Before you go / China travel handbook
What to prepare before travelling to China.
Confirm the passport and entry rule before paying, then prepare dates, accommodation, connectivity, payment, navigation, reservations and an offline emergency plan.
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Practical guides
09 guides
- Passport validity & document checkCheck expiry, blank pages, condition and booking details. Six months is a common visa-application rule, not a universal shortcut for every passport and route.Open guide
- Visa & entryIdentify the rule for your passport, travel purpose, stay length, route and dates, then verify it with an official source.Open guide
- Best time, weather & crowd calendarChoose dates by region, heat and rain tolerance, public holidays and the kind of trip you want—not one universal 'best month'.Open guide
- Accommodation & first arrivalConfirm the property accepts foreign guests, save the address in Chinese and understand who completes accommodation registration.Open guide
- Internet & SIMCompare roaming, travel eSIMs and local SIMs around compatibility, coverage and the services you need to reach.Open guide
- PaymentsPrepare mobile payment, a physical-card fallback and some RMB cash without depending on a single method.Open guide
- Maps, translation & offline addressesInstall a mainland-ready map, download translation tools and save every essential place name, entrance and address in Chinese.Open guide
- Train tickets & attraction reservationsMatch passport details exactly, use official channels where possible and save confirmed tickets, station names and entry rules offline.Open guide
- Health, medicines & emergency planReview insurance and medicine requirements, prepare a bilingual medical summary and save emergency, insurer and consular contacts.Open guide
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