To those of you who have traveled to China, how can I get the best price on a plane ticket to Beijing?

My friend has found a bunch of all inclusive vacation packages that are tempting. Do you think going with one of these is better than just romping around on your own?

Also, do you know of any tour guide agencies that could show me around Shanghai or Hong Kong?

7/1/2006 11:08:32 AM

I don't know if you're still a student anywhere, but you could try http://www.statravel.com , several of my friends have had good success with them.

Try looking in Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine at some sort of Newsstand - they usually are filled with lots of tips and things like that. Also, the Let's Go travel guide series is good because it is geared towards younger people who are on budgets, but they also cater towards attractions younger people might be more interested in. Not to say it's all bars, clubs and shopping, it's just a bit of a different spin on things.

7/1/2006 11:54:29 AM

^^ I didn't use a tour guide in Hong Kong at all. Nearly everything is labeled in English as well as Chinese. You can ask the concierge at a hotel for local maps and sights. It's a fantastic city. Have fun.

7/1/2006 5:47:23 PM

^hong kong != china. English is spotty in china proper, but tours are for pussies. Just figure it out. Learn the money.

7/1/2006 6:25:57 PM

Quote :

"hong kong != china."

While I like how you think , I don't see why you directed that comment to drhavoc.

All he said was that

Quote :

"Nearly everything is labeled in English as well as Chinese."

Which is true, they mostly speak Cantonese (and use traditional characters) which is a "chinese" language being mostly spoken in guangdong, etc... Just because it's not the standard Mandarin/Beijinghua doesn't mean that the language is not "chinese".

[Edited on July 1, 2006 at 6:58 PM. Reason : nothing political here, strictly linguistically speaking]

7/1/2006 6:57:33 PM

^because havoc said that HK had english signs everywhere, and I wanted to clarify by saying that the same doesn't hold for china proper. It's obvious that HK has more accommodations for tourists than actual china.

Use your linguistics skills to figure out the context.

7/1/2006 9:14:28 PM

ic
I'm too used to discussing politics/linguistics of that region and misread your statement. thought maybe the statement should be directed to the thread starter.

[Edited on July 1, 2006 at 10:12 PM. Reason : ]

7/1/2006 10:09:43 PM

From my travels in Europe and Asia, I have come to the conclusion that it is better to go with the tours. They are there for a reason. If they go to all the places you want, it will be a very enriching experience. Especially if you do not speak the language!

7/1/2006 11:39:17 PM

my grandmother goes to china every summer to teach them about jesus

7/2/2006 12:24:59 AM

Quote :

"From my travels in Europe and Asia, I have come to the conclusion that it is better to go with the tours."

are you joking? tours are cool maybe if you're 65

7/2/2006 1:47:48 AM

^ you missed this

Quote :

"Sex : F"

She is risk averse. She doesn't want to risk having a good time.

[Edited on July 2, 2006 at 1:57 AM. Reason : dfg]

7/2/2006 1:57:15 AM

From my experience IT'S FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE TO GET AROUND WITHOUT SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE. KK THANKS.

I've noted that they aren't too big on street signs. So good luck asking a local where the fuck you are. They have young adult geared tours as well you know. I'm not adverse to risks, I'm adverse to getting lost in a foreign country and being raped by some sketch locals who sleep with chickens. Being a young male, go for it, see if you get lost or whatever, being a young female, I sure as hell am not going to be caught wandering around lost in a foreign country. You remember what happened to that girl in the caribbean or whatever?

Also, I've done both. I've romped around on my own and attempted to see stuff, and been with tours. If you're with a scheduled tour you're much more likely to see more stuff. When I was on my own it took eons to get anywhere and I didn't end up having enough time to see half the stuff on my agenda. That's the big thing, tours having seeing sites down to an exact science, so if you're an efficient person, the tours are for you. If you're the kind of person who just likes to meander around and see what you can run into, then go for the solo tour.

[Edited on July 2, 2006 at 9:04 AM. Reason : meh]

7/2/2006 8:56:12 AM

^I would have to agree. I was just in Australia a couple of semesters ago and did both. Both were enjoyable but I would have to say that when I took the tours a saw tons more stuff and got the sorta inside scoop on things. All the tours I went on were young travelers and the one 60 year old on my tour through Kangaroo Island was cool as shit.

