Overnight in Beijing pre-tour

[DD]

We're picking up a tour in Beijing. I'm considering flying in the night before to give us a little time to rest up from the jetlag of flying from the east coast half-way across the globe. My other reason for flying in a day early would be to prevent missing the tour if the airline is delayed. The more that I travel, the more that I experience flight delays and cancellations, the less I like and trust the airlines! I always feel like it's wise to build in extra time to make up for their delays and cancellations.

 

Is Beijing a city where I can freely travel independently? Is it like going to any other city where I basically just get in a cab and go to the hotel? I'm not sure how China being a Communist country plays into it. Must I have an escort from an official China tour agency?

 

If I fly in the day of the tour, the tour company provides a transfer. What's the approx cost of a taxi transfer from PEK to downtown Beijing. I realize that it's a large city and fares can vary but am I looking at $25, $50, $100, $200??

 

I truly have no China knowledge and am doing my best to start learning. From what I read in the guidebooks, it appears that I'm pretty much free to travel as I would be in the majority of coutries; however, before I book the award miles seats, I want to make sure of that.

 

I guess what's in the back of my mind is two prior trips to Russia. The first one was in 1989. At that time, you did not travel independently. You had to be accompanied by an official guide. In the mid 90s, it was a whole different ballgame. Both trips were wonderful but they definitely had different rules. So, I'm trying to figure out what the rules are for travel in China.

 

Thanks, in advance, for taking the time to answer!

[paul929207]

We spent a couple of nights in Beijing in 2005 prior to a cruise. We traveled around the city on our own. We took the subway and even changed lines to get to Tiennamen Square and the Forbidden City.

 

We had purchased transfer from Princess, so I don't know the cost of a cab

 

Paul

[andydee]

Since Beijing is huge and we don't know where you are staying, $ 50 is a rough guess on the high side. Cabs are cheap there. Make sure the cab driver turns the meter on. You can get around on your own provided you carry a card from your hotel with a map on the back of it and it's address in Chinese. Also, make sure the concierge writes down the address of your desired destination(s) in Chinese. This was no problem at our hotel and I would expect the same to be true at most , if not all of them.

Cheers,

Andy

[Smiles3usa]

In Oct 2005, we took a taxi (from the queue) from PEK airport to our hotel, Marriott Courtyard. The cost