The most useful China travel tips come down to preparation. Sort out your entry rule, payment apps and mobile data before you fly, and carry your passport everywhere, because trains, hotels and big sights are all booked in your real name. Most of the rest is common sense and a few points of etiquette.
The rules below were checked against official sources in late October 2026. Where one of our guides covers a topic in full, the tip links to it.
Before you go
- Check which entry rule fits you. Citizens of the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most EU countries can currently stay 30 days without a visa, until December 31, 2026. Americans need a visa unless their route fits the 240-hour visa-free transit rule. Our visa-free entry guide explains both.
- Fill in the arrival card online. Since November 20, 2025 you can complete it before you fly in the NIA 12367 app, on the National Immigration Administration website, or in a WeChat or Alipay mini program.
- Avoid the big Chinese holidays. Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year’s Day is February 6, 2027), the first days of May and October 1–7 fill trains, hotels and sights. See best time to visit China.
- Pack the right adapter. China runs on 220 volts at 50 Hz, with type A, C and I sockets. Chargers rated 100–240 V need only a plug adapter; check the label on anything else, such as a hair dryer.
- Save your bookings offline. Screenshot hotel confirmations, train tickets and each hotel’s address in Chinese characters, in case your connection drops or Gmail does not load.
Money and phone
- Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay at home. Both accept Visa and Mastercard without a Chinese bank account. Payments of ¥200 or less are free; above that there is a 3% fee. Linking a card often triggers a fraud check from your bank, which is easier to sort out before you leave. See paying in China.
- Carry a little cash. Keep a modest amount in small notes for when a phone dies or a payment is declined. Hotels, big attractions and larger shops also take foreign credit cards directly.
- Choose your data plan carefully. Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and YouTube do not load on Chinese networks or hotel Wi-Fi. Roaming and most travel eSIMs route data outside mainland China, so they usually keep working. Our eSIM and VPN guide covers what to check before you buy.
- Install the local apps before you fly. You will want Alipay, WeChat, Amap, DiDi, Railway 12306 and a translation app with offline Chinese. The apps and internet guide walks through each one.
- Carry a power bank. Your phone is your wallet, map, ticket and translator, and a full day of all four drains a battery. Check your airline’s rules on carrying one.
Getting around
- Carry your passport at all times. The law requires it, police make random checks and do not accept photocopies, and you need the original to check in at hotels and board trains.
- Use Amap or Apple Maps instead of Google Maps. Amap has had an English interface since July 2025 and covers walking, metro and driving directions. Apple Maps works on an iPhone with no setup.
- Book trains as soon as they go on sale. Tickets on 12306 open 15 days before departure and are issued in your passport name. Arrive at the station at least 30 minutes early, longer at big stations, and look for the staffed gate if the machine will not read your passport. See high-speed trains.
- Book major sights in advance. The Forbidden City sells no tickets on the day, asks foreign visitors for a passport number when booking, and is closed on Mondays except public holidays. The National Museum of China, on Tiananmen Square, also requires a reservation and closes on Mondays.
- Use DiDi rather than drivers who approach you. At airports and stations, go to the official taxi rank or book through DiDi, and check that the plate matches the one in the app.
- Tap your bank card on the metro. Every Beijing subway station accepts foreign Visa and Mastercard cards, and Shanghai’s metro gates take Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB and UnionPay. Beijing’s stations also run security checks at the entrance, so expect your bag to be scanned.
- Look twice when crossing the road. Electric scooters are almost silent, often ride on pavements, and turning cars may cross while your signal is green. Our is China safe guide covers traffic and scams.
Food and water
- Do not drink tap water. UK government advice says it is generally not safe. Drink bottled water, or boil it in your room’s kettle.
- Eat where it is busy. Busy restaurants turn over food quickly, and dishes cooked hot in front of you are a safe bet. Our food guide covers what to order in each city.
- Learn how to ask for no chili. In Sichuan, Chongqing and Hunan, many dishes are very hot. Say “bú yào là” (不要辣) for no chili, or “wēi là” (微辣) for a little.
- Carry tissues and hand sanitizer. Public toilets often have no paper, many are squat toilets, and where a sign asks you not to flush paper, use the bin provided.
Etiquette and what not to do
- Do not leave chopsticks standing upright in a bowl of rice. It resembles the incense sticks offered at funerals. Rest them across the bowl or on the holder instead, and ask for a spoon or fork if you need one.
- Do not worry about tipping. It is not expected in most restaurants and taxis, and higher-end restaurants often add a 10% service charge. Guides are the main exception. See tipping in China.
- Queue and give way. Queues are normal at metros, ticket windows and sights, and waiting your turn calmly, and letting older people and children go first, is seen as respectful.
- Do not smoke indoors. Beijing has banned smoking in all indoor public places, including restaurants and public transport, since June 2015, and Shanghai introduced a similar ban in 2017. Fines apply to smokers and to the businesses that allow it.
- Ask before photographing people. A smile and a gesture at your camera is enough. Never photograph military sites: foreigners found in restricted military areas, which are not always signed, can be detained, fined or deported. Drones are strictly regulated, so check the Civil Aviation Administration of China’s rules before you bring one.
- Stay out of politics in public. The UK government advises avoiding demonstrations and large gatherings, and warns that political statements critical of China or its authorities may be treated as illegal.
- Take the drug laws seriously. China has zero tolerance for illegal drugs, including cannabis, and police can test foreign nationals at random, including on arrival.
Language
- Expect limited English. China ranked 86th of 123 countries in the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index. Signs in airports, stations and big-city metros are usually in English too, but taxi drivers and staff in small restaurants seldom speak it.
- Learn five words and let your phone do the rest. Nǐ hǎo (hello), xièxie (thank you), duōshǎo qián (how much), bú yào (I don’t want it) and zàijiàn (goodbye) cover a lot. For everything else, a translation app with camera mode reads menus and signs, and showing your destination in Chinese characters works better than saying it.
If you would rather have someone sort the bookings and come along to translate, a Hosted China host can arrange a private guide or interpreter.
