Asia - Trip from Beijing!

Hi, I'm going to Beijing in the start of June for a couple of weeks. I'm thinking og taking a trip to a another city for some days (4.June-8-June), and was wondering which cities would be nice to visit. I'm thinking about going to Tokyo or Seoul. Any other suggestions in places nearby thats pretty cheap?

Also, I have to get a visa, and therefore I think I need to send a copy of the planetickets along with the application.

You don't need to send a copy of your plane tickets with your visa application. I didn't, applying for a China visa from the USA.

I'm from Norway, and I think i need to. Norway-China got a pretty bad relationship because of the peace price unfortunately.

Xian? Shanghai? Chengdu? South China Karst? Etc. etc. China is so much more than Beijing.

Tokyo is not cheap - the yen has reached new highs against the Euro and Dollar, so moving right along... If you need to go out of China, maybe Bangkok? If you prefer smaller scenic areas, Luang Prabang in Laos? Cambodia and the amazing ruins at Angkor / Siem Reap?

The problem with going somewhere else in China, is that I need an invitation letter from wherever I'm staying. So that will probably be even more trouble then getting a double entry visa. Been to bangkok and Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. before.

Since I'm going for such a short time, the prices for airplane tickets are more important then the price level in the country. So therefore I think Japan probably will be cheaper then Laos/Vietnam. Also I don't want a too long flight, because of the short time. How is Tokyo compared to Seoul? Tokyo is further and more expensive, but I think Tokyo sounds more interesting then Seoul.

You don't need to send a copy of your plane tickets with your visa application. I didn't, applying for a China visa from the USA.

When it comes to Chinese visas, never, never, never assume that your situation applies to everybody everywhere. USA citizens applying in the USA get a special deal.

I'm from Norway, and I think i need to. Norway-China got a pretty bad relationship because of the peace price unfortunately.

Yes on bad relationship. Also yes you need a visa, but for more than a transit through Beijing, nearly everybody else does also.

The problem with going somewhere else in China, is that I need an invitation letter from wherever I'm staying. So that will probably be even more trouble then getting a double entry visa. Been to bangkok and Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. before.

Since I'm going for such a short time, the prices for airplane tickets are more important then the price level in the country. So therefore I think Japan probably will be cheaper then Laos/Vietnam. Also I don't want a too long flight, because of the short time. How is Tokyo compared to Seoul? Tokyo is further and more expensive, but I think Tokyo sounds more interesting then Seoul.

Two strategies:
1) Stay in China. Plane tickets are your initial inbound and final outbound. Just make booking for the entire time in Beijing, then after getting visa, cancel the days you don't need. Then you can make alternate bookings for other cities in advance, or wait until you come to China. Once you get into China, nobody checks your itinerary against your visa application documents. Not even the Norwegians.

2) Sandwich a round-trip to elsewhere like you are proposing. A more expensive strategy, regardless of where you go. For a short trip, Korea is probably OK and you can find enough to do. Certainly it will take less time (1.5 hour flight vs 3.5 hour to Tokyo). You could also look into flying back to Qingdao as your re-entry point and checking that out for a day or so then bullet training back to Beijing. Korea also has Jeju Island, if you are needing a break from big city. Tokyo will be hatefully expensive to get there/back and to exist. Another option is Hong Kong, which is great for a 3-4 day break.

I'd recommend strategy #1.

Why not open jaw the ticket? Fly into Beijing, stay in China most of the time, and then at the end go from Beijing to Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong etc (whatever you are looking for), and fly back from that city (which would be outside of China) to Norway.

Just a N.B. Some members have http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.flyertalk.com/get/forum/images/buttons/report.gif AMP/RBPd for this thread to move to the China Forum, but the OP's expressed intent has been to fly to Beijing and then out of Beijing to a non-China destination. If the OP changes mind about where to go and prefers all-China, the OP can use the http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.flyertalk.com/get/forum/images/buttons/report.gif AMP/RBP and ask for this thread to be moved. For now, it iwll remain in the Asia Forum; thanks, all, for your concern and AMPs for best member service and Forum efficiency. We appreciate your efforts!

JDiver, Senior Moderator

Iirc, Shanghai allows passengers to enter without a visa, if they have an international connection departing in less than 48 hours. Not PEK, only Shanghai. The OP should be sure given the passport issue.

