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View all →Where to stay in Beijing: match the base to your trip
Four Beijing bases compared by metro line, price and trade-off, plus airport train fares and what the hotel does with your passport at check-in.
Where to stay in Shanghai: Jing'an vs the Bund vs Lujiazui
Jing'an for most first trips, People's Square for walking to the Bund, the French Concession for cafés, Lujiazui for the view. What each Shanghai hotel area actually costs you in metro time and noise.
Hotel registration rules for foreigners in China
Chinese hotels register foreign guests themselves and must file your details with the local police within 24 hours. What to bring, what changes if you stay outside a hotel, and what to do if a front desk refuses you.
Getting from Beijing's airports to the city: PEK vs Daxing
Capital Airport's express train runs ¥25 to Dongzhimen in about 25 minutes; Daxing's runs ¥35 to Caoqiao in 19. Fares, taxi meters, last trains and night buses for both Beijing airports.
Shanghai airports to the city: metro, Maglev or taxi
Both Shanghai airports sit on the metro, so the cheap answer is ¥7–8 and an hour from Pudong, ¥5 and half an hour from Hongqiao. The fast one is the ¥50 Maglev.
Domestic Flights in China on a Foreign Passport
You can fly anywhere in China on a foreign passport — no residence permit, no separate application. What decides your trip is having the passport number in the booking and knowing which counter to use at the airport.
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