Facebook, twitter, and others are blocked unless you have access through a VPN or, sometimes, your mobile phone. Email usually works, but gmail can be tricky. There's a thread for all the various issues that arise using the internet in China.

For cash, get it at PEK on your way out. When you exit the customs hall there are several ATMs immediately there as well as just past the usual throng of people. (You won't need cash before that.) Make usual preparations to alert bank, but the ATMs don't charge fees (your bank may) and are available all over the city. Taxi into Beijing at that time of night should be under Y100, or perhaps well less depending on location.

It seems that he's going to the Hilton; even with the nighttime surcharge, I'd be surprised if the meter+toll was more than y85.

Alka: If you can't live without FB, then consider getting a VPN for your trip (~$12). They are not all created equal, so do your homework.

I read the sticky about Internet access but, without having a VPN account, was hoping for a Facebook-style way to keep people updated on our activities.

We're avoiding use of credit cards and the DCC scam -- thanks to the sticky for that -- but credit card companies have been alerted to our travel plans just the same. I'll check in with the bank here on base to alert them to our ATM use. (Forgot about that as I rarely use the card in-country; thanks for the reminder.)

I had originally thought to buy RMB with USD cash instead of using local ATMs and was planning to bring a fair amount -- should I leave most of that money at home?

Thanks.

It's not like you can't function with the language barriers. Besides, tourist things tend to have signs in English.

I disagree with the until everyone buys something part of it but the souvenir shop stops are very real.

The hotel does this for you. It's only an issue if you're staying with someone and they'll have the Chinese knowledge to deal with it. While in theory you need the person's ID and evidence they can stay there at the PSB we deal with in Shanghai there has been no such enforcement. We walk in (she speaks the language) and get our papers without showing anything but our own passports. Last time it took us longer to find the office (they had moved it and we got some bad directions) than to deal with the paperwork.

We are, indeed, headed to the Hilton at 1 Dong Fang Road, North Dong Sanhuan Road. (I'm guessing the two roads in the address indicates an intersection.)

However, we purchased the shuttle transporation between hotel and airport as part of the travel package, so having local money is less of an issue except for the driver's tip. I would like to have some RMB in case we miss the shuttle due to a late arrival and end up in a taxi.

I've been checking out VPN providers so as to gain access to Stateside television content not provided/available to us in Germany. Maybe I'll pull the pin and commit so as to have it in China.

I would never count on a site like Facebook being available. I haven't tried to access it from China but big sites with user-generated content tend to be problematic.

There is currency exchange in the airport. I would expect you to get a better deal that way. When we have looked at exchange rates in LAX or SFO they have been terrible compared to what they are over there.

We always land with currency saved from the last trip, we normally don't spend any of it until the next day unless she's been asked to pick up something from the duty free. (Yes, you read that right--they have duty free stores in the arrivals area.)

I believe we can get around without too much of a problem -- common sense, written destination address info from the hotel, tourist sites with some English, etc. -- but I can't get my wife to overcome her fear on this trip. I'm hopeful things will go well the first few days and that'll set the tone for her.

As far as the souvenir shops go, we're pretty much planning to just say no except for some postcards and stamps, and a few silk scarves for friends and family. I hope.

As for the hotel registering us with the local police, must we surrender our tourist passports upon hotel check-in, or do they make copies and allow us to keep them?

Uh oh...better steer the wife away from the Duty Free. On the other hand, maybe some "safe" shopping will be just the thing to improve her mood after the insane amount of flight time she's just endured.

StrongVPN was recommended by colleagues here in Germany. The Web site's representative commented on the chat service they have "a lot of customers whose ipads work well in china."

I may find out just how well if I use them for VPN service.

Better get a blindfold. Got to go through it to exit airside.

the guantlet of sunrise duty free PEK T3

http://www.sunrisedutyfree.com/engli...j-t3-in-2.html

Why? ATMs tend to provide very good exchange rates, plus you get the peace of mind afforded by not traveling with gobs of cash. You won't need any RMB before your trip, I promise.

I'm a bit confused about your travel package providing a car service. I thought you already killed the travel package idea, no?

Not a big ATM user and, quite frankly, I didn't even consider it for this trip. I'll redeposit the majority of the cash tomorrow when I alert the bank to our travel plans and expected use of the ATM card.

My wife will be somewhat relieved with your assurance about not needing to arrive with cash (as will I, as I wasn't thrilled to be carrying that much money).

The travel package was purchased at the beginning of October when I committed to using the four SWUs. I used AA Vacations to ease the planning burden, among other reasons. Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination but they got everything squared away for me.

As I read and respond to the posts in this thread, I've come to realize I put way too much value on using the SWUs. I've lived overseas more than half my life and footed the bill for almost all of the travel. Getting the SWU (or eVIP or whatever) when I hit 1MM, 2MM, and my one year as EXP was quite the achievement for me -- no more 25,000 miles + ever-increasing co-pay!

Circumstances beyond my control kept me from taking advantage of the SWU until now, just two months before they were due to expire. I suppose I'd do things differently if I knew a year ago (when I began discussing the possibility of the China trip with my wife) what I know now.

Live and learn, I guess....

We have only stayed in hotels a few times. In all cases the actual booking was made by a local that we were traveling with, my wife pretended to be a local and I stayed out of sight at the time. The result was no hotel ever registered us but that wasn't the objective--rather, it's a matter of negotiating. She can never get as good a deal in tourist areas when people know she's not a local. (In all these cases we were properly registered at where we were staying in Shanghai, these were only short side trips.) The same thing with negotiating applies in the markets, I stay out of sight.

It *USED* to be official policy to charge the foreigner 2x the price. That's no longer the rule but the reality is that she fares better alone.

Unfortunately this means I can't answer your question.

Hotel clerks copy your passport, you do not surrender your passport.

Its Chinese law foreign travelers are required to have physical
possession of their passport at all times while in China or may be
subject to fines or penalties.:p

True, but I would keep my passport in the hotel safe, and travel with a photo of it on my phone.

OP: you are over-thinking this. China is not a war zone, but there are occasional hassles here, and that is part of the fun of exploring somewhere new and very different. You will likely get slightly lost, or get into a taxi whose driver doesn't have a clue...but other than being out by $3, and 30 minutes late, no harm will come of it.

Also, please DO NOT import the US-centric tipping culture into China -- it's already worse than it was a couple of years ago, but not having to tip most of the time is really a wonderful pleasure.

tb

PS not sure if you have realised the current AA promo, but your routing will still bring in 20k+ EQMs before year's end, just in case it is relevant.