While you are in China, you should ask the hotel staff to assist you in making all your travel arrangements.  They are always cheerful and helpful.  They will usually go out of their way to purchase train or air tickets on your behalf for a nominal service fee (typically, RMB 10-30).

Domestic Flights

Domestic air travel within China is well serviced by dozens of airline companies.  You will need your passport to reserve flights and will have to complete a Passenger Reservation Record.  Always reconfirm your flights in advance of the departure date.  In china you may alter your flight arrangements free of charge, space permitted, by giving 72 hours notice to the airline company in the first instance.  If you make a second change to your travel plans, you may be subject to a fee equal to 5 per cent of the cost of your air ticket.  Always arrive at the airport well in advance of your departure time.  The check-in counter will close 30 minutes before the time of your flight¡¯s departure.

You may cancel your flight and obtain a partial refund of your ticket price under certain circumstances.  Cancellation fees are typically 5 per cent of the ticket price if you give 24 hours notice, increasing incrementally to 10 per cent if you give up to 2 hours notice.  With only 2 hours cancellation notice or less, a 20 per cent fee usually applies.  If you miss your flight altogether and request a refund after its departure, a 50 per cent fee applies.

Be aware of carry-on luggage limits.  Typically, fist-class passengers may carry 2 pieces of luggage, and business or economy class passengers may carry 1 piece.  In both cases, the total volume of carry-on luggage may not exceed 20 x 40 x 55 centimeters and weigh no more than 5 kilograms.  Additional luggage may be checked in for consignment.  The free luggage allowance for consignment is 40 kilograms for first class, 30 kilograms for business class, and 20 kilograms for economy class.  Each piece of luggage for consignment may not be larger than 40 x 60 x 100 centimeters in size and not weight more than 50 kilograms.  Oversized or overweight luggage is charged at 1.5 per cent of the normal economy class fare per kilogram.

Here are a few additional points to keep in mind when arranging longer domestic flights within China:

(a)     When traveling from Beijing or Shanghai to Hong Kong, you can save quite a bit by flying to Shenzhen (domestic versus international) and then making the short trip from Shenzhen to Hong Kong by train if you do not mind the inconvenience.

(b)     Economy class seats on most China-based airlines are very tight.  This may be alright for short flights, but if you are making the longer trip, say, from Beijing to Guangzhou, you may wish to consider flying business class.

(c)      Book your flights in advance and arrive early.  The counters are always busy, and waiting in line increases the chance that you will miss your flight.

Most travel schedules and fares are available on the Internet.  You may wish to check them yourself.  

Railway

China has a well developed railway system that continues to improve.  Train travel, however, can be difficult to reserve in China, even for the experienced traveler.  Round trip rail tickets are generally not available without the services of a travel agency or experienced hotel staff.  There are slow and fast trains, and several classes including hard-seat, soft-seat, hard-berth and soft-berth.  Tickets may be purchased at the station upon departure but we recommend that you book in advance.  Internet bookings may be possible in some areas, but we strongly recommend that you make your bookings with the help of experienced hotel staff or travel agents.  Beware of counterfeit train tickets which are sometimes sold illegally around railway stations.  Adult passengers are allowed 20 kilograms of luggage free of charge.  Some large railway stations in major cities have installed X-ray machines to scan luggage and help ensure public safety.  You should avoid train travel during the major holidays such as the Spring Festival when trains are overcrowded. 

Taxi

Hiring a taxi in China is relatively inexpensive and convenient.  Taxis are readily available in major cities at most times, especially around business districts, hotels, train stations and airports.  Taxi services are charged on the mileage traveled and time used as measured by a meter.  A base charge applies when you embark, and the fee per kilometer may increase progressively after the first 4 to 6 kilometers.  A higher fee may apply if you hire a taxi between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. the next morning.  There is only a very small risk that a taxi driver in China will cheat you as the penalties for doing so are relatively severe in China.  Taxi drivers may speak some English, but you should show a map or the name of your destination in Chinese to the driver in order to avoid delays. 

Bus, Mini-Bus and Subway