The problem with going somewhere else in China, is that I need an invitation letter from wherever I'm staying.

Nonsense. Keep your visa application as simple as possible (e.g. Beijing). Once you have your visa in hand, you can go wherever your heart desires within China and make as many entries/exits as your visa permits.

When it comes to Chinese visas, never, never, never assume that your situation applies to everybody everywhere. USA citizens applying in the USA get a special deal.



Yes on bad relationship. Also yes you need a visa, but for more than a transit through Beijing, nearly everybody else does also.



Two strategies:
1) Stay in China. Plane tickets are your initial inbound and final outbound. Just make booking for the entire time in Beijing, then after getting visa, cancel the days you don't need. Then you can make alternate bookings for other cities in advance, or wait until you come to China. Once you get into China, nobody checks your itinerary against your visa application documents. Not even the Norwegians.

2) Sandwich a round-trip to elsewhere like you are proposing. A more expensive strategy, regardless of where you go. For a short trip, Korea is probably OK and you can find enough to do. Certainly it will take less time (1.5 hour flight vs 3.5 hour to Tokyo). You could also look into flying back to Qingdao as your re-entry point and checking that out for a day or so then bullet training back to Beijing. Korea also has Jeju Island, if you are needing a break from big city. Tokyo will be hatefully expensive to get there/back and to exist. Another option is Hong Kong, which is great for a 3-4 day break.

I'd recommend strategy #1.I agree with Jie Jie. Obviously, you should check with the consulate, but in all my travel around China, which includes by private car and taxi, I never showed anything other than my passport before boarding planes or trains (and never for cars or taxis). China really encourages tourism and I'd be shocked if they issued you a visa to go to Beijing and then put limits on you're going anywhere else.

China is, bar none, the most amazing country I've ever visited -- I could probably spend the rest of my life exploring it and would still cover only a small fraction of the remarkably varied and interesting places to go and things to see. I'd definitely recommend spending your entire trip in China, if you can. If you do, the folks in this forum can provide a whole range of suggestions for where to go.

Iirc, Shanghai allows passengers to enter without a visa, if they have an international connection departing in less than 48 hours. Not PEK, only Shanghai. The OP should be sure given the passport issue.

Intl connection/transit is allowed for up to 24 hours at ALL Chinese airports for nearly ALL nationalities. SHA/PVG regulations allow SOME nationalities transit privileges for up to 48 hours. (Norwegians are still included on this list of the extra privileged.) This is laid out in detail on the FAQ Please Read First Sticky at the top of the China Forum, first post which is about Visas and Transit Without Visa privileges.

I do think the open-jaws ticket is a valid and cost-effective strategy, assuming the OP has not already purchased a round-trip to/from China, and also wants to see a different place.

Thanks for all the answers!

First off, I've already ordered the trip to Beijing, so I'll need to go from and back to Beijing.

My plans are kinda fixed before and after this week with friends and family. So its only for Monday-Friday I want something else to do. I've sent an email to the embassy, and I will find out about the visa soon. From what you guys are writing it seems like I'm worrying to much though. I will get an invitation letter for Beijing from my sister (who is working there as an english teacher), so that wont be a problem.

About where I'm going. Inside China, I don't think Shanghai etc. seems that intresting, so if I'm going to stay inside China I want to more to see the villages and farmers etc. outside of the cities. But I speek no mandarin, and I'm guessing they speak no English. So since I'm travelling by myself this week, it seems to me it might get a bit troublesome. Anybody got any experience on that? I'll check the China forum for more info about other places to visit. Hong Kong also might be a good suggestion, I'll check it out!

I found plain tickets + reasonable hotel for around 7-800 dollars in both Tokyo and Seoul. And I'm guessing it's pretty expensive for food and drinks as well. It might be a bit too expensive for me, but I'm not sure yet. Any idea how much I will have to use on food and drinks for the trip? I'm not a splurger, but I would like to eat something else then just rice and noodles.

Another idea I thought of, was going to North Korea on an organized trip from Beijing. That would be really interesting, but I guess will need a visa then. Any experience in a trip like that?

