17 things to know before going to china for the First Time
Planning your first China trip? Here are 17 things to know before going to China, from trains and hotels to payments, apps, taxis and food.
China was probably the trip that made me research more than any other trip I have taken. Why? Simply because China feels like it lives in its own universe.
Normally, when I plan a trip, I use Google, Google Maps, YouTube, Facebook groups, Instagram and travel blogs. But in China, many of these platforms either do not work normally or are not the main platforms locals use. China has its own maps, social media, payment systems, booking platforms and apps.
Even researching national parks was sometimes difficult. Some official information was only available in Chinese, some websites did not have an English version, and occasionally I could not even access them properly from outside China.
Before my trip, I therefore spent a lot of time figuring out basic questions such as how to book trains, how to pay, which map to use, how to order food and how to call a taxi. After successfully finishing my trip around China, I have a lot to share!
Here are the things I think every first-time traveller should know before going to China.
Related: 14 Day China Itinerary (Chengdu, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang & Beijing)
Before Your Trip: Booking Hotels, Trains and Attractions
1. Use Trip.com for Hotels, Attractions and Experiences
For foreign travellers, Trip.com was probably the most useful booking platform during my China trip. You can use it for hotels, attraction tickets, tours, experiences, domestic flights, train tickets and airport transfers.
I especially liked having almost everything inside one English-language app instead of trying to navigate different Chinese websites and mini-programs. For hotels, it is also convenient because you can easily check the property details and reviews from other international travellers.
For attractions, I normally checked Trip.com before trying the official Chinese booking system. Some attractions can also be booked through WeChat mini-programs or Chinese websites, but these options are not always as straightforward for foreign tourists.
2. Book Popular Attraction Tickets as Early as Possible
Do not assume that you can arrive at every famous attraction in China and simply buy a ticket at the entrance. Many popular places have daily visitor limits, timed tickets or different sightseeing routes, so the best options can sell out.
Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie is a good example. There are several routes, normally called Route A, Route B and Route C, which use the cable cars and mountain transport in different directions.
Some routes are much more convenient than others, and the popular ones can sell out first. Once your itinerary is fixed, I recommend checking important attractions immediately and booking them as soon as reservations become available.
3. Book Train Tickets Through Railway 12306 or Trip.com
China’s train system is excellent. After taking several high-speed trains during my trip, I honestly found train travel in China even better than many train journeys I have taken in Europe.
For official train bookings, download the China Railway 12306 app, or simply use trip.com. With 12306, it seems easier for exchanging tickets, in my opnion. One important difference from Europe is that Chinese train tickets normally become available relatively close to the departure date rather than months in advance.
I booked most of my train tickets around two weeks before travelling, while some were booked only two or three days beforehand. Once tickets for your date become available, however, I recommend booking popular routes quickly.
4. Check Your Seat and Train Station Carefully
This is something I learned the hard way. I once travelled from Chengdu to Chongqing standing for the entire train journey. Yes, standing. :)) If reserved seats are sold out, China Railway can still offer a “no seat” ticket, so always check whether your ticket actually includes a reserved seat.
Also pay very close attention to the station name. Large Chinese cities can have several major stations with names such as North (bei), South (nan), East (dong) and West (xi), and they can be very far from each other. Always check the complete station name before confirming your train.
You may also be surprised by how security works at Chinese train stations. It feels almost like going through an airport: you line up, put your luggage through a scanner, and scan your passport before entering. Your booking is linked to your passport, so in many cases your passport is essentially your train ticket. Keep it somewhere easy to reach, because you will use it several times between entering the station and boarding the train.
5. Compare High-Speed Trains With Domestic Flights
China is huge, so high-speed rail does not automatically make sense for every journey. For shorter and medium-distance routes, I normally prefer trains because they are comfortable and often take you directly from one city to another without the additional airport process.
For very long distances, however, I would always compare the train with a domestic flight. Flights can easily be booked through Trip.com or directly through the airline.
When comparing the two, remember to consider the complete journey rather than just the scheduled travel time. A flight may look much faster, but airport transfers and security take extra time, while a train might take you directly between central stations. On my last trip, I ended up travelling from Fenghuang to Beijing by high-speed train. The journey took around 9 hours, but it was still faster and more convenient than taking a domestic flight with a layover.
Related: How to Visit Zhangjiajie in 3 days / 5 Day in Zhangjiajie Itinerary
Before You Arrive: Internet, VPN and Essential Apps
6. Prepare Your Internet Access Before Going to China
This is probably one of the most important things to organize before your flight. Many platforms that we normally use outside China, including Google, Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, do not work normally on mainland Chinese internet networks.
If you want to continue using familiar international platforms, arrange your internet solution before arriving. One option is an international or tourist SIM/eSIM that provides access to international internet services, while another option is preparing a VPN solution.