Anyways Im not saying that one way is better than the other but I definitely enjoyed my tours and not just because Im female.

7/2/2006 9:15:04 AM

I spent two weeks in China last year. I went to visit a friend who was a professor at a university in Beijing at the time, so he spoke Chinese, which allowed us to take the very low road.

It's actually not that hard to trapse around safely. Hostels are your best bet. If you can find a good hostel in every town you are in, it will have plenty of information for English speakers, and they can arrange everything for you pretty cheaply. Also, the hostels will be full of people who are trying to travel around on a budget, and love to talk to other folks.

If you have a long time in advance from now, you should try http://www.skyauction.com. They have the best price on tickets if you are open ended in your specific destinations and times. Until about three or four months from your trip, you should be able to get fantastic prices. I ended up waiting too long, but there were tickets for 600 and 700 bucks to China rountinely. (That includes all the fees and other back end stuff)

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

7/2/2006 2:28:45 PM

Perrin you ate bugs and goat testicles while in China.

Your opinion is null.

yack

7/2/2006 2:37:10 PM

hong kong is way better to travel in that china... if you want toliets and such they are hard to find in hong kong but way harder to find in china

7/2/2006 3:14:40 PM

Why not just stay home and watch the travel channel? If you're going to another part of the world, you have to be willing to leave behind some of the comforts of home and just rough it. I spent 14 hours sitting on a sink on a train curled up in a ball, but it was definitely worth it to get where I was going.

7/2/2006 3:31:30 PM

oh and package deals in asia are cool, some of my wife's family just buys them to go out to eat. The tour companies arrange exculsive stuff with resturants and such and bring group in after their rush time so you'll eat at more expensive places for less, though in china resturants can be cheap. Wife's dad fed a group of 8 a 5 course meal w/ 5 wait staff for $40 American... I'm a big tipper though since most of the wait staff in china make like $40/month.

7/2/2006 4:09:05 PM

Quote :

"I've noted that they aren't too big on street signs. So good luck asking a local where the fuck you are. They have young adult geared tours as well you know. I'm not adverse to risks, I'm adverse to getting lost in a foreign country and being raped by some sketch locals who sleep with chickens. Being a young male, go for it, see if you get lost or whatever, being a young female, I sure as hell am not going to be caught wandering around lost in a foreign country. You remember what happened to that girl in the caribbean or whatever? Also, I've done both. I've romped around on my own and attempted to see stuff, and been with tours. If you're with a scheduled tour you're much more likely to see more stuff. When I was on my own it took eons to get anywhere and I didn't end up having enough time to see half the stuff on my agenda. That's the big thing, tours having seeing sites down to an exact science, so if you're an efficient person, the tours are for you. If you're the kind of person who just likes to meander around and see what you can run into, then go for the solo tour."

you'd make a good traveling partner for my mom and grandparents

going to a different country is more about seeing the popular sites

and getting lost? thats the best part. but you're right, if you're worried about meeting some locals and going out drinking till late at night then getting killed (which is what the girl in Aruba did) then you might want to stick with the tour buses

7/2/2006 5:12:35 PM

The good thing about a communist country is that it's very safe for tourists. You might get ripped off, but not for a lot. They feel like they have scored if they take you for 5$.

7/2/2006 6:22:01 PM

those that have been: how much did you guys pay for your flights and where did you buy?

7/2/2006 11:09:05 PM

^^ but be careful of thieves. those little motherfuckers are like ninjas

7/2/2006 11:11:38 PM

Bring me back some good lo mein, will ya?

7/2/2006 11:28:12 PM

Quote :

" going to a different country is more about seeing the popular sites and getting lost? thats the best part. but you're right, if you're worried about meeting some locals and going out drinking till late at night then getting killed (which is what the girl in Aruba did) then you might want to stick with the tour buses"

well it would depend on where in the world you are, your age, and your sex


if you are in Vancouver then do whatever the fuck you want, if you are in China and don't fucking speak Chinese and are female then i'd stick to group things.

you can wander around and not see anything worthwhile or different than you would have anywhere else in the world...

the tours do give you several hours of free 'wander around' time, and they tell you spots to stay the hell away from...

DoubleDown sounds like he'd make some Singaporean CEO a nice bitch..... hello human slavery....

7/3/2006 7:38:39 AM

I don't recall her asking the best way to get drunk in a foreign country?

