Doing Business in China For Dummies®

Around and About: Traveling within China

Traveling within the vast country of China can be a little trickier than getting to China. China’s transportation infrastructure is being built at a frantic pace. New airports, high-speed trains, and new expressways are always popping up. (China had no expressways until the late 1980s.) Sometimes your travels in China go really well — and sometimes they don’t.

Although getting around China by yourself is possible, the language barrier makes it somewhat difficult. Outside of the major cities, English isn’t very common. Even within major cities, don’t expect taxi drivers to understand English.

Many visitors to China rely on their local Chinese business contacts to help them get around. Using an interpreter can also help you with travel arrangements. (For more information on using an interpreter, go to Chapter 2.) After you’ve traveled to China a few times and have experienced the transportation systems, getting around shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

For information on paying for transportation, see the upcoming sections titled “Considering a travel card” and “Finding money.”

A little help from Chinese travel agents For planning travel within China, including making hotel reservations, using a reliable travel agent that’s based in China is best. Intra-China airfares are usually lower when purchased in China, and travel agents based outside ...