I personally used WireGuard during my trip. Whatever option you choose, I strongly recommend setting everything up while you are still at home instead of trying to solve the problem after landing in China.
7. Download China’s Essential Apps Before Your Trip
China has its own digital ecosystem, and understanding it makes travelling there much easier. You do not need to download every Chinese app, but knowing the main equivalents of the platforms you normally use is useful.
| Outside China | Common Chinese Alternative |
|---|---|
| Baidu | |
| YouTube | Bilibili / Youku |
| TikTok | Douyin |
| Xiaohongshu / RED | |
| Facebook / Messenger | Weibo/ WeChat |
| Google Maps | Amap (Gaode Map) |
| Google Translate | Baidu Translate / Youdao |
| Uber | DiDi |
| Hotel & attraction booking (like Agoda, Booking) | Trip.com |
| Train booking | Railway 12306 |
| Payment services (like Paypal) | Alipay / WeChat |
For a normal tourist, I would prioritize Trip.com, Alipay, WeChat, AMap, Didi, 12306 and a translation app like Baidu Translate. Those apps covered most of my everyday needs during the trip.
8. Use AMap Instead of Depending on Google Maps or Apple Maps
Amap (Gaode Map) became one of my most-used apps in China. I used it for walking directions, public transport, finding restaurants and attractions, checking addresses and booking taxis.
One thing I especially liked was that I could search for my destination and then request a car directly from the map. I often booked transportation this way instead of opening DiDi separately.
AMap could also show different ride-hailing providers and prices, which made it easy to compare the available options. Once I became familiar with the app, getting around Chinese cities became much easier.
Money in China: Alipay, WeChat Pay and Cash
9. Set Up Both Alipay and WeChat Before You Arrive
China is extremely mobile-payment oriented, and the two platforms I recommend preparing are Alipay and WeChat Pay. WeChat is not only a messaging app—it is also used for payments, mini-programs, restaurant ordering and many other everyday services.
I recommend setting up both rather than choosing only one. During my time in Chengdu, I could use Alipay almost everywhere, but right after moving to Chongqing, I encountered situations where WeChat was more convenient.
You can create accounts using a foreign phone number and connect supported international credit or debit cards. I would set everything up and test the apps before leaving home.
10. You Usually Do Not Need Much Cash
I paid almost everything digitally during my trip, including restaurants, night markets, convenience stores, taxis, attractions and even small street-food stalls. Because of this, I do not think tourists need to immediately exchange a large amount of Chinese yuan at the airport.
However, I would still keep a small amount of RMB as backup. There is an important difference between paying a registered merchant and transferring money directly to another person, and some personal QR-code transactions may not work in exactly the same way with a foreign bank card.
Having both Alipay and WeChat gives you much more flexibility. Add a small amount of emergency cash, and you should be prepared for most situations.
Related: 3 Days in Beijing Itinerary
Getting Around China: Maps, Taxis and Addresses
11. Book Taxis Through DiDi or Directly From AMap
If you do not speak Chinese, booking taxis through an app is much easier than trying to explain your destination to a driver. You can use DiDi, which works similarly to Uber, but I personally often booked rides directly through AMap.
AMap could show several available service providers and prices, so I could compare them and choose an option. However, there are still situations where taking a traditional taxi may actually be easier.
That happened when we arrived at Shapingba Station in Chongqing. The ride-hailing pickup situation outside the station was such a mess that the queue for traditional taxis looked much easier, so we decided to use that instead.
Then we encountered another problem. We were travelling with two large 20 kg suitcases and two smaller 10 kg suitcases, and when it was finally our turn, the taxi was too small to carry everything.
We had to wait again for a larger car. So if you travel with a lot of luggage, pay attention to the vehicle size as well as the price.
12. Always Save Your Destination in Chinese
Even if you use English-language apps, save the Chinese name of your hotel and important attractions on your phone. This becomes extremely useful when talking to taxi drivers, hotel employees, station staff or anyone helping you with directions.
When we took the traditional taxi in Chongqing, for example, we simply showed the driver the Chinese destination on our phone. This was much easier than trying to pronounce the place name and hoping he understood.
I recommend saving screenshots of your hotel name, hotel address, important train stations and major attractions in Chinese. This is especially useful on arrival days when you are tired, carrying luggage and trying to find your hotel.
Related: 10 Things to do in Chongqing, China
13. Public Transportation
Public transportation in China is generally excellent, especially in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Chongqing. Metro systems are extensive, frequent and affordable, so I used them a lot instead of taking taxis everywhere.
The main thing to remember is that the stations can be huge. Always check the correct exit before leaving the metro, because choosing the wrong one can easily add another 10–15 minutes of walking, especially around large intersections or tourist areas.
