7 things to know before travelling to Beijing

Though this post is specifically written for Beijing. It can be applicable for China in general and also for  any non English speaking countries. I have had troubles  in my first travel. Once, I was lost  for half a day in search of some particular hutong ( Chinese famous alleyways) in Beijing as I was not carrying map with me.

Here are 6 things to know before  travelling to Beijing.

1. First thing you need as soon as you arrive is Hotel name in Chinese. Otherwise, there is no way you ending up in your hotel. Keep  print out of the hotel name  in Chinese ready with you 
2. If you are a vegetarian, you can read tips for vegetarians here Vegetarian tips   
3. Local trains are the cheapest  mode of travel in Beijing. It just costs 2RMB from one end to the other end irrespective of the distance. It seems  they have not increased the price from quite some years. If you have a map in hand and know where do you want to go, then it shouldn’t be any problem to travel cheap locally
4. Shopping – If you are traveling to Beijing,invariably you will be suggested to go to Yashow and Silk markets. Unless you are good in bargaining don’t even try to buy anything.  I bought a top for 40RMB which was  quoted as high as  950RM.They show you the price on their calculator. You start asking 10% of what they quote.
5. Maps – If you are traveling on your own by train don’t forget to carry maps with you. Not only map of train route to identify where you need to catch your train and where you need to get down. But also map in detail to show  your destination after you step out of the station. I lost half day in search of a place which I never reached.
6. Lastly, if you are addicted to Google and Facebook be prepared  to say temporary goodbye  to  these social networks. China government has blocked these sites. Some say that it works through VPN. For me it didn't. Whatever you need to Google, keep everything ready before you travel. 
7. When you budget for your travel, be generous to keep good budget for entry fees. I found Entry fee  in China is very high . Of course it is in comparison with other Asian countries.

Are you interested in China. Pls browse through the blog for more posts
Have you traveled to China ? Pls add any more tips that I have not covered.

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