🇨🇳 Travel to China: Essential Tips for First-Time Visitors in 2025
Travel to China without joining a tour group can feel overwhelming at first — the language barrier, the unique app ecosystem required for nearly everything, and the lack of up-to-date online information about certain cities. But with the right planning, traveling to China is not only possible — it’s incredibly safe and rewarding.
In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to confidently travel to China on your own: how to book accommodation, how to pay with your phone, ride high-speed trains, set up essential apps before you arrive, and navigate local customs that can make your trip smoother.
🛂 Do I need a Visa for China?
China currently offers several visa-free policies:
1️⃣ A 24-hour visa-free transit for most nationalities
2️⃣ A 144-hour visa-free transit for certain nationalities in some regions
3️⃣ A 30-day visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from a growing list of countries
✍️ Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months before traveling.
🔄 If you leave and re-enter the country, the period resets up to a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period.
✈️ Flights to China
There are direct flights from many european cities (We booked our flight from Madrid, Spain), but there are also many options with stopovers. We booked with a layover because the arrival times were better and paid €550 for a round trip—but for just €40 more, we could’ve taken a direct outbound flight.
💻 We always use Skyscanner to find the best deals, but specifically for China, TRIP works wonders.
✈️ Flights with layovers are usually cheaper. Chinese airlines like Air China or Hainan Airlines often offer the best rates. Other options include Qatar or Etihad.
💼 Chinese airlines generally include both checked and carry-on luggage in their fares.
🌤️ Best Time to Travel to China: Weather and Seasons
China is huge, and the weather can be really different depending on the region you’re visiting. If you’re planning a route that includes big cities, nature, and small villages across different areas, some seasons are better for their pleasant weather and lower tourist crowds.
🌸 Spring: Temperatures are mild, with clear skies and blooming trees. It makes it ideal for exploring cities and rural areas.
🍁 Autumn: Comfortable weather, is when the dry season begins and you will find beautiful golden landscapes. It’s one of the best times to travel around China.
☀️ Summer: It’s very hot and humid, especially in the south. It’s local high season and attractions can be really crowded. June is an exception—university entrance exams are held then, so there are fewer tourists. Be aware it’s also rainy season and typhoons or floods may occur.
❄️ Winter: Very cold and dry in the north, but a good time to visit major sites without crowds.
💡 Avoid the Golden Week (Oct 1–7) and Chinese New Year (varies between January and February), when everyone travels and prices skyrocket.
🚅 How to Travel Around China: Trains, Flights, Buses and DiDi
It’s very easy to travel around China without relying on private drivers or organized tours, since the country has an awesome transport network. Bullet trains are really comfortable and punctual, perfect for medium and long distances. For further areas, you can take a domestic flight. Within big cities, DiDi (China’s Uber) is super practical and cheap.
🚄 Bullet Trains
They’re fast, modern and efficient. There are three types:
G trains – This are the newest and fastest models
D trains – Similar to G trains but slightly older and there are no individual plugs in the seats
C trains – Medium speed Intercity trains, good for traveling short distances
There are three different classes: Business, first (2+2 setup), and second class (3+2 setup). Occasionally you can also book even cheaper tickets without an assigned seat. There’s no need to arrive too early to the stations, security checks are fast and the boarding process starts just minutes before departure.
🚞 Slow Trains
Also called K trains, with seats (3+2 setup) and two types of sleeper berths: open 6-bed compartments or enclosed 4-bed compartments.
🛫 Domestic Flights
Surprisingly, the closer to the departure date, the cheaper the flight. We booked our flight from Guilin to Shanghai just 3 days in advance and paid 75€; booking earlier would’ve cost 100€–170€.
🚌 Buses
Good option for reaching villages or areas where high speel trains are not available.
🚖 DiDi
China’s version of Uber is incredibly affordable and convenient if you don’t want to use public transport. Great value if traveling with others. We recommend always having the addresses written in Chinese, just in case.
📲 Booking with the TRIP App: Fast, Easy, and in English
The Trip.com website/app (formerly Ctrip) is the best tool for booking trains, flights, hotels, and tours in China. It’s available in multiple languages and it’s very user-friendly.
📱 Why do we recommend Trip.com?
🔍 Book bullet trains in advance
Tickets go on sale only 15 days before the date, but Trip allows you to pre-book anytime so you don’t need to be glued to your computer the day the tickets go on sale. They buy and issue the tickets for a small fee— which in our honest opinion it’s totally worth it.
As an alternative you can try the official 12306 CHINA RAILWAY site, but you must verify your identity with your passport and there’s no pre-booking service, so you’d have to be ready to buy as soon as tickets are released.
💳 They accept foreign cards
We used our WISE card to book with zero fees.
🧾 Confirmation is directly sent to your phone
In China, digital tickets aren’t used anymore, because your passport is actually your ticket. Trip sends your all the train details such as the time, gate, and platform to your phone—but remember to always check the station boards anyways. Foreigners can go through the manual passport checking gates to board.
