Trip to China
China rewards preparation: Alipay and VPN must be set up before you land, trains are booked by passport, and not every hotel takes foreigners. Full list with a kids option.

[ ] Check current visa rules
    Visa-free policies have changed several times in recent years. Verify the current rules and length of stay for your passport before booking.
[ ] Book hotels that accept foreigners
    Not every Chinese hotel is licensed to host foreigners — you can be turned away at check-in. Filter on Trip.com for 'accepts foreign guests' and double-check reviews.
[ ] Set up Alipay before you leave home
    China runs on QR payments: without Alipay or WeChat Pay even buying water gets hard. Link your foreign card in the app before the trip and test it — cash is increasingly awkward.
[ ] Carry some cash yuan
    Cash is accepted ever more grudgingly, but it saves you when the app fails. Keep small bills — big notes are hard to break.
[ ] Buy travel medical insurance
    Good foreigner-friendly clinics are private and pricey. Make sure your policy covers China and ideally includes translation assistance.
[ ] Set up a VPN before entering
    Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube don't work in China. Installing a VPN once inside is nearly impossible — do it beforehand. Roaming data through your home carrier bypasses the block entirely.
[ ] Choose eSIM or roaming wisely
    Tourist eSIMs routed via Hong Kong or Singapore usually come unblocked — a handy VPN alternative. A local SIM needs your passport and lives behind the firewall.
[ ] Download an offline translator
    English barely works outside luxury hotels. An offline Chinese pack plus photo translation for menus and signs is survival gear.
[ ] Install Amap (Gaode) maps
    Google Maps doesn't work in China and its coordinates are offset. Locals use Amap — Chinese interface, but accurate routing and transit; Apple Maps also works decently there.
[ ] Book train tickets in advance
    High-speed trains are sold against your passport via 12306 or Trip.com; popular routes sell out days ahead. Your passport is your ticket at the gate.
[ ] Reserve top attractions ahead
    The Forbidden City, Terracotta Army and major museums require advance passport-linked booking — same-day tickets often simply don't exist.
[ ] Carry your passport at all times
    You'll need it at train stations, museums and occasional checks. A copy doesn't always satisfy — keep the original on you and photos in the cloud.
[ ] Grab the hotel's business card in Chinese
    The hotel's English name means nothing to a taxi driver. A card from reception or a screenshot of the address in characters gets you home every time.
[ ] Check plugs and pack a universal adapter
    Chinese sockets mix types A, C and I at 220V: European plugs usually fit, but not everywhere. A universal adapter ends the guesswork.
[ ] Bring a thermos or travel mug
    Free boiling water flows in trains, airports and hotels — the whole country drinks hot water and tea. Your own thermos turns that into endless tea on the road.
[ ] Pack a first aid kit
    Fever reducer, stomach remedies, sorbent, plasters and your regular meds. In a Chinese pharmacy without the language it's easy to buy the wrong thing — bring what you trust.
[ ] Scout the local spice level
    Sichuan and Hunan burn for real; the north and east are gentler. Learn 'bu yao la' (not spicy) — it saves both stomach and mood.
[ ] Carry tissues and hand sanitizer
    Public restrooms often have neither paper nor soap. A pocket pack of tissues isn't paranoia, it's standard practice.
[ ] Make copies of your documents
    Photos of passport, visa and insurance to cloud storage; paper copies packed separately from originals.
[ ] Put a contact note in your kid's pocket
    A note with your phone number, the hotel name in characters and 'I'm lost, please call my parents' in Chinese. In a train station crowd it's worth more than gold.
[ ] Agree on a meeting point
    Crowds in Chinese cities are overwhelming. At every big venue — station, park, museum — pick an obvious meeting point first, in case you get separated.
[ ] Pack familiar food for your kid
    Local food challenges even adults: spice, unfamiliar textures. Snacks from home plus supermarket fruit and yogurt keep everyone fed.
[ ] Kids' first aid kit
    Child-dose fever reducer, tummy remedies, thermometer, plasters. Finding a familiar kids' medicine in a Chinese pharmacy is a quest with no guarantee.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/china