I probably need to use Ctrip for a few bookings as I am forced to buy those 50 RMB hotel vouchers when purchasing train tickets. Are there any major advantages to using eLong over Ctrip? Do they not charge a foreign transaction fee?

As well, how can I book directly from local hotels without resorting to a phone reservation? It seems that most of the hotels that I'm interested in don't maintain any websites at all. And lastly, it seems that you guys are saying Ctrip prices are normally better than booking directly, right?