🏨 Accommodation in China
China has every kind of accommodation—from very affordable private hostel rooms starting at €10 to luxury resorts. We recommend booking through Trip.com, which offers more variety and better prices than Booking or Agoda. Always check if the hotel accepts international guests (most of them listed on these platforms do, but look for foreign tourist reviews to be sure).
🏠 Hostels: €10–15/night
🛋 Mid-range hotels: €25–50/night
🏨 High-end hotels: From €70–90/night
⚠️ Always check if they accept foreign passports.
💸 Currency in China: Cashless & 100% Digital
China is essentially a cashless society. Payments are done via QR codes using Alipay or WeChat Pay. Few stores have card machines, and although they are legally required to accept cash, they may not have change.
🧾 Most places don’t accept Visa or Mastercard
🧧 Always use Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to your foreign card
💱 Even rural stalls use QR codes
🏧 There are only a few ATMs, and many don’t accept foreign cards. BANK OF CHINA does.
📲 Quick Guide to setting Up Alipay & WeChat on your phone
Both apps allow tourists to register and link international cards without needing a Chinese bank account. Set them up before your trip with a stable internet connection.
- Download Alipay and WeChat (Weixin Pay)
- Register with your foreign phone number and verify your identity (you’ll need to upload a photo of your passport, and sometimes a selfie with it)
- Link your card (Visa/Mastercard) and set a payment password
How to pay:
- For small shops, scan the seller’s QR code and introduce the amount you’re paying
- For bigger businesses or ticket booths, they’ll scan your payment QR code
- There may be small fees for using foreign cards on certain transactions, sometimes they will be covered by the merchant.
📱 Best Apps to Travel to China Smoothly
These apps are essential for your trip to China:
💬 WeChat & Alipay – For payments, ticket booking or food delivery on trains
📍 Amap (formerly Gaode Maps) – This is by far the most accurate map app in China, works without VPN and it’s available in English
🚗 DiDi – Uber-like ride-hailing
🛏 Trip.com – To book hotels, trains, flights or tours
🍽 Meituan – Food delivery app if you’re in your hotel feeling lazy
☔ Rain Alarm – Real-time rain alerts based on your current position
🌐 Let’sVPN – A reliable and cheap VPN to bypass China’s Great Firewall
🈲 Google Translate – It works offline if you download the language pack beforehand. It’s also great to translate menus or signs if using it in camera mode
📌 RedNote (Xiaohongshu) – A social network similar to tiktok and instagram, great to discover places and recommended spots
🌐 eSIM for Traveling in China
An eSIM allows you to have mobile data from the moment you land—no need to find a shop (Although there are SIM card stores in almost every airport). Trip.com sells eSIMs with great coverage and built-in VPN (they’re based in Hong Kong/Macau, where there’s no censorship).
💵 Prices: €20 for 2GB/day for 25 days. Custom packages are available depending on your needs.
🛫 Remember to activate it before landing to have data at the airport.
🏥 Healthcare in China and travel insurance
While healthcare in major cities is modern and efficient, it’s not free for tourists. A good travel insurance plan is essential. Choose a policy that covers at least €100,000 in medical expenses.
🔋 New Power Bank Regulations in China
If you’re flying in China—especially on domestic routes—be aware of new rules regarding power banks. After several incidents, authorities have tightened security and not all power banks are allowed onboard.
✅ Only power banks with 3C certification (mandatory in China) and manufactured after 2024 are allowed
❌ Banned: Powerbanks without a clear label, unreadable data, or unverified brands
🔋 Max capacity: 100 Wh (no approval needed), 100–160 Wh (requires airline approval)
✈️ Must be stored in a carry-on luggage, never put them in your checked bags
🛅 Some airports allow to storage it for 7 days if yours is confiscated
If you can’t travel with your powebank, you can also rent one at any of the many charging stations you will find in the streets. You’ll need your phone charged at all times in China, so this is a great backup plan.
🇨🇳 Cultural Tips and Curiosities
Traveling in China comes with cultural surprises—but that’s also part of the adventure! It’s a modern and welcoming country, but there are small differences you need to prepare for.
🚬 Smoking is common indoors, even if it’s technically restricted
🧻 There are many public restrooms and they’re usually clean, but some lack toilet paper— be sure to carry tissues with you! Also, many toilets are squat-style.
📸 Some locals may ask for photos with you, especially if they’ve never met a foreigner—you might feel like a celebrity!
🚰 In local restaurants, drinking water is often served hot. In traditional Chinese medicine, warm water is considered healthier and can boost your immune system. You may also be served tea.
We hope this guide has helped you feel more confident about how to travel to China in 2025. With the right planning, your trip to China can be one of the most unforgettable and enriching journeys you’ll ever take
📩 Do you have questions or want to share your own tips? Let us know in the comments!
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