Important Travel Information &
Travel Discussion Board
**NOTICE**
A passport is required for this tour. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the return date of the tour. A visa is also required. You may obtain a visa through a Chinese embassy or a passport and visa service. Cruise and Tour Experts reccommends Passports Plus to take care of your visa. Open the .pdf documents to apply and order your visa through Passports Plus. You may visit www.passportsplus.com for additional information and pricing.
A passport is required for this tour. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the return date of the tour. A visa is also required. You may obtain a visa through a Chinese embassy or a passport and visa service. Cruise and Tour Experts reccommends Passports Plus to take care of your visa. Open the .pdf documents to apply and order your visa through Passports Plus. You may visit www.passportsplus.com for additional information and pricing.
| China Visa Instructions |
| Visa Application |
| Visa Order Form |
To apply for a passport:
https://pptform.state.gov/
To renew a passport:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/renew/renew_833.html
For expedited passport service:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/hurry/hurry_831.html
https://pptform.state.gov/
To renew a passport:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/renew/renew_833.html
For expedited passport service:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/hurry/hurry_831.html
Currency
The official currency of China is the Renminbi which means “the peoples money”. Yuan is the basic unit that comes in paper notes of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100. There are also 1 Yuan coins. For this tour, you will want to bring credit cards for purchases in the hotels, larger stores and shopping in major tourist areas. Your hotels will also offer an exchange service so that you can have local currency on hand. You will be able to exchange cash and travelers checks. If you choose to use an ATM, make sure to look for the Visa or Master Card symbols. You may contact your bank to find out locations across China where your ATM card will be accepted.
Electricity
China runs on 220v. Bring a converter to use with your curling iron or other devices that run on 110. Rule of thumb: electronics will generally work with an adapter; electrical devices will need a converter. Check with your local travel accessory store to purchase adapters and converters that you can use in China.
Insurance
Cruise and Tour Experts highly recommends travel insurance. You will receive an insurance application in your deposit package. Please review all of the inclusions and send in the application as soon as possible. If you need to cancel or your trip is interrupted, this coverage will be vital. There is also coverage for medical emergencies while you are in China.
Luggage Allowance
The luggage allowance for your International flight will be much different from the allowance on the flights within China. For your International flight, please check with the airline for up to date information on luggage allowance. For the flights within China, here is a guideline for luggage allowance:
Carry-on baggage: Must not exceed 5 kg (11 lbs.) and must not exceed maximum dimensions of 21” long x 15” wide x 7” high.
Free checked baggage allowance: Each passenger is allowed to check up to 20 kg (44 lbs.) for free. For any luggage exceeding the weight limit, a 1.5% surcharge will be charged on each additional kilogram. The fee will be calculated based on adult fare, single trip, direct flight, economy class ticket. If there is no published fare, an alternative calculation method will be used.
China requires all suitcases to have a locking device attached to each piece. This is a regulation that must be followed or airport staff can refuse to place the baggage on the aircraft.
Packing
The most important item to pack will be your comfortable shoes. You will be on many tours that require moderate walking and your shoes will make all the difference. Comfortable and casual vacation attire is appropriate for this tour and dressy or business casual would be appropriate if going to the Peking Opera. You will also want to pack a jacket for the evenings. Remember that there will be laundry service in the hotels if you are trying to pack light to stay within the 44 pound baggage allowance.
Safety
As with most countries around the world, there is crime against tourists and it is generally in the form of pick-pocketing. The use of good judgment and common sense will help avoid such crimes. Avoid wearing flashy jewelry (leave at home) and the display of cash. Keep your wallet and money out of your back pockets and do not wear a back pack. At night, stay with a group and avoid walking alone. There are cabs readily available in all cities being visited on this tour.
To call China from the USA, follow these steps:
Dial 011 – the exit code
Dial 86 – China country code
Dial the area code: 10 for Beijing, 29 for Xi’an, 21 for Shanghai
Dial the phone number
Time Zone
Standard Time Zone: GMT/UTC + 08:00 hour
If it is 11:00 am on Friday in Denver, it is 1:00 am on Saturday in Beijing and Shanghai.
Tipping
The guides and drivers are paid a salary and have an excellent bonus system based on your satisfaction. Additional tipping is greatly appreciated and is entirely up to you. A general guideline would be $4-$6 per person, per day for the driver and $6-$8 per person, per day for the guide.
The official currency of China is the Renminbi which means “the peoples money”. Yuan is the basic unit that comes in paper notes of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100. There are also 1 Yuan coins. For this tour, you will want to bring credit cards for purchases in the hotels, larger stores and shopping in major tourist areas. Your hotels will also offer an exchange service so that you can have local currency on hand. You will be able to exchange cash and travelers checks. If you choose to use an ATM, make sure to look for the Visa or Master Card symbols. You may contact your bank to find out locations across China where your ATM card will be accepted.
Electricity
China runs on 220v. Bring a converter to use with your curling iron or other devices that run on 110. Rule of thumb: electronics will generally work with an adapter; electrical devices will need a converter. Check with your local travel accessory store to purchase adapters and converters that you can use in China.
Insurance
Cruise and Tour Experts highly recommends travel insurance. You will receive an insurance application in your deposit package. Please review all of the inclusions and send in the application as soon as possible. If you need to cancel or your trip is interrupted, this coverage will be vital. There is also coverage for medical emergencies while you are in China.
Luggage Allowance
The luggage allowance for your International flight will be much different from the allowance on the flights within China. For your International flight, please check with the airline for up to date information on luggage allowance. For the flights within China, here is a guideline for luggage allowance:
Carry-on baggage: Must not exceed 5 kg (11 lbs.) and must not exceed maximum dimensions of 21” long x 15” wide x 7” high.
Free checked baggage allowance: Each passenger is allowed to check up to 20 kg (44 lbs.) for free. For any luggage exceeding the weight limit, a 1.5% surcharge will be charged on each additional kilogram. The fee will be calculated based on adult fare, single trip, direct flight, economy class ticket. If there is no published fare, an alternative calculation method will be used.
China requires all suitcases to have a locking device attached to each piece. This is a regulation that must be followed or airport staff can refuse to place the baggage on the aircraft.
Packing
The most important item to pack will be your comfortable shoes. You will be on many tours that require moderate walking and your shoes will make all the difference. Comfortable and casual vacation attire is appropriate for this tour and dressy or business casual would be appropriate if going to the Peking Opera. You will also want to pack a jacket for the evenings. Remember that there will be laundry service in the hotels if you are trying to pack light to stay within the 44 pound baggage allowance.
Safety
As with most countries around the world, there is crime against tourists and it is generally in the form of pick-pocketing. The use of good judgment and common sense will help avoid such crimes. Avoid wearing flashy jewelry (leave at home) and the display of cash. Keep your wallet and money out of your back pockets and do not wear a back pack. At night, stay with a group and avoid walking alone. There are cabs readily available in all cities being visited on this tour.
To call China from the USA, follow these steps:
Dial 011 – the exit code
Dial 86 – China country code
Dial the area code: 10 for Beijing, 29 for Xi’an, 21 for Shanghai
Dial the phone number
Time Zone
Standard Time Zone: GMT/UTC + 08:00 hour
If it is 11:00 am on Friday in Denver, it is 1:00 am on Saturday in Beijing and Shanghai.
Tipping
The guides and drivers are paid a salary and have an excellent bonus system based on your satisfaction. Additional tipping is greatly appreciated and is entirely up to you. A general guideline would be $4-$6 per person, per day for the driver and $6-$8 per person, per day for the guide.
