East Greets West China Travel

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW FOR YOUR CHINA TRIP

IMPORTANT

Your tour itinerary is only a tentative general description. The day-by-day travel itinerary may vary depending upon the actual arrival and departure flight times.

While traveling within China, we recommend not leaving any valuables unattended. Please use the hotel’s safe deposit boxes whenever available. Transportation companies in China require that all baggage be locked during shipping.

FLIGHT DELAYS AND MISCONNECTIONS

If your flight is delayed or you have a misconnection and cannot get to the city on your tour as planned, please contact the local ground operator.

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS

Travelers entering into China are required to complete a custom declaration form stating the valuables and amount of foreign currency they are bringing into China. A copy of the declaration form will be collected upon exit.

Special permission is required to bring 16mm and ¾ inch video cameras into China. Tourists are permitted to bring 8mm and ½ inch video cameras without prior approval, provided the films or tapes are not intended for commercial use.

MEDICAL INFORMATION

Vaccinations are not required to enter China from the United States. However we do recommend that you consult your family physician or the local health department. You may wish to pack with you any special medications or over the counter products, such as aspirin and cold medications you may need.

BAGGAGE

International airline regulations differ from domestic rules. Since we use both, we suggest one piece per person (not to exceed 44 lb.)and one carryon. We also recommend that you pack a flexible bag in your suitcase to use as an additional piece of luggage for your return flight home. If you do travel with more than one piece per person, you may be charged excess baggage fees by domestic transportation officials. All luggage should be locked while traveling.

PACKING SUGGESTIONS

Pack lightly and bring casual clothes. A sturdy, conformable pair of walking shoes is an absolute must. A sports jacket and a tie for men, and one or two dresses or pantsuits for women, will suit the most formal occasions while in China. All travelers should bring sweaters, shirts and jackets that can be layered to suit a range of climates.

Laundry service is available in most hotels with reasonable charges.

MONEY AND CREDIT CARDS

China’s currency is renminbi, abbreviated and commonly used as RMB. The basic renminbi unit is the yuan, and subsidiary units are the jiao and fen. 10 jiao equal a yuan; 10 fen equal a jiao. Traveler’s checks command a slightly higher exchange rate than cash. Credit cards are accepted at most hotels and state-run shops in major cities. Accepted cards include Visa, Master Card, and American Express. Notify your credit card company before departure that you will be traveling so they will not decline transactions from China.

ELECTRICITY

China’s electrical system operates at 220 volts. Most hotel rooms are fitted with 2 and 3 phase sockets. If you are bringing electrical appliances, you may require a transformer and/or an adapter.

Hair dryers can be borrowed from most hotels.

GRATUITIES

We realize that tipping is a sensitive subject for all travelers. While tips are widely accepted throughout Asia, we would like to stress that this is at your own personal discretion. However, if you are asked for tips from the driver, guide or tour manager before the services are rendered, we suggest you not to tip but to report to our office immediately. While everyone is recommended to tip based on service rendered, we would like to provide some basic guidelines. For porter service, we recommend no more than $.50 cents per bag. For guides and drivers, we suggest for drivers, $1.00 per day; local guides, $2.00 per day. For private tours, you may use your own discretion to pay about $2 dollars for the driver and $4-5 for the guide.

TAXES AND AIRPORT RENOVATION FEES

These fees are not included in the tour price. In addition, you will be required to pay airport taxes and airport renovation fees upon departure from all cities. Your tour director will collect the airport fees from you before each flight’s departure. Approximate tax rates are as follows:

Domestic Flights

All cities in China RMB 50 – US$6.00

To Connect International Flights

RMB 90 –US$11.00

MISCELANEOUS

Very important: you should make copies of your passports, air tickets and other travel documents.

For FIT customers, please bring your guide book. "The Rough Guide" is pretty good. We also recommend you bring a Chinese phrase book. "Essential Chinese for Travelers" is a good one. It comes with a tape.

WHEN YOU CHECK IN AT THE AIRPORT, PLEASE REMIND THE CHECK-IN STAFF TO UPDATE YOUR MILEAGE ACCOUNT. AND ALWAYS HOLD ON TO YOUR TICKET RECEIPTS IN CASE.

When you arrive in each city, make sure you GET A CARD AT THE HOTEL FRONT DESK WITH ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBERS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINSE. CARRY THAT WITH YOU WHEN YOU EXPLORE THE CITY ON YOUR OWN. This will be a big help, as most cab drivers don't speak English. When you get a taxi, make sure the driver sets the meter. Normally, you don't need to tip the taxi driver.

Calling long distance from China can be expensive, especially when you call from the hotel.
Suggestions:
1. Use email. Some hotels in China have email facilities, which you can use for a minimum charge. Usually they're at the Business Center.
2. If your long distance carrier is AT&T or Sprint or MCI, have them give you the promotional rate for China, which is $70 cents per minute for 24 hours, 7 days a week. And it's cheaper to call from USA to China if you get this kind of rate.
3. Use fax.

If you purchase the travel insurance, make sure you bring the insurance information and their call-collect numbers with you.

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Boca Raton, Florida, USA