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[gingerpaddy]

Hi All

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice? I am planning to travel China later this year and the travel company who I am buying my RTW ticket off is telling me to get a www.intrepid.com tour of China and that I would be crazy to do it myself?? The reason they give me is that nobody speaks any english and that I could not get anything done!! Is this true or are they just trying to sell me a tour that costs over €1,100?? Could I do it easily enough myself? Well my girlfriend and I.

Paddy

[aopaq]

First of all, check out the China Starter kit (here) which should help answer your question.

As for my personal opinion, I think you would be crazy to pay what the travel company is suggesting. Ultimately, it depends on how you like to travel and how you deal with challenges. If you want everything to be taken care of for you and not have to deal with the challenge of communicating, then the tour is for you. But for those that enjoy trying to talk with people and interacting with locals, then doing it on your own is the way to go. You will almost always find someone who can help you out with the language and local hostel/hotel folk can assist with getting train/bus/plane tickets as well.
Sure, you will be overcharged and possibly scammed a bit (it helps to be aware of some of the common scams) and even given some counterfeit money, But despite all that, I think it will not come close to how much your travel company is trying to rip you off! Just be aware that you would not be the first "laowai" to travel to China without a tour nor will you be the last.

Just come here with an open mind, patience and a smile and I am sure you will have an unforgettable trip!

[rbisset]

It's not that hard. All the hotels/hostels will offer a travel facility and be more than happy to sell you train tickets for a few $'s more than at the train station.

[bob8888]

I have done it both ways. Go it on your own. If you find it to hard you can always get a Chinese tour company to arrange tours and for a lot cheaper then they are telling you. I agree with what the others say. For me the planning and learning of where to go is a great part of the trip. If you panic I have used China Highlights http://chinahighlights.com/ many times.
Remember to put Yangshuo on your list. They all try to speak english down there.
Bob

[evamaria85]

From what I have seen around the world, China is a easy and safe place to travel.

Very few speak English, but those who do are very eager to practice their English.

So I'd say, just like the others, go ahead, travel on your own...it is an amazing country to travel.

Happy travels,

Eva Maria

[azreal]

Learn Chinese....

Key Phrases.

-Where is the bathroom
-How much is that
-Do you speak english
-5 dollars me love you long time.

[budgetsyria]

I prefer to do it alone I believe is more exited, and adventurous

[rauri]

I prefer to do it alone I believe is more exited, and adventurous

Good on you
I'm going to China solo at the end of this year. Although I have a friend in China I will be meeting. I think it is also a good experience, way to build independance (for some-one my age anyway).
All the best.

[rauri]

Learn Chinese....

Key Phrases.

-Where is the bathroom
-How much is that
-Do you speak english
-5 dollars me love you long time.

"5 dollars me love you long time."
HAHA!!! Are you serious?

The ones that I've tried to learn:
-How much is this?
-Can you lower the price?
-Number/prices etc.
-I've written notes for taxi drivers: "Stop here please" "take me here" etc.
-also for hotels: "i have a reservation" etc.
Phrase books are really helpful in my opinion.

[aopaq]

Don't forget get "ting bu dong"....I don't understand! I find I say that a lot....hahaha....

[sqm]

And "Xiexie" is thank you. Pronounce it like "sheh sheh" I think. It's important to say thanks in China.

[azreal]

of course... that is the number one phrase you should learn in Chinese

[rauri]

And "Xiexie" is thank you. Pronounce it like "sheh sheh" I think. It's important to say thanks in China.

Yeah I learnt Xie Xie, as well as Dui Bu Qi (Sorry/Excuse me), Bu Ke Qi (you're welcome).
My friend helped me with Xie Xie, now I pronounce it like: "She-eh She-eh".

I didn't learn how to say "I don't understand", so thanks for that one.

[shangguan]

There are advantages to using a tour operator and going on your own. For ease, the tour operator is the way to go, but you often will be rushed from site to site without any chance of actually contact with the locals. Going on your own is far more adventurous, but will of course have some frustrations.

The language barrier will definately be a problem. Bring a good phrase book and you can always point to what you want to say. One way I have found to get around the problem is to contact the English department of a local university. They will always be able to get you in contact with an English major who would love to be a guide in exchange for practising their English. Make sure it is a local person, otherwise you'll just be taken to the shopping streets.

Getting around can be a challenge, especially in train stations. I usually stay in hostels and many of them have connections and can help you get tickets without having to wait in line for hours.

In many of the larger cities you can find tour guides online who will just take you through their city. That is also a cheap way to do it. They'll only charge for the day and the prices are usually extremely cheap.

I personally love to stay in Hostels because it is a great chance to not only meet others in the same situation as you, but also to learn about where to go and how to get there.

I guess the most important thing is how comfortable you are with adventure. Traveling around China on your own is completely duable. There will, of course, be hiccups and frustrations, but that is all part of the adventure. I traveled to every major destination before I learned to speak Chinese. Now that I am fluent in Chinese, I find that a lot of the adventure is gone and I kinda miss that.

No matter what you decide, have a wonderful trip. If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know. I'd be happy to help.