Hamurabi2008

Wow! Now even I'm scared of Shanghai...

I think you might have forgot the taxi meter scam (if the meter is more than 100 RMB for less than 30 mins or 15 km someone manipulated your taxi meter) and the 'need air in the metro during rush hour' issue.


I'm here for 3 years now and had NEVER anything stolen, was NEVER beaten up, NEVER got into demonstration or unrest and NEVER got scammed.

To the OP and anyone else going to China:
Just use common sense while travelling. Otherwise China is a very safe country for the business and individual traveller.

Avoid National Holidays if possible

Regards

Ham

moondog

IMO, the Portman brunch is still quite a bit better than the Westin's, though I do have fond memories of the Westin brunch circa 2002, when it was y198 and the 4th diner was free.

OT: anyone that's interested in trying the Jia Hotel is welcome to PM me; my best friend is a minority owner and he is able to get reasonably attractive rates (albeit not as low as one would expect).

Nachoman

My dad was attempted to be scammed that way and he lives there! When in doubt, the hotels are your friend. Tell the employees where you are going and ask how much you should expect to pay. If you are getting a ride back to the hotel and the fare looks odd, wait until you arrive at the hotel and ask the bellhop, he'll straighten out that cab driver. Ultimately the hotel staff are all well aware of the scams and will act on behalf of their guests. Even if you're not going to a hotel, just about every building has a doorman who can help.

drron

Add us to those that have had scam artists approach us on nanjing road-they were numerous.We had been forewarned.
Stayed at St. regis and enjoyed it immensely-though when we stayed it was the cheapest of SPG properties-we were there in first week May 2008.
A great area to explore is the French concession.We had been supplied with 2 great books on Shanghai-6 Walks in Shanghai/6 More walks in Shanghai.however the French concession walks start at the Old China Hand bookshop at 27 Shaoxing road and you can read those books there whilst having a cup of coffee.
If you want to read a TR I did with restaurants etc it begins at post 5 here-
http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/comm...ing-13125.html
Enjoy.

Bonus Miles

For those of you who don't know, one of my biggest pet peeves is when foreigners, especially Americans (sorry, but I am American, so I can say this out loud) needlessly leave a tip when it is NOT the culture in China to Tip.

Sorry, I know there are those of you who disagree, but the culture of tipping does not automatically carry over in all countries. Please do as the locals do. It is not expected except at hotels with unknowing tourists and travelers, and even then, it is not necessary because it is not part of the practice in China.

You don't tip in Australia do you? How about Japan? Nope, because it is not part of their societal culture to do so.

Please, do me a favor, there is no tipping in China.

Also, please do us all a favor and avoid talking with touts of any sort! It just encourages them to ply their trade.

The same with beggars, sorry it may sound really harsh, but giving money to beggars only encourages them to continue begging. And, no, you don't want to know why their baby is so quiet and soundly sleeping in their arms...

Thanks

ps, I currently live in Shanghai (3+ yrs), been in China for nearly 9 years now.

moondog

wrong thread?

drron

Maybe but I couldn't agree more.Should be said on every asian forum regularly then maybe the message would get through.

moondog

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...s-changin.html

(and there are several others)

CanuckFlyHigh

Thank you all for your advice and help. We will for sure take caution for scams, I have travelled alot and will keep these things in mind.

We have solidified our hotel itinerary a little, and this is what it looks like:

Monday September 28 - Wednesday Sept 30 - Swissotel Shanghai (Jing An)

Weds Sept 30 - Friday October 2 - Hangzhou Lakeview Hotel (Hotel Directions: No 2 West Huancheng Road - You can find the hotel at the crossing of West Huancheng Road, Hu Bin Road and Qingchun Road) - Thoughts on location? Seems good, well reviewed on TA, and got it for 70 per night during National Day.
Hangzhou, 310006 China )

Friday October 2 - Saturday October 3 Quingpu district for wedding

Saturday October 3 - Monday October 5 Le Royal Meridian Shanghai.


We will begin to plan our day excursions, etc.. and I will probably have more questions for you guys, but if you have any other thoughts/opinions on the plan thus far, please let me know.

Obviously because of National Day, we want to book our train tickets in advance (especially because we HAVE to be back for the wedding). What is the best way to do this? Is there a website, or should I just email the Swissotel concierge? Which train station do we want to depart Shanghai from, taking into account we will be staying at the Swissotel.

House

Get the Swissotel to book your tickets for you to Hangzhou. There are plenty of trains (and it is only a 1 hour trip) but still worth getting them to do it. As it's holiday time I would get the request to them a week before or so.

All trains to Hangzhou depart from the new Shanghai South Station (Shanghai Nan Zhan). Very impressive building. Departures are on the top floor - you go through security (airport style), show your ticket then head to a waiting room above the track your train departs from. Your ticket will be in Chinese only but the train number (one letter then a 2 or 3 figure number) will be readable (e.g. T751) as will your coach number (the first number) and seat number (second number). The departure screens will also display the train numbers and departure times - it is pretty easy to work out, especially as most trains from this new station only go to Hangzhou at the moment!

From your hotel the taxi will be RMB30 or so, and takes 20-30 minutes. The Metro will take a similar time (Line 2 from Jing An Temple to Zhongshan Park, then change (quite a lot of stairs - be warned if you have luggage) to Line 3 which takes you to Shanghai South Station. Fare will be around RMB4-5 each and ticket machines work in English. All signs and announcements are also in English.

sniles

Check this link for a translation of the train tickets. Though nowadays the cities are mentioned in English also, the rest is still in Chinese. Also, sometimes the train number is written on top, but i'm sure you'll figure that out.

joanek

I just had a great stay at the Le Royal Meridian Shanghai. The location is great, and the staff in the club was very helpful. Do upgrade to the club level if you can---it was worth the upcharge.

bossCJ

Agree, the club lounge is very cool. I think in the SPG forum there's a thread or two about it. Hotel is in a great location, tourist wise. Traffic-wise not so much, but you can't ask for everything.

At the swissotel, if you're feeling the need while there, Moon's is arguably one of the best steakhouses in the city, if not all of China. I usually go there with friends, colleagues, and clients about 1-2 times a month. The general manager is a friend of mine (or I should say has become one), every time this place delivers. Its pricey, but still (a little bit) less than mortons or the palm in the US, and quality is just as good, some would say better. Took some friends from DC there about 6 months ago, said it was the best steak of their life, was talking about it for weeks afterward lol. Haven't actually been to the hotel part, always walked in the lobby and straight to the restaurant, but the lobby looked nice for whatever that's worth.

heffa

CanuckFlyHigh, are you back yet? How was the trip?

prefer_2_fly

Thanks to all for your valuable tips. As a solo female business traveler, they're so very appreciated. Most tips are common sense but i did LOL about the tea scam. My VP was scammed in Beijing that very same way last year!!

Looking forward to Shanghai after a few rustic weeks in mainland china...

By coicidence, Hemisphere Magazine is featuring 3 perfect days in Shanghai. http://www.hemispheresmagazine.com/2...days-shanghai/

Now any good spa recommendations before I head back to the states?