I appreciate all the answers I get! :)

(btw. got no time to read through this, so my english might be really bad)

If you've only 5 days in China, then spend them all in Beijing. That's barely enough time to cover the major sites of that amazing city.

Take a day trip into Tianjin if you want to see a different city. The train ride is so fast that it probably outpaces most cab rides to sites in Beijing. :)

I agree with the posts above about there being so many amazing things to see within China.

Since you expressed an interest in getting out of cities and are a bit short on time, you might consider a couple of nights at the Shambhala at the Great Wall. It's about a two-hour drive out of Beijing (they will take care of transport) and is on an unrestored section of the wall that's pretty much certain to be empty. http://www.redcapitalclub.com.cn/RedCapitalRanch.html

Flying to Chengdu would be something else to consider. It's quite different from Beijing and has a lot to offer. You can also get a driver and go to the panda reserve a few hours away. There's lots of farming on the way as well as some charming villages that are pretty untouched by tourism.

I got almost 2 weeks in beijing + the five days I want to go somewhere else! So about 18 days alltogether.

In that case, I would consider less time in Beijing and add more to the time you want to spend elsewhere.

I got almost 2 weeks in beijing + the five days I want to go somewhere else! So about 18 days alltogether.Ah, okay, that's different. Want kinds of things interest you?

Sindre: Now you have too many ideas. :) At this point, here's what you should do. Step back for a couple of days and look really hard at Tokyo or Seoul, as to whether they fit in your budget for flight and for on-the-ground expenses. My guess is that with both flights, hotel, food, local transportation for about 4-5 day trip, even with the air-hotel specials you found, you will be spending a total of USD 1200-1400 for this short time--lower end for Korea, upper end for Japan. Unless you have a very strong desire to see either of these places right now, I suggest that your time and money is best spent elsewhere.

North Korea: If this is a STRONG interest, then you must go with a tour and they will take care of the NK visa, as you cannot do that on your own. It all is done as a package. Most foreigners go with a Beijing-based agency such as Koryo tours (google for their website). These will not be cheap, likely almost as much as going to Tokyo or Seoul options. There are somewhat cheaper tours organized for Chinese visitors but without being a Mandarin speaker, it will not be a good choice for you. Again, if you don't have a strong burning desire to see North Korea, then skip this.

China: You seem to have discounted China on the basis of visa/invitation formalities and I think yes, you are worrying too much. There are plenty of Norwegians running around touring China and after the initial paperwork hassle to get the visa, they get inside and then do what they want. There is no shortage of places to see in China, much more cost- and time-effectively for a few days.

If you decide to go international, then this thread stays here. And obviously, you need a double-entry Chinese visa. If you decide to stick with the entire trip inside China, a single-entry visa will do, and then we'll move discussion over to the China forum, where the experts hang out, and help you craft your extra days, based on your personal interests. And help you strategize how to deal with Chinese officialdom requirements with minimal trouble to you.

North Korea: If this is a STRONG interest, then you must go with a tour and they will take care of the NK visa, as you cannot do that on your own. It all is done as a package. Most foreigners go with a Beijing-based agency such as Koryo tours (google for their website). These will not be cheap, likely almost as much as going to Tokyo or Seoul options. There are somewhat cheaper tours organized for Chinese visitors but without being a Mandarin speaker, it will not be a good choice for you. Again, if you don't have a strong burning desire to see North Korea, then skip this.



Young Pioneer Tours is reasonably cheap, and they go there by train so you get to see more of the countryside.

Does entry and return to Hong Kong count as another "entry" on your Chinese visa?

Does entry and return to Hong Kong count as another "entry" on your Chinese visa?

Yes. Hong Kong is an international destination.

Young Pioneer Tours is reasonably cheap, and they go there by train so you get to see more of the countryside.

I guess that depends on definition of "reasonably cheap". YPT's 4 night/5 day group tours by train are still running almost Euro 1000. This puts it on a par with going to Tokyo or Seoul, as I stated above. Same order of magnitude. But they are a DPRK visit option other than Koryo, to be sure.

Also for other readers and to forestall questions: unless something has very recently changed, USA passport holders may not enter/exit North Korea by train, only by air.

