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traveling with my parents

Shanghai Expat Forum Index » City Living Forums » Questions and Answers

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nkeel

Seeker

Joined: May 17, 2006
Posts: 69
Location: Franch Consanch, Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: July 24, 2006 - 10:41 AM
Post subject: traveling with my parents

If my parents are coming for a short visit and want to see some of the big China attractions like Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, and Beijing, what is the best way to make these arrangements? Should I consult a guide book like the Lonely Planet and make the arrangements myself or have a local travel agency do everything for me? Anybody have experience doing either?

choo choo!

Magnolia
Board Biatch

Joined: June 01, 2004
Posts: 31081

Posted: July 24, 2006 - 10:52 AM

I've done it both ways and find it easier to consult an agent and let them look for the tickets and accomidations. Just saves the time, hassle and doesn't really cost too much. For travel in the Shanghai area, like Hangzhou or Suzhou, it is easier to arrange yourself.

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jaffacake

Talker

Joined: June 09, 2006
Posts: 82

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Posted: July 24, 2006 - 11:55 AM

Careful though - you don't want to be stuck with a prescribed guide when you can get around fine yourself. On my only visit to Xian we unwittingly were assigned a guide c/o the travel agency & we couldn't get rid of him, had to go to all the warehouses to watch model peasants make their silk/pots/you-name-it with convenient sales opportunities at the end of the tour. It was pretty miserable. Suggest having the travel agency book only the flights & you do the rest!

nkeel

Seeker

Joined: May 17, 2006
Posts: 69
Location: Franch Consanch, Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: July 24, 2006 - 01:02 PM

Hmm. That's an interesting point. I remember the last time I went on a group tour it was to the Ming Tombs in Beijing and the bus dropped us off at all these places that made crystal and other gimcracks. One of the places had these anthropomorphic pig figurines that were engaging in lewd acts. Maybe my mom will be interested in that!

Magnolia
Board Biatch

Joined: June 01, 2004
Posts: 31081

Posted: July 24, 2006 - 01:05 PM

what i usually do for people is use the agent to book the flights and hotel. in places where there is a lot to see, i will also book a guide and driver. never a group tour. it isn't always necessary to have the guide and driver, but can makes things easier in large places like beijing where people may not want to get around on their own and things are spread out.

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mswp

Rocker

Joined: Mar 06, 2005
Posts: 725

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Posted: July 24, 2006 - 01:12 PM

I really liked Uniquelychina.com - they have english speakers, delivered everything to me. I revised my trip multiple times, and they just kept changing and re-pricing it. I don't know how the prices compared, but by American travel standards, it seemed pretty cheap. I used a car/driver in Xian and Beijing. If I do it again, I'm going to pay more so that we don't have to make the factory stops and eat at the mediocre, relatively expensive state restaurants. Probably just a driver, no guide. As the guide called the shots and was pretty insistent that we follow her itinerary.

jaffacake

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Joined: June 09, 2006
Posts: 82

Status: Offline

Posted: July 24, 2006 - 01:50 PM

At the end of our Xian sentence, our guide insisted that we had forged a friendship "as long as the Great Wall, as wide as the Pacific Ocean." Quite touching really. Ha!

shanghaiceltic

Board Royalty

Joined: Sep 20, 2005
Posts: 7617
Location: Perth WA
Status: Offline

Posted: July 24, 2006 - 02:46 PM

For hotels I would use ctrip.com.cn They have an English button when the page has loaded. You can search hotels and get very good rates. You dont have to pay up front either. Pay on arrival. I use it a lot for my business travel and have had no problems.

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nkeel

Seeker

Joined: May 17, 2006
Posts: 69
Location: Franch Consanch, Shanghai
Status: Offline

Posted: July 24, 2006 - 05:14 PM

Hearsay: I over heard some Chinese talking about travel agencies before and they brought up the fact that foriengers are often charged different prices than locals for the same services. I can understand this kind of practice in the fake markets or in some of the those mega electronic malls, but I didn’t know I needed to worry about getting ripped off when I’m buying plane tickets or booking hotel rooms.