here you can find some tips:
a) be sure to buy a good travel guide that provides a linguistic dictionary (like Lonely Planet)
b) don't make tours reservations from your home country ( I did it online and when I arrived to China I realized I payed double)
c) be aware that it will be hard to find people who knows english
d) don't buy train tickets from your home country nor online because you would be pay them double price (you can easily buy them at each train station in China or through your hotel concierge (the price is still the same) (ps: soft sleeper are not the same as in Europe!)
e) be sure to bring basic medicines from your home country
f) in China is easy to change either Euros or US Dollars into their currency
g) booking.com can be your savior!! make sure you always choose hotels whose reservations have a free cancellation policy. In this way you will be able to easily change your trip program! and don't forget to print the confirmation of the hotel in the local language ;)
my itinerary was the following: 22 days in total
- flight Milan Malpensa to Shanghai
- 2 nights in Shanghai
what I visited: the Bund, East Nanjing Road, Shanghai Museum, the old city, Yu Mandarin Garden and the Market, french concession, Tianzifang, M50, World Expo Site, Pudong,
(Shanghai to Suzhou by train (bullet train): there are trains that leave anytime of the day from any Shanghai's train station, you shouldn't be worry! I took an high speed and it was awesome!
keep in mind that in China, trains ticket offices are always located outside the train station (if you are traveling with someone you can easily check your luggages in and then exit the train station and go to the tickets office (yes, there are always check-in, like in the airport!!) (train stations are always full of people, if you want to make sure to leave at a certain time, go to the train station in advance)
- 2 nights in Suzhou
what I visited: Humble Administrator's Garden, Master of Nets garden, Pingjiang Lu, Yunyan Tà (Suzhou to Nanjing by train (bullet train): find a train will not be hard, as it is in Shanghai. Traveling in first class is absolutely worth it!)what I visited:
- 1 nights in Nanjing
what I visited: a walking around the city and the old walls
(Nanjing to Beijing by train (bullet train): it is a long distance train, I would recommend you to book the train in advance. Beijing train station is huge: don't choose it as a meeting point!)
- 3 nights in Beijing
what I visited: Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Ming's Tombs, Great Wall, Olympic Park, 798 Art District
food advise: don't forget to try the Pekin's duck!
don't forget to try the Pekin's duck
- 2 nights in Datong
what I visited: Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Monastery, Muta (the wooden pagoda), Huayan Temple, Nine Dragon Wall
food advise: I stayed at the Datong Weidu International Hotel: the Chinese restaurant inside the hotel is delicious. The breakfast is not international at all!
(Datong to Pingyao by train: there is not any fast train (bullet train) so you will have to take a regular train. You better ask to the ticket inspector to inform you when you reach your destination because it will be hard to find someone who speaks english)
- 4 nights in Pingyao
what I visited: walking around the city is something lovely because it seems to be in an ancient time. you can buy a 3 days ticket that will allow you to visit 18 buildings and courtyards located inside the city wall. Wang Family Compound, Zhangbi Gubao, Lijiashan, Qiao Family Compound
food advise: at the Harmony Guesthouse you will find the best food!the caramel banana is amazing!
(Pingyao to Xi'an by bus: my Hotel's owner tried to help me to find a train but there was no way. I decided to take a bus. Unfortunately in Pingyao the buses do not stop in a station but they wait for you on the highway. You better ask in your guesthouse or in your hotel to arrange a taxi to take to the highway)
- 2 nights in Xi'an
what I visited: Terracotta Warriors, Shaanxi History Museum, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
food advise: at the airport I found a place called "Chatime" where they made me a bubble tea (pearl milk tea) (flavored ice tea with chewy tapioca balls: something unforgettable :)) using mineral water (the perfect way to taste it if you are foreign)!
(Xi'an to Guilin by airplane: I booked the flight ticket online, almost 2 weeks in advance)
- 2 nights in Guilin
what I visited: Li River Cruise (480 Y each), Yangshuo (200 Y each), Longji Rice Terraces
food advise: if you feel like having some international food try the delicious pizza at "Amani" otherwise you can find some good ! Then I loved to try the famous moon cake at "home. to be with you". while walking in Yangshuo try the rich passion fruit that women sell on the street! (Guilin to Hong Kong by airplane: I booked the flight ticket online, almost 2 weeks in advance)
- 3 nights in Hong Kong
what I visited: HSBC Bank, Star Ferry Cruise, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Peak Tram, walking in Central- Admiralty-Kowloon-Tsim Sha Tsui, K11 (mall)
food advise: I had one of the best Pekin's duck ever at "Empire City Roasted Duck" at Level2 inside K11 (Tsim Sha Tsui)
- flight Hong Kong to Milan Malpensa (take the airport train-shuttle)
ps: you can do the check in at Central in Hong Kong, at the airport shuttle station and then take the train-shuttle to the airport
a) be sure to buy a good travel guide that provides a linguistic dictionary (like Lonely Planet)
b) don't make tours reservations from your home country ( I did it online and when I arrived to China I realized I payed double)
c) be aware that it will be hard to find people who knows english
d) don't buy train tickets from your home country nor online because you would be pay them double price (you can easily buy them at each train station in China or through your hotel concierge (the price is still the same) (ps: soft sleeper are not the same as in Europe!)