Thanks for alle the tips so far. I have read a lot about the different places, and I think I have decided I want to go to Tokyo, if the visa thing work out. The main reason is that I always wanted to see Japan, and I'm not sure if I'll ever come back. And for China, I'll probably be back someday, and I'm also going to see a lot in the Beijing area the two weeks I'll be there!

I managed to find plain tickets Beijing-Tokyo for 200 dollars. I think the price is incredibly low so I'm wondering if there something fishy about it. It's with China Eastern Airlines, which seems to have a good rating at skytrax. The only problem is that it will land in Shanghai. But it's only for a short stop and then the same plane will go on to Tokyo. That makes the flight a little bit longer, but I think it's worth it for that price. It will take 5 hours and 30 min one way, and 6 hours and 45 min the other way. Also it stood something on the site I didn't understand:

"the shortest retention period for passenger tickets is 3 days, the longest retention period is 1 month"

What does it mean? And is it anything else I've overlooked here?

I'm also thinking about staying in one of those capsules, which seems kind of interesting, that will also bring the cost down a little, so I'll be ok :)

China Eastern is fine -- I've flown them many times.

Thanks for alle the tips so far. I have read a lot about the different places, and I think I have decided I want to go to Tokyo, if the visa thing work out. The main reason is that I always wanted to see Japan, and I'm not sure if I'll ever come back. And for China, I'll probably be back someday, and I'm also going to see a lot in the Beijing area the two weeks I'll be there!

I managed to find plain tickets Beijing-Tokyo for 200 dollars. I think the price is incredibly low so I'm wondering if there something fishy about it. It's with China Eastern Airlines, which seems to have a good rating at skytrax. The only problem is that it will land in Shanghai. But it's only for a short stop and then the same plane will go on to Tokyo. That makes the flight a little bit longer, but I think it's worth it for that price. It will take 5 hours and 30 min one way, and 6 hours and 45 min the other way. Also it stood something on the site I didn't understand:

"the shortest retention period for passenger tickets is 3 days, the longest retention period is 1 month"

What does it mean? And is it anything else I've overlooked here?

I'm also thinking about staying in one of those capsules, which seems kind of interesting, that will also bring the cost down a little, so I'll be ok :)

$200 is absurdly cheap for PEK-TYO, and MU shines on its Japan routes on which it faces competition (i.e. not so much on monopoly routes). However, the Shanghai stop is annoying enough that, if I were you, I'd consider tossing the final coupon (PVG-PEK) and spending a few days in Shanghai. I would also try to fly back to my home country from Shanghai instead of Beijing.

I agree that the stop in Shanghai is annoying, but atleast it's only a short stop, and I don't need to change plane or anything. My plans before and after the trip to Tokyo is already fixed, since I'm in Beijing to visit family who works there, but thanks for the suggestions anyway!

You can see videos of the North Korea tour on YouTube. It seems they're all pretty tightly scripted.

Thanks for alle the tips so far. I have read a lot about the different places, and I think I have decided I want to go to Tokyo, if the visa thing work out. The main reason is that I always wanted to see Japan, and I'm not sure if I'll ever come back. And for China, I'll probably be back someday, and I'm also going to see a lot in the Beijing area the two weeks I'll be there!

I managed to find plain tickets Beijing-Tokyo for 200 dollars. I think the price is incredibly low so I'm wondering if there something fishy about it. It's with China Eastern Airlines, which seems to have a good rating at skytrax. The only problem is that it will land in Shanghai. But it's only for a short stop and then the same plane will go on to Tokyo. That makes the flight a little bit longer, but I think it's worth it for that price. It will take 5 hours and 30 min one way, and 6 hours and 45 min the other way. Also it stood something on the site I didn't understand:

"the shortest retention period for passenger tickets is 3 days, the longest retention period is 1 month"

What does it mean? And is it anything else I've overlooked here?

I'm also thinking about staying in one of those capsules, which seems kind of interesting, that will also bring the cost down a little, so I'll be ok :)

Did you find out what "the shortest retention period for passenger tickets is 3 days... means?

Did you find out what "the shortest retention period for passenger tickets is 3 days... means?

Sounds like that is minimum and maximum stay tied to that booking class. In other words, the return flight is good for no earlier than 3 days from departure and no later than 30 days...in case one needs to change dates. A different (higher) booking class would have longer validity period.