Fly 12 hours to vacation 7 days in Beijing...worth it?

[jkarolyi]

Hi All,

Just found out that my wife and I get a week off around the end of March. Air China (codeshare with United and USAirways) will fly us to Beijing 12 hours nonstop from LAX for $850 each w/taxes! The flight leaves at 1AM saturday and we'd arrive at 6AM in Beijing on Sunday. We both sleep on planes well, so we should arrive in Beijing without too much jetlag. We'd leave Beijing the next sunday at 9PM to arrive home Sunday at 6PM.

Is it feasable to enjoy the sights around Beijing including the great wall within the span of one week? Is it fairly easy to get around the capital speaking English if you have your destinations pre-planned? I've travelled overseas quite extensively, including wild places like Egypt and Ethiopia, but I've always known someone there to meet me and show me around.

I just want to make sure I'm not getting in over my head, and you guys always give good travel advice.

[nostatic]

I've been to Beijing twice, both times less than a week stay. They were working trips, but you can see plenty in a week. Highly recommended. You'll be fried when you get back, but just nap at work

[singpilot]

I lived in mainland China for almost two years. I had seen most of Peiking errr, I mean Beijing in a week. The wall included.

I liked southern China much better. Still, you'll come away with an appreciation for how things will be here in a generation or two. They are going to take over.

[Oregon Cab]

Where will you be in 12 hours if you don't go?

[masraum]

Wow, I'd be on a plane in an instant. 12 hours is not that bad (try flying from Florida or Maine).

I'd love to go to China.

[vash]

do it. even the flight attendants are hotties.

7 days.

[slodave]

I did the same type of trip to Europe last year (13 hr. flight each way for a short week vacation). If you have the chance to go, go.

[jkarolyi]

Exactly what I'm thinking...when else will I get an opportunity like this? Only question left is whether I can get by with almost no knowledge of their language, and whether Air China is a reliable enough carrier.

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by masraum

Wow, I'd be on a plane in an instant. 12 hours is not that bad (try flying from Florida or Maine).

+1

Mrs Notfarnow went in October... something nutty like 26 hrs from Maine. Even then it was worth it.

[alf]

Do it. 1 week in Beijing is enough to see all the sights at a leisurely pace. Take the last day before you leave to just chill out before the flight. You could even take a overnight trip to Xian to see the Terracottas if you want to jam it in.

Allow a day for the Wall, go to the more remote section (mutianyu i think), charter a car.
A day for the Forbidden city and surroundings, catch a cab or subway.
A day for Summer Palace and surroundings, cab or subway.
Check out the Hutongs. Walk around, get lost and find yourselves.
Half a day for Temple of Heaven, there is a tourist trap shopping center right by there for the other half a day. Cab or subway.

Beijing traffic is terrible and the city is massive, subways work nicely to move around the city. Cabs do ok for shorter trips.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by jkarolyi

Exactly what I'm thinking...when else will I get an opportunity like this? Only question left is whether I can get by with almost no knowledge of their language, and whether Air China is a reliable enough carrier.

Air China is fine. It is cramped in economy though...business is a lot nicer

You can do OK without knowing Chinese. It certainly helps to have someone who knows the language, but plenty of tourists are there. Just do some planning beforehand, get a guide book or two (Frommers is good), and figure out what you want to do/see. Cabs are the preferred way to get around and you can do that pretty well with just a few words and some maps. There are some tricks to dealing with the city that you need to know, otherwise it is like any other major metropolitan area.

[imcarthur]

Go. We only had 3 days in Beijing & one of those was to the Great Wall.

For getting around, hotel staff will speak English & they can help. For taxis, use pictures & sign language. Always bring a card with your hotel's address written in Mandarin & a picture is a good idea too.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

For getting around, hotel staff will speak English & they can help. For taxis, use pictures & sign language. Always bring a card with your hotel's address written in Mandarin & a picture is a good idea too.

+1

Absolutely go. We were just there a year ago, and that was only for 5 days. Loved it.

[imcarthur]

And we flew China Air & China Southern Air domestically without problems. The in flight meals with chopsticks were kind of neat.

My China trip report: Do Not Drive Tiredly

Ian

[fingpilot]

Ian;

I did some of the pathfinding flights to both interior and exterior China for China Southern.

I still have my CAAC ID. When getting my first ID, they asked me for my 'chinese name'..... Knowing how they revere family names (heritage) I picked the family name of 'Chiu". It was remarked that it was a famous line of warriors from the Tang Dynasty, and a name to be proud of.

Then I was asked for my 'given chinese name'. My driver in Singapore's name was "Maidong", and I said that was my 'given name' as well. My ID was printed and issued as Captain Maidong Chiu, and it is like a Platinum AMEX in China. It would get me into any function or restaurant without reservations, even in HongKong (not yet returned at that time).

I ushered a large group of pilot friends into the Long Bar at the Peninsula in HKG one night for drinks and dinner without reservations, and the ID got it all done with only a 10 minute wait in the bar. They paged me in there (as only they can do) by using a little guy in a shiny green velvet monkey suit with my name in Chinese on a small blackboard held high over his head with bells on it. All while he chanted my Chinese name.... family name first, then given name, of course.

Every westerner in the place was on the floor.

The chief pilot of China Southern (educated at Princeton), heard of my joke, and reclaimed my ID while delivering a stern lecture several days later.

Everyone that was there that night still calls me 'Captain Chiu'.

[jkarolyi]

Booked it! Even cheaper than I thought...$822.00 each w/taxes...what a deal! Found the ticket on Orbitz, then cheated and bought it direct from Air China's site.

Thanks for all the travel recommendations.

What's the easiest way to get visas to China? I'm so excited!

[imcarthur]

fingpilot:

Great story! We flew from Shijiazhuang to Xi'an with Southern. We found that the Chinese are very conscious of names & numbers. Everything is lucky or unlucky. That name is obviously revered which makes it 'lucky'. The Room Monkey's wedding festivities had to start at precisely 9 AM & the wedding at precisely 11 AM. And their fear of the number 4 is really obsessive. Here in NA chopsticks come in packages of 4 but in China they are always in 5s . . . etc, etc.

Jay

You will be amazed. Head to your nearest Chinese consulate for a visa.

Ian

[fingpilot]

Jay;

Go today to the consulate, or FedEx the passports now. If you were 5 days away from leaving, it will take 6 days to get them back. If you are 40 days away from leaving, it will take 41 days to get them back. Don't be surprised if they get back to you the day before you leave. Consider it acclimatization training for how things will be when you get there.

We used to use a place called G3.com for our 'difficult' visas, don't know if they are still around.

Rotsa Ruck! Have fun while there.

[jkarolyi]

OK...checked into getting visas...$130 each, and that's if you go in person to the consulate. I'd have to take off work and drive 1 hour each way into LA. The site here for the LA consulate says you must appear in person or have a visa agent do it for you:

http://losangeles.china-consulate.org/eng/visa/chinavisa/t27605.htm

The visa agents charge around $40 each visa plus $25 for FedEx return mail. Did you guys show up in person, mail your application directly to the consulate, or did you get an agent? Just obtaining visas for the two of us is going to cost about $400...ouch! Quite a racket they have going.

May be worth my driving to LA to apply...but I would have to make two trips because they won't mail you back the visa once it's done!

[imcarthur]

I went in person to the Chinese consulate in Toronto. They had specific hours for visas. They also had some semi-permanent Tibetan protesters.

Easy process. It took 1/2 hour. They stick a page in your passport that is good for travel for 6 months.

Ian