If I'm shelling out the dough to fly abroad, I want to remember my trip. I can go to bars with locals and get drunk at home.

7/3/2006 7:40:45 AM

I just got back from 5 weeks in China. My friend and I got around using only our Lonely Planet book. We didn't have any problems at all. In the book they have the Chinese written beside everything. So all we did was show them the book and it worked wonderfully. We traveled mostly by soft sleeper trains and bus. If you are going to travel I definitely recommend Lijiang (Tiger Leaping Gorge), Guilin, and Yangshou which are all in the south. To tell you the truth of all the places I went I liked Beijing the least. Shanghai is great though really cheap textiles (their fake but pretty good quality). Hong Kong was the most expensive place similar to US prices. If you have any more questions hit me up.

Here is a link to some of my pics.
http://community.webshots.com/user/jvp78000

7/3/2006 1:25:46 PM

^bingo

7/3/2006 2:53:33 PM

Quote :

"I just got back from 5 weeks in China. My friend and I got around using only our Lonely Planet book"

wow, according to Lutra & Arab13, you shouldnt be alive right now

traveling around a country without a tourguide? OH NOES!

7/3/2006 5:12:42 PM

most of china is cake. but the police are dicks, especially in tibet. i was almost arrested for taking a picture from a bridge... wtf?

7/3/2006 8:27:22 PM

Quote :

"Age : 22 Sex : M"

Quote :

"using only our Lonely Planet book"

read much?

he also stayed in major cities, with a friend as well as not being a female....

so...

NOT alone
NOT female

thanks for playing


maybe the next time you leave Johnson county mr. man of the world, you could comprehend the idea that most of the world is not exactly like the us

where exactly have you been? other than canada and little america across the sea

7/3/2006 10:08:16 PM

Incase anyone hadn't noticed, the origninal poster has not even made another appearance in this thread. So you all are really just blowing steam back and forth. I have given my advice to traveling in Asia, not Europe or the US, which can be entirely different. So I'm moving on to new things. Tata boys.

7/3/2006 10:16:42 PM

good point

7/3/2006 10:23:39 PM

^^happens 99% of the time--Always turns into a pissing contest. Never could really understand it either.

7/3/2006 10:26:11 PM

Quote :

"where exactly have you been? other than canada and little america across the sea"

ive been to more countries than i can count on my fingers - but thats not the point.

the point is i do not believe its neccessary to go on any sort of tours to get the most out of a destination

personally, i am more about the culture, the places of the city that are actually LIVED in, not just the tourist areas. i like the places the tour buses dont go. but, if you're completely strapped with time and want to see a new city everyday, then go with the tour bus. just not my kinda thing.

7/3/2006 10:33:52 PM

I'm no longer a student anywhere

I'm planning to go in September now (better weather, cheaper flights, and more vacation time saved up) - I'll have more time to look into these websites for flights now

What Visa service has treated you well? I'm always nervous about sending out all my personal information to some agency.

7/4/2006 9:27:57 AM

Quote :

"I'm planning to go in September"

hell yeah... too hot now

7/4/2006 8:25:38 PM

Quote :

"where exactly have you been? other than canada and little america across the sea "

I was actually in Europe last summer.

I didn't catch the part about her being female and alone I guess I assumed she was doing it with someone. So doing it alone may prove more difficult but still can be done.

7/4/2006 8:45:52 PM

September and April are the best times to visit the Asian countries.

7/5/2006 12:53:40 AM

read 'cheaper airfare and non-shitty weather'

for the most part

7/5/2006 1:25:46 AM

Okay, besides Beijing, I'm thinking of tacking on an few days in either Hong Kong or Tokyo.

Which would you pick and why?

7/12/2006 10:10:01 PM

Both allow you to have sex with young girls, so it's all good.

7/12/2006 10:19:48 PM

hong kong was more US/English friendly, dunno how it is now...

7/12/2006 10:20:43 PM

well, I'm heterosexual, so I'm not looking for sex with females.

Any other pros or cons?

7/12/2006 10:22:05 PM

Quote :

"well, I'm heterosexual, so I'm not looking for sex with females."

ahahahaha i sat here for like five seconds thinking WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT EVEN MEAN

then i noticed JStutz had posted it

7/12/2006 10:23:40 PM