Ctrip accepts foreign cards directly too, but the 3% saved often gets wiped out by the booking fee (in the case of 🚆 tix).

I tried using WeChat to pay but it failed and had to use trip. Maybe its locked until you are in China.

Did you try to use your cc directly on 12306?

​​​​​​

No. I'm sure I tried using WeChat and it failed - and I was conscious about potentially being locked out if the app if failed 3 times

I thought you didn't want to pay the cc surcharge (that applies to cc-funded wx payments over 200 but not direct charges).

No it's not. I reserved mine from Europe with my Wechat linked to a foreign bank card. No different procedure than any other purchase.

I don't, but don't have a choice. Using my Clarity CC will still probably produce the cheapest payment method by virtue of no tranaction fees this end and allegedly the best currency conversion rates.

OK, I'm now back in blighty, so just a quick update addressing my concerns which others may find useful / interesting.

Firstly, aerosols, passing through Metro stations x-ray machines and security, it just felt like I was going through the motion and it didnt feel like a real check. The X-Ray was real and it was looked at, but it felt it was cursory and nothing more. That couldn't be said of the airport. I went a bit mad buying some wireless phone charges. (I had about 10 in total). I asked at the terminal if I had to separate my iPhone and told "yes and power bank". I offered up 2 and expected to get a pull on the other side and I was right! All bags with them in, pulled and requested to take them out. One of them, I had pulled out 2 and was told "two more".... He was right, they were in the zipper at the bottom under the bag. They checked the amps and were all under 20,000miliamps and was given the green light. I have to admit, when I bought, I knew the highest allowed, and just didnt think. The security guards had a chuckle anyway!

As mentioned above, I had setup and run the authentication process in both wechat and alipay before I left. I loaded a debit card and clarity CC on my iphone which had the chinese esim bought before departure with 10GB. On the Samsumg, I used the lebara sim I bought 3 days before I departed with 40GB. Arriving at the airport, neither worked, but eventually it was noticed the China sim didnt have roaming set to on. My mistake. The shanghai pass was bought along with my taxi and both seemed to go through. There didnt seem to be a way to select which card was used and both were on my Debit card. I noticed later it saying it was declined even though it showed up in my bank details. I decided to delete that card and just use the clarity card. It failed every time. I phoned the bank, they said they had blocked if for suspicious activity - despite doing what the suggested and use an ATM machine to get a statement to identify I was in China. The card was unblocked - but blocked again. I finally did get it working in the final few days but blocked again. Yesterday I purchased a flight on Malaysian as BA cancelled my KL to LHR flight and my only way home was leaving from Changi. The booking went to the final page and told me I had to use my app to identify it wasnt fraud which I did. Back on payment page I'm told it was declined. Halifax Clarity identified it as potential fraud. Seems they cant even trust their own 2FA app". In short, it must be the worse CC which sells itself as specialist for travel. They need a rethink.

The S22, Lebara and Monzo card once it started worked great and all payments were used on this phone. I'm just so lucky I did take 2 phones and get that sim. Oh and the esim run out and recharged me the day before I left. Least of my concerns!

Train travel was great. I arrived early and witnessed a whohaw with a chinese man pushing it. I got waived to a different counter but still went through the same scan. Think it was so she had access. Anyway, I was through and found my seat and stored luggage ok. On my way back from beijing, I paid a porter 40RMB so he took it through and loaded onto my train to ensure I got a luggage slot. It was a good move. I got VIP business class entry with it and used the side gate and travelled on with the porter. It felt a bit wrong jumping the line, but it was part of what Id paid for... so good to take advantage of.

Apple Maps did work and did show metro stations for routing, but it was a bit hit and miss. I followed the 8 minute walk from Century Avenue to my hotel. It took me an hour. The GPS was out and my hotel had a ghost location on it! "You have arrived at your destination" was 100% incorrect. Luckily asking someone near the hotel, showed up this "wrong location" hotel and a few mins later, I was there. Walking was very poor using it if I'm honest.

Had a great time. Great Wall was wonderful.... Got there on a clear sunny day with all cold clothing and sweated! lol At least I could remove that. It pee'd down all day for Forbidden City. Oh and the security was extremely tight at tien'anmens square.

One day I had a water town trip using a get your guide guy using his car. On the way back, we had one of those random stops. I expected to have to show my passport but didnt need to.Luckily my visa was a 2 year one and not a transit and get checked or it would have been bye bye China. Just mentioning in case anyone was thinking of toing similar on a transit entry.

Hopefully this helps someone.

Next trip is a January 3 weeks in Malaysia and a cruise in April, followed by 3 weeks in China in September 25. Flights just about to be booked using a companion pass. I'm either going to depart on the 9 to Shanghai and return on 30 from Hong Kong, Or leave London on the 19th and straddle the Chinese national week. Baring in mind, we will be travelling lots on trains, would the later be a bad move or something of interest? We got lucky at the Great Wall - it was relatively empty - but I've seen how packed it gets. I suspect the first week in October is best avoided?

Great write-up!


GPS shift problem is well known:
https://www.maproomblog.com/2024/09/...d-online-maps/

The GPS shift is a result of using an international roaming SIM. Had you installed a local SIM, the phone would've automatically corrected the shift.

In fact, the phone probably showed you the overseas version of Apple Maps, which is pretty much useless in China.

So the moral of the story is that if you're on an iPhone, then you need a local SIM for the Maps app to work properly in China.

Would using a local sim mean the need to download Apple Maps in a China App Store and all naming in Chinese? Or my installed be ok? (It sounds like the latter is what you are saying, but just bing sure. )

Is an eSIM available in China or does it need to be a physical one?

No the same app automatically switches over to the Chinese map if it thinks you are actually in China.

For whatever this is not determined using the GPS coordinates, but it seems to be based on your IP address. You can test this by using a local SIM card or WiFi connection, and then turning your VPN on and off. This should cause Apple Maps to change drastically (you may have to kill it a few times to make it react).

Chinese Telcos don't provide eSIMs for phones. They are however available for accessory devices that are not capable of taking a physical SIM card.

I'm perfectly happy getting a local Chinese SIM. Makes all those local applis, SMS code vérifications, and Baidu 百度work perfectly. It's nuts how it can pinpoint stairs and metro exits perfectly. I'm on my way out after 2 weeks and it included cheap roaming in HK and Macau.

Only means the necessity for a shrill and schrewd solution to access the usual western services. But that worked too.

Ok cheers guys. I will go ahead and buy a Chinese sim when I return. The roaming eSIM worked, but there were some problems with payments. The lebara sim would have been all I’d needed apart from the Apple thing and a few app issues. Luckily next September, my wife will be travelling with me, so her phone can bare the Chinese sim. Will just need to work out which VPN will give her WhatsApp etc. The Windscribe and PiA VPNs just didn’t work. She can also load her Monzo card to widen our options and significantly reduce Alipay concerns….. plus we’ll be able to order ahead food on the trains, which I was unable to do.

WhatsApp works without VPN but with no pictures/média. There can be lag though.

There already is a known VPN provider that works fine, but we try not to directly mention it to preserve its effectiveness. I alluded to it already.