cheap IHG hotel in Beijing near subway.
May 8, 2015, 6:12 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
Roaming = keep your original non Chinese carrier SIM card in your phone and roam onto the Chinese network. They dont block foreigners.
May 8, 2015, 7:07 pm
#17
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: AAdvantage, Skymiles, Priority Club, HHonors
Posts: 265
Phol, when were you last in Beijing? When I was in Shanghai in 2014, Google Maps worked fine with my Verizon roaming. When I was in Beijing two weeks ago, Google Maps (and everything else Google) was totally blocked by the Great Firewall. I couldn't find a maps program that worked with English characters (Baidu is Mandarin only, as are Bing Maps and MapQuest when accessing in China.)
I second the Holiday Inn Exprtess Dongzhimen recommendation. Walking distance to the Dongzhimen subway, which is also the station for the airport express. It's a great location, and pretty convenient to the airport.
I second the Holiday Inn Exprtess Dongzhimen recommendation. Walking distance to the Dongzhimen subway, which is also the station for the airport express. It's a great location, and pretty convenient to the airport.
May 8, 2015, 7:17 pm
#18
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
Phol, when were you last in Beijing? When I was in Shanghai in 2014, Google Maps worked fine with my Verizon roaming. When I was in Beijing two weeks ago, Google Maps (and everything else Google) was totally blocked by the Great Firewall. I couldn't find a maps program that worked with English characters (Baidu is Mandarin only, as are Bing Maps and MapQuest when accessing in China.)
I second the Holiday Inn Exprtess Dongzhimen recommendation. Walking distance to the Dongzhimen subway, which is also the station for the airport express. It's a great location, and pretty convenient to the airport.
I second the Holiday Inn Exprtess Dongzhimen recommendation. Walking distance to the Dongzhimen subway, which is also the station for the airport express. It's a great location, and pretty convenient to the airport.
May 8, 2015, 8:44 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: DTW
Programs: Delta SM, ICH PLAT
Posts: 1,188
I was in China the last week of April, and Google stopped working on my phone and PC the entire 10 days I was there (various cities, including PVG, XMN,CAN, PEK, and Hangzhou). This included my PC and phone (google and google map), using mobile data, but with my USA Verizon phone. It worked fine in Korea before I arrived in China, and worked again after landing back home in DTW. google and google map worked on my PC as soon as I connect to my work VPN while in China.
On the other hand, hotmail and gmail worked fine on my phone while in China. Baidu also loaded quickly, so I know I am getting mobile data.
Based on what my local friends tell me, and my experience, google is not officially/permanently censored/blocked in China, but access to its search results, and access to the home page in general, is slow, and unreliable (sometimes it simply doesn't load, or it doesn't load pass the search page).
On the other hand, hotmail and gmail worked fine on my phone while in China. Baidu also loaded quickly, so I know I am getting mobile data.
Based on what my local friends tell me, and my experience, google is not officially/permanently censored/blocked in China, but access to its search results, and access to the home page in general, is slow, and unreliable (sometimes it simply doesn't load, or it doesn't load pass the search page).
May 8, 2015, 9:21 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: DTW
Programs: Delta SM, ICH PLAT
Posts: 1,188
I wonder if I can find a locker to store my big backpack at the Airport Express station. If so, it allows me some time to explore that area before going to the airport. Thanks to all the suggestions in this thread, I don't know what I'll be doing on that upcoming Saturday... then again, I may be so tired from my Jiuzhaigow leg that I may just sleep in and relax at the AA lounge before my flight home.
May 8, 2015, 10:10 pm
#22
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,022
My current booking is at Holiday Inn Express Minzuyuan, which cost 10K (equivalent to ~$70). The HI Dongzhimen is double that. I'm not sure the convenience is worth an extra $70. The convenience to airport express is attractive though...but only 1-way (remember that my arrival to PEK is ~midnight).
I wonder if I can find a locker to store my big backpack at the Airport Express station. If so, it allows me some time to explore that area before going to the airport. Thanks to all the suggestions in this thread, I don't know what I'll be doing on that upcoming Saturday... then again, I may be so tired from my Jiuzhaigow leg that I may just sleep in and relax at the AA lounge before my flight home.
I wonder if I can find a locker to store my big backpack at the Airport Express station. If so, it allows me some time to explore that area before going to the airport. Thanks to all the suggestions in this thread, I don't know what I'll be doing on that upcoming Saturday... then again, I may be so tired from my Jiuzhaigow leg that I may just sleep in and relax at the AA lounge before my flight home.
May 9, 2015, 4:26 pm
#23
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: AAdvantage, Skymiles, Priority Club, HHonors
Posts: 265
I was in China the last week of April, and Google stopped working on my phone and PC the entire 10 days I was there (various cities, including PVG, XMN,CAN, PEK, and Hangzhou). This included my PC and phone (google and google map), using mobile data, but with my USA Verizon phone. It worked fine in Korea before I arrived in China, and worked again after landing back home in DTW. google and google map worked on my PC as soon as I connect to my work VPN while in China.
On the other hand, hotmail and gmail worked fine on my phone while in China. Baidu also loaded quickly, so I know I am getting mobile data.
Based on what my local friends tell me, and my experience, google is not officially/permanently censored/blocked in China, but access to its search results, and access to the home page in general, is slow, and unreliable (sometimes it simply doesn't load, or it doesn't load pass the search page).
On the other hand, hotmail and gmail worked fine on my phone while in China. Baidu also loaded quickly, so I know I am getting mobile data.
Based on what my local friends tell me, and my experience, google is not officially/permanently censored/blocked in China, but access to its search results, and access to the home page in general, is slow, and unreliable (sometimes it simply doesn't load, or it doesn't load pass the search page).
May 9, 2015, 5:06 pm
#24
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,022
Ah, the the mysteries of the Great Firewall. You just can't rely on access to anything Google while in China; you don't know what might or might now be blocked at any given moment. I use Microsoft hosted Outlook, and it was even blocked for a while last year (although VPNs still consistently worked.) Signing up for a VPN is a crapshoot now too, with the censors working to block VPN connections as well, with varying success. Using Verizon data roaming, it still goes through China Mobile and hits the Great Firewall. It's become so frustrating that I don't want to even go to China anymore unless absolutely necessary.
Reliable VPNs work.
I have google phone, so this important to me. There honestly is no issue.
Nov 4, 2016, 1:43 pm
#25
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Highland PArk,IL,USA -- AA Lifetime Platinum, IHG Plat, UA Silver, Hilton Gold, Radisson Gold, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 2,366
If you don't have much time and plan to spend your morning wandering, you're better off at the Crowne Plaza Wangfujing which is just a 15 mins walk to the NE corner of the Forbidden City. Taxis to/fro the hotel are fine if you print out directions.
You won't have to navigate the subway system during your very short stay. The Airport Express shuts down at 10:30pm anyway
You won't have to navigate the subway system during your very short stay. The Airport Express shuts down at 10:30pm anyway
Nov 4, 2016, 2:04 pm
#26
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,022