e) be sure to bring basic medicines from your home country
f) in China is easy to change either Euros or US Dollars into their currency
g) booking.com can be your savior!! make sure you always choose hotels whose reservations have a free cancellation policy. In this way you will be able to easily change your trip program! and don't forget to print the confirmation of the hotel in the local language ;)
my itinerary was the following: 22 days in total
- flight Milan Malpensa to Shanghai
- 2 nights in Shanghai
what I visited: the Bund, East Nanjing Road, Shanghai Museum, the old city, Yu Mandarin Garden and the Market, french concession, Tianzifang, M50, World Expo Site, Pudong,
(Shanghai to Suzhou by train (bullet train): there are trains that leave anytime of the day from any Shanghai's train station, you shouldn't be worry! I took an high speed and it was awesome!
keep in mind that in China, trains ticket offices are always located outside the train station (if you are traveling with someone you can easily check your luggages in and then exit the train station and go to the tickets office (yes, there are always check-in, like in the airport!!) (train stations are always full of people, if you want to make sure to leave at a certain time, go to the train station in advance)
- 2 nights in Suzhou
what I visited: Humble Administrator's Garden, Master of Nets garden, Pingjiang Lu, Yunyan Tà (Suzhou to Nanjing by train (bullet train): find a train will not be hard, as it is in Shanghai. Traveling in first class is absolutely worth it!)what I visited:
- 1 nights in Nanjing
what I visited: a walking around the city and the old walls
(Nanjing to Beijing by train (bullet train): it is a long distance train, I would recommend you to book the train in advance. Beijing train station is huge: don't choose it as a meeting point!)
- 3 nights in Beijing
what I visited: Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Ming's Tombs, Great Wall, Olympic Park, 798 Art District
food advise: don't forget to try the Pekin's duck!
don't forget to try the Pekin's duck
- 2 nights in Datong
what I visited: Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Monastery, Muta (the wooden pagoda), Huayan Temple, Nine Dragon Wall
food advise: I stayed at the Datong Weidu International Hotel: the Chinese restaurant inside the hotel is delicious. The breakfast is not international at all!
(Datong to Pingyao by train: there is not any fast train (bullet train) so you will have to take a regular train. You better ask to the ticket inspector to inform you when you reach your destination because it will be hard to find someone who speaks english)
- 4 nights in Pingyao
what I visited: walking around the city is something lovely because it seems to be in an ancient time. you can buy a 3 days ticket that will allow you to visit 18 buildings and courtyards located inside the city wall. Wang Family Compound, Zhangbi Gubao, Lijiashan, Qiao Family Compound
food advise: at the Harmony Guesthouse you will find the best food!the caramel banana is amazing!
(Pingyao to Xi'an by bus: my Hotel's owner tried to help me to find a train but there was no way. I decided to take a bus. Unfortunately in Pingyao the buses do not stop in a station but they wait for you on the highway. You better ask in your guesthouse or in your hotel to arrange a taxi to take to the highway)
- 2 nights in Xi'an
what I visited: Terracotta Warriors, Shaanxi History Museum, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
food advise: at the airport I found a place called "Chatime" where they made me a bubble tea (pearl milk tea) (flavored ice tea with chewy tapioca balls: something unforgettable :)) using mineral water (the perfect way to taste it if you are foreign)!
(Xi'an to Guilin by airplane: I booked the flight ticket online, almost 2 weeks in advance)
- 2 nights in Guilin
what I visited: Li River Cruise (480 Y each), Yangshuo (200 Y each), Longji Rice Terraces
food advise: if you feel like having some international food try the delicious pizza at "Amani" otherwise you can find some good ! Then I loved to try the famous moon cake at "home. to be with you". while walking in Yangshuo try the rich passion fruit that women sell on the street! (Guilin to Hong Kong by airplane: I booked the flight ticket online, almost 2 weeks in advance)
- 3 nights in Hong Kong
what I visited: HSBC Bank, Star Ferry Cruise, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Peak Tram, walking in Central- Admiralty-Kowloon-Tsim Sha Tsui, K11 (mall)
food advise: I had one of the best Pekin's duck ever at "Empire City Roasted Duck" at Level2 inside K11 (Tsim Sha Tsui)
- flight Hong Kong to Milan Malpensa (take the airport train-shuttle)
ps: you can do the check in at Central in Hong Kong, at the airport shuttle station and then take the train-shuttle to the airport