I’m a big fan of travelling overland, especially by train. It's an opportunity to soak in the changing landscapes, mingle with locals, and embrace the art of slow travel. China is perfect for this.
Thank you! Tempting. I heard travel in China is difficult nowadays since things need to be arranged online using some monile apps that we don’t have. Can you comment on this? And how about the practicalities of the train journey - is it relatively easy to arrange? Tickets sell online? Websites have english version? Are documents/passports being controlled often or only at the entry point to the country? Any other particular practical difficulty worth noting?
China is a bit challenging, but it the stories about it are exaggerated. I was there recently (as a stop-over to Japan) and entering from Europe took some time but you when you are in it is all okay. People are very friendly.
Regarding mobile apps - WeChat and AliPay are the ones you need in China for messaging and paying. But you can still use WhatsApp in China and pay with cash. And if you have VPN there is even nothing to worry about.
Thank you! Tempting. I heard travel in China is difficult nowadays since things need to be arranged online using some monile apps that we don’t have. Can you comment on this? And how about the practicalities of the train journey - is it relatively easy to arrange? Tickets sell online? Websites have english version? Are documents/passports being controlled often or only at the entry point to the country? Any other particular practical difficulty worth noting?
China is a bit challenging, but it the stories about it are exaggerated. I was there recently (as a stop-over to Japan) and entering from Europe took some time but you when you are in it is all okay. People are very friendly.
Regarding mobile apps - WeChat and AliPay are the ones you need in China for messaging and paying. But you can still use WhatsApp in China and pay with cash. And if you have VPN there is even nothing to worry about.
Train travel is really easy to arrange. I can recommend to two sites I mentioned in this post, both are in English. See https://addthistoyouritinerary.substack.com/i/146760253/tips-for-train-travel-in-china
BTW - China is Visa free up to 15 days for a lot of countries right now