In many cities, you can pay for metro and bus rides using Alipay or WeChat after activating the local transport QR code. Just open Alipay/Wechat, click the Transport icon on the main dashboard, tap “Metro” to activate the QR code. The exact setup can vary by city, so I normally checked the transport section in the app after arriving somewhere new.
Also expect security checks at many metro and railway stations. Bags may need to go through an X-ray machine before you enter, so leave a little extra time when travelling during busy hours.
For tourists, I think the easiest combination is metro for travelling across the city, walking for shorter distances, and DiDi or AMap when public transport is inconvenient. Once you understand the system, getting around Chinese cities is surprisingly easy even if you do not speak Chinese.
Eating and Communicating in China
14. You Do Not Need to Speak Chinese to Travel Around China
I worried quite a lot about the language barrier before my trip, but technology solved most of the problems. Translation apps, screenshots, photos, numbers and good old sign language can get you surprisingly far.
English was not widely spoken in many of the places I visited, but people were generally friendly and tried to help. The only food seller I clearly remember speaking English to us was a young man selling fruit in Wulingyuan near the East Gate of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.
After the entire trip, my Chinese vocabulary was still basically “nǐ hǎo,” “xièxie” and “zàijiàn.” And I survived. :))
Honestly, learning one complicated Chinese sentence would not necessarily have helped me much anyway. If someone answered with a full paragraph in Chinese, I still would not have understood them!
So do not let the language barrier stop you from travelling independently in China. A good translation app is much more useful for a short trip.
15. Learn How Restaurant Ordering Works
Ordering food was much easier than I expected. In many restaurants, there is a QR code on the table that you scan using Alipay or WeChat, then the menu opens directly on your phone.
You can usually use the translation function, choose your dishes and place your order through the app. In some restaurants, you can even complete the payment without needing much interaction with the waiter.
For small food stalls, pointing at what you want or showing a translated sentence normally works. This is another reason I strongly recommend having both Alipay and WeChat ready before your trip.
Chinese food also changes dramatically from region to region. Chengdu and Chongqing have extremely spicy Sichuan food, while Shanghai and Hong Kong have completely different flavours and much more dim sum, dumplings and seafood.
In Beijing, I found some dishes quite oily, but Beijing roast duck was amazing. Around Fenghuang and Wulingyuan, I really enjoyed meals with rice, chicken stews, sticky rice and stir-fried vegetables.
If you cannot handle spicy food in Sichuan, dumplings and steamed buns can become your best friends. And be careful with hotpot—when Sichuan people say spicy, they really mean spicy. :))
Visit Attractions in China
16. Bring your Passport When Visiting Attractions in China
Security control at major attractions in China is much stricter than in many other countries I have visited. Bag checks, security screening and identity checks are very common, so always allow a little extra time before entering popular sights.
And most importantly: always bring your passport. I do not think I have ever shown my passport as many times on one trip as I did in China. 🙂 I had to show it before entering places such as Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Tianmen Mountain, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and even other major attractions.
Your passport can sometimes help in another way too. When I planned my visit to the Forbidden City, I booked too late and there were no tickets left on Trip.com or the official booking platform. Because visitor numbers are controlled to prevent overcrowding, tickets can sell out very quickly.
After reading everything I could find, from Reddit discussions to travel blogs, I decided to try my luck by bringing my passport and going to the ticket counter early in the morning. There was a separate line for foreign visitors who might not be familiar with the Chinese ticket-booking system, and in my case, I was still able to buy an entrance ticket and go inside.
I would not rely on this as your main plan, because ticket policies and availability can change. But if you are a foreign traveller and online tickets appear to be sold out, it may still be worth checking whether there is an on-site foreign visitor counter and bringing your original passport with you.
Finally: What to Expect From China
17. Do Not Be Surprised by How Modern and Convenient China Can Be
Before my trip, I spent so much time worrying about apps, payments and the language barrier that I did not really think about how advanced some everyday services in China would feel. Then, on my very first night, I saw a robot inside our hotel delivering food directly to guests’ rooms.
Later, around Zhangjiajie, I discovered even more unusual services and technology. There were hiking-support technologies, people offering to carry visitors along difficult mountain routes, shops everywhere and services for almost every situation you could imagine.
That was one of the things that surprised me most about travelling in China. The country can require more preparation before you arrive, but once you understand the system, everyday travel can actually be incredibly convenient.
My Essential China Checklist Before Flying
Before leaving for China, I would make sure that Trip.com, 12306, Alipay, WeChat, AMap and a translation app are installed and ready. I would also connect my international bank cards and arrange my internet, VPN or eSIM solution before departure.
Once the itinerary is confirmed, I would check major attraction tickets and book train tickets as soon as they become available. I would also save hotel names, addresses, train stations and important attractions in Chinese on my phone.
Finally, keep a small amount of RMB as backup and make sure your passport details are entered correctly on every booking. Your phone will probably become your most important travel tool in China, so having everything prepared beforehand makes a huge difference.
