are at the highest level.

People call this skyscraper “Pants”

I spent my first day in Beijing in Forbidden City, the largest palace complex in the world. After standing in a long line, I found myself in a place where mere mortals were once prohibited from entering. The retribution was terrible: their heads were cut off or boiled in a cauldron (unless, of course, mortals were servants of emperors or ministers). The tour took me about 4 hours, and to be honest, it wasn't much fun. It’s good that I downloaded the audio tours in Russian onto the player in advance, otherwise a tour in Chinese would have quickly tired me.

I also took a walk through Yiheyuan Park. Most of the territory there is occupied by water; visitors move along bridges. Since the borders are not fenced, and there are a lot of people, it was quite scary to walk. My random companion and I rented a boat. By the way, it is in this park that they organize legendary walks on a stone ship.

In Beijing, I visited the main street of the city. Here are the most expensive shops and boutiques, as well as the world's largest screen, located exactly above the heads of passers-by. In addition, fountains are built into the asphalt, which can work at any time.

I lived not far from the Silk Market and became a frequent witness to entire performances with pseudo-departures of buyers, their “comebacks” and long speeches convincing that it was still necessary to reduce the cost of goods. Here I have perfectly mastered the art of trading: they tell you the price, you lower it N times (depending on what you are fighting for, i.e. bargaining), then you listen to reproaches, say “bye-bye”, they catch up with you and sell you for your price.

But on the Yabaolu shopping street it is not customary to bargain until the last minute, they say, traders immediately set the minimum price. By the way, most of them speak Russian quite well.

Next it's time cultural program: I bought a ticket to the legendary Acrobat Show in Beijing. The ticket was not the cheapest (I sat on the 6th row and this event cost me $100). But it was an incredible spectacle: very expensive costumes, stunning scenery, and what can we say about the skills of the acrobats! A dozen dancers on one bicycle, incredible support, but most of all I liked the huge ball that was installed on the stage - three motorcyclists were spinning circles inside it at once! I saw with my own eyes the wonders of human grace and plasticity. It was an incredible spectacle that was worth the money. I really liked it! If fate ever brings me to Beijing again, I will definitely go again.

In Beijing I also visited the zoo. The vast territory contains hundreds of species of animals, but of course the panda bears touched me the most. By the way, you can even pick up baby pandas, of course, by paying. Near the zoo, on the same site, there is a dolphinarium.

At a tea ceremony in Beijing, I was offered 12 types of tea. For some reason the cups are not washed here, they were simply doused with boiling water right in front of us. This is probably an element of the local tea ceremony. We were seated at a special wooden table and took turns pouring the aromatic drink into tiny red clay cups. Despite the fact that the tea was steeped for a very short time, it was quite strong and tasty. What I liked most was the vanilla flavored tea.

By the way, about tea. In any public place in Beijing, guests are always served a cup of hot and invigorating drink.

And, of course, any lunch in a restaurant begins with tea and fruit. Restaurants in China have rotating hanging tables so that you don’t have to reach for your piece, knocking over all the salads along the way. Portions are small but filling. On my first day in Beijing, I ordered Peking duck. They cooked it right in front of me, there was little meat in it, and they chopped it up to boot. Leather is considered the most valuable; it is eaten with sugar, but I didn’t dare.

Perhaps what impressed me most was the restaurant where you only pay for the entrance (about 18 yuan). At the entrance, guests take off their shoes and are given slippers. Visitors dine in cozy gazebos, surrounded on all sides by water, and passage through the restaurant is carried out along small bridges. Moreover, you can close the curtains to hide from prying eyes. And then the real feast of the belly begins: you can take food in any quantity, as much as your heart (but most importantly, your stomach) wants. They serve delicious sushi, seafood, sweets, beer, sake. The restaurant is open intermittently and you can’t sit there for more than two hours; of course, you can’t take takeaway food either.

Of course, I wanted to look at the building of the legendary Bolshoi National Theater. The entrance to the theater is underground, because it is surrounded on all sides by water. I didn’t go inside, I was impressed in absentia.

It’s not for nothing that China was called the healthiest nation: every morning (around 5 am) in city parks the Chinese do gymnastics, dance the waltz or their national dances. I didn’t take part in the exercises, but I took a couple of photos.

It was interesting to travel, especially since for the Chinese any “European face” is truly exotic; they often came up and asked to take a photo together.

From Beijing I went to Baidahe and Shanghai. But more on this in the second part of my note.

 

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