Going to Beijing this March.... Help!

[gotta_think]

hi guys, im going to Beijing this coming March. Do you know which airline gives cheap airfare going there? Which hotel do you recommend that's cheap but nice? Does the hotel offer tours to Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, etc.? Do you have any info on how much do they cost? Do they have entrance fees? how much should i bring if it's 4days 3nights stay?

hope you could advise me. it's my first time to go there. thanks!

[jpatokal]

Start here and ask if you have any questions left when you're done

http://wikitravel.org/en/Beijing

[gotta_think]

Start here and ask if you have any questions left when you're done

http://wikitravel.org/en/Beijing

wow, this is helpful.... thnx!

[vandals]

wat a pity! u r going to beijing only! should have spare at least another few more days to travel to other states like Shanghai..

[gotta_think]

How i wish i could do that. well my problem i guess is to go around Beijing first before going anywhere else in China. I couldnt speak the language some more.

Someone said checking in at a 3 star hotel is quite troublesome for me to inquire for day tour highlights (if they're offering in the first place). Have you been there yet? Any suggestions?

[perplex_sheep]

I suggest for you to book China Airlines. The flight timing is more sensible. I think they have a flight that depart about 8 or 9am, arriving Beijing around 3pm. Only China & SQ flights are direct flights. The rest, i think you might need to do a transfer somewhere. SQ flights are more expensive (obviously) and i think their flights arrive closed to midnight. China Airlines allows you to do some exploring, plan the next day agenda, etc.

Try booking via zuji.com.sg

For hotels, i suggest you got to wotif.com and check out the last minute rates. The china websites are not exactly cheaper, because they charge a different rates for Chinese (China National) and Foreigners (even if you are a chinese).

Not sure whats your budget, but I stayed in Howard Johnson Hotel in Beijing. Its near the Beijing train station and near to many food places, walking distance to Wangfujing. Wotif is offering the room at US$65/night, and i think its a good price, considering the locations, etc.

You can PM me if you have more specific questions. I was in Beijing, Xian, Guilin and Yangshou last year, so have a pretty good idea and itinerary worked out before the trip.

[gotta_think]

hi perplex_sheep, thanks for sharing. well i think i found an accommodation. it's Swissotel. Is this near to shopping malls, etc? Regarding itenerary, I think i will be needing your help on this.

i will be arriving there on a saturday and will for sure tour with my boyfriend until Sunday. Monday and Tuesday he got conference to attend to and i dont like to stay in a hotel the whole day so I am just wondering if there are malls outside the hotel that i can go to so i wont be bored? is it safe to go around there? are there any muggers or so? is it advisable to go out alone? how much do you think should my pocket money be?

thnx again!

[perplexsheep]

if i am not wrong, swissotel is a business hotel. my fren recommended me to stay in swissotel because he said the service and room are very nice. i dont think its near any shopping mall. I have passed by it in a cab before and felt that its in the middle of no where. in any case, you can always grab a cab or train to anywhere. trains are quite easy to grab and cabs are very cheap.

Beijing transport system is very different from singapore. the train go by circle system, i.e. circle 1 is the CBD area (and its really going around a circle), and circle 2 is an outer layer of circle 1, which is more shopping area. and there circle 3 is an outer layer of circle 2, so on and fore. some times, crossing over the road to get a cab make a huge difference because the U-turn system in china is very different from Singapore. to make a U-turn can mean having to travel 500-800m before making it.

You can PM me with your email and i can send you my itinerary. Its in Excel file.

[Butterfly78]

I'm hoping this info is useful to you and you haven't already left for Beijing!
I have just relocated to Singapore after living in Beijing for 4 years - in the same street as the Swissotel! Relax, you couldn't have picked a better spot; and it certainly isn't in the middle of nowhere!
The hotel is directly behind Dongsishitiao subway stop, which is on line 2 (the blue circle line). Although cabs are very cheap, they're very slow b/c of the traffic so it's quicker to jump on the train.
The hotel is also on the same street as the Sanlitun Yaxiu (pron. Ya Show) market, and walking distance to Sanlitun Bar St (popular expat hang out). As for shopping centres/malls, there is a newish mall called 3.3 ("san dian san" in Chinese) which is ok, but expensive compared to Yaxiu and compared to what you find in Singapore malls, not really worth the walk.
For shopping malls on par with Singapore you need to go the Wangfujing area. There are a few shopping malls on this street as well as designer boutiques, but of course the prices are Western and there isn't any room to haggle!
In my opinion, I think it's a good thing that you're just in Beijing - no, not bias - but it's a big place and you might need to have a rest day if you're doing the Great Wall etc. Yes, there are entry prices for everything in Beijing, including public parks. There are many Great Walls too - Badaling is the closest to the city but is very touristy and not really that great. Going further out to Simati for example, is well-worth the extra hour or two travelling time. You'll have most of the place to yourself especially as it's March and still rather chilly.
ANYWAY, I hope this info is helpful and I'll stop here otherwise I could go on and on and on....