Bookings

We originally thought we would join a guided group tour, but the thought of the 'mandatory' shopping stops just put us off. As we were going to be in the big cities of Beijing, Xian and Shanghai, we decided to make out organise all bookings ourselves. The internet was going to provide all the information we needed, plus talking to friends from China.

Hotels

We looked at both 3-stars and 4-stars hotels, even some 5-stars hotel. Travelling as a family, it was prudent to stay somewhere comfortable and clean, and most importantly of all, convenient. The hotels we chose are all 4-stars, are located along shopping streets (or in shopping districts) or very central. In Beijing, we chose the Novotel Peace Hotel as it was located in the Wangfujing area. We booked our room through the Novotel website (www.novotel.com). In Xian, we chose the Bell Tower Hotel, being right in the heart of the old city and all other conveniences. We booked this hotel through www.hotelclub.com. In Shanghai, we chose the Central Hotel, as it was just one block away from Nanjing Lu, booked through www.asiarooms.com. Why did we book our hotel from three different web sites? Because you will find the best rate and inclusions (like breakfast) if you shop around.

Transportation

Our itinerary will start in Beijing, then Xian and finally to Shanghai. So we decided to try out the sleeper train from Beijing to Xian. We booked our tickets through www.chinatripadvisor.com. The process is we first had to submit a request, they then sent through a booking form. Once we have filled in the form, we returned it. They confirm the booking, and payment details. The easiest way to pay is via Paypal, but if you want to pay via VISA or Mastercard, please make sure that your card provider has either Verified by VISA or SecureCard features. For the journey from Xian to Shanghai, we decided to fly. Our experience looking for discount flights is that you have to constantly scan the internet for deals, as these change virtually on a daily basis. We used www.chinaticketmaster.com, which is the same mob who runs www.chinatripadvisor.com. The lowest fare we found was RMB500 + taxes per adult, but when we tried to book it, we were told it was no longer available. We finally ended booking our flilght on Hainan Airlines at a cost of RMB760 + taxes. The normal fare is RMS1260 + taxes per adult.

Meals

We chose our hotel rooms without breakfast, as we figured that we would be right in the heart of the shopping districts that it would not be too much trouble to organise suitable food. Lunches and dinners will be whatever takes our fancy at the time. Of course, we would be trying out the usual Chinese cuisine, but as a last resort, there is always KFC and McDonald's.

It's now less than 2 weeks before we arrive into Beijing, so we are very much looking forward to it. We will be bringing copies of all our hotel and transportation booking information. As I type this blog, the A$ is buying RMB6.25, which will makes things even cheaper for our trip.

Itinerary

Our planned itinerary:

3 days / 2 nights in Beijing
Overnight train from Beijing to Xian
3.5 days / 3 nights in Xian
Fly from Xian to Shanghai
3.5 days / 3 nights in Shanghai

We plan to visit the following:

Beijing - Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, Summer Palace, Great Wall at Badaling and Ming Tombs

Xian - Bell Tower, Muslim Quarter, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Terracotta Warriors, Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, Huashan

Shanghai - The Bund, Jian Mao Tower, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Zhi Jia Jiao village, Yu Yuan Garden

And, of course, fit in some shopping (local style, not the tourist-trap ones).

Introduction

We have decided to visit China for our holidays this year. Whilst not our first trip to China, it will be our first to Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. This time, we have decided to go the DIY (Do It Yourself) route.

Our first trip to China in 2005 was to the Yunnan Province, in a guided group tour originating from Hong Kong. What I could say about that first trip was that it was enjoyable and dirt cheap (cost just under A$500 per person for 5 days/4 nights including 4 flights, all meals, entrance fees, all transportation and tips). The only downside was some "mandatory" shopping stops, which I will post something on this later. This was one of the reason we have decided to do the second tour by ourselves (DIY), with the other reasons being that we wanted flexibility and more freedom to do what we want.

Before we leave on our trip on 9th April, 2007, I will try and share my research and planning experience, and hope you will find it useful.

A bit of background about ourselves... we are a family of three and we live in Sydney, Australia. Every year, we try to make a trip back to Malaysia for our grandmother's birthday (great-grandmother to my son), and at the same time take advantage of an add-on trip to another destination for a family holiday. Our grandmother/great-grandmother will be 98 years old this year.