Travel within China

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Anyone with recent experience of travel within China ... any dos or don'ts? Anything I should be aware of? Specifically, I'm looking at travel between Guangzhou and Weifang next may/June.

[teelack 9,340]

No experience however there is now a 72 hour no visa exemption when in Guangzhou and this is available for travel to anywhere in the Guangdong province.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

No experience however there is now a 72 hour no visa exemption when in Guangzhou and this is available for travel to anywhere in the Guangdong province.

 

Are you saying I can go to Guangzhou for 3 days without a visa?

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Are you saying I can go to Guangzhou for 3 days without a visa?

 

The 72-hour transit permit only applies if you are continuing on to a third country or region outside of China. You must have a regular tourist visa if you are returning directly to the same country from which you departed. If you fly Bangkok-Guangzhou-Bangkok, you wouldn't be eligible for the 72-hour transmit permit. If you fly Bangkok-Guangzhou-Singapore-Bangkok, you would be.

 

The purpose of the transit permit is to encourage passengers on Chinese airlines with connecting flights at a Chinese airport to do a short stopover. Very often, there are loooong connecting times (12 hours or more) involving Chinese-flagged flights between N. America or Europe and final destinations in Thailand, Japan, etc. I believe Capital Airport in Beijing is the only one where you can apply for the 72-hour transit permit on arrival. At the other four airports, you have to notify the airline in advance, which then arranges the permit with the airport authorities.

 

Marco Penevil

Edited November 28, 2013 by Evil Penevil

[casinoclub 15]

Evil, I thought that only apply to Beijing?

[CheshireTom 1,377]

The 72-hour transit permit only applies if you are continuing on to a third country or region outside of China. You must have a regular tourist visa if you are returning directly to the same country from which you departed. If you fly Bangkok-Guangzhou-Bangkok, you wouldn't be eligible for the 72-hour transmit permit. If you fly Bangkok-Guangzhou-Singapore-Bangkok, you would be.

 

The purpose of the transit permit is to encourage passengers on Chinese airlines with connecting flights at a Chinese airport to do a short stopover. Very often, there are loooong connecting times (12 hours or more) involving Chinese-flagged flights between N. America or Europe and final destinations in Thailand, Japan, etc. I believe Capital Airport in Beijing is the only one where you can apply for the 72-hour transit permit on arrival. At the other four airports, you have to notify the airline in advance, which then arranges the permit with the airport authorities.

 

Thanks, Evil ... that makes more sense. I will be travelling BKK-CAN then CAN-WEF-CAN before returning CAN-BKK, so I'll be on a visa. Any ideas about booking internal flights (Hainan Airways appear to be my only option).

Edited November 28, 2013 by CheshireTom

[casinoclub 15]

found it

 

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/free-72hour/faq.htm

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Evil, I thought that only apply to Beijing?

 

It's been expanded to include the two Shanghai airports and the airports serving Guangzhou, Chengdu and Chongqing. But remember, it's a possibility ONLY for those in transit by air. It doesn't apply if you're flying round-trip on direct flights to/from China.

 

It's convenient for those with long lay-overs in a major Chinese airport or those trapped by delays that cause them to miss the connecting flight. It's also good for business travelers who are visiting several Asian cities and don't intend to remain more than 72 hours in Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou. Also remember passengers with transit permits (as opposed to a transit visa) are limited to one city. You can't leave the metropolitan area of the airport where you arrived.

 

Any ideas about booking internal flights (Hainan Airways appear to be my only option).

 

I flew a lot of domestic flights in China in the 1980s and 1990s when I was working there, but my last intra-China flight was in 2007, so I don't really have any up-to-date first-hand info.

 

The advice most give is that while the situation has much improved in recent years, allow yourself plenty of time to transfer between the international and domestic legs of the journey. It's still a very ponderous process to clear Chinese Immigration and Customs controls.

 

If you can possibly manage it, don't check any luggage. It's time-consuming to collect checked luggage and then check it in again for the domestic flight. There can also be huge delays in collecting luggage at provincial airports.

 

Evil

[CheshireTom 1,377]

The advice most give is that while the situation has much improved in recent years, allow yourself plenty of time to transfer between the international and domestic legs of the journey. It's still a very ponderous process to clear Chinese Immigration and Customs controls.

 

If you can possibly manage it, don't check any luggage. It's time-consuming to collect checked luggage and then check it in again for the domestic flight. There can also be huge delays in collecting luggage at provincial airports.

 

Once again, thanks. I'm actually staying in Guangzhou for a day or two before heading to Weifang, so I'll have checked baggage to collect (Thai AirAsia). The location of any top quality replica bag places in Guangzhou would be welcome.

[InternationalTraveler 282]

I am in China now...returning to Patts in a few days.

You can get a 30- day tourist visa from Bangkok Consulate in a day if you have all the documentation.

Guangzhou immigration is not much different to Bangkok and sometimes can take up to 1-hour.

The big cities in China are civilized..... smaller places have a tendency to deal only in cash which can also give you a problem and English language can also be limited....it still is a third world country and the driving is worse than Thailand.

Bank of China is one of the few banks i can withdraw cash with my UK card and never been able to withdraw more than 2000 Yuan from an ATM...approx £200

 

Also be prepared to be stared at...out of the big cities not many have seen European faces and you feel like you are in a zoo.

 

Best if you can take a Chinese bar girl with you as the menus are a bitch...

 

I am in China now and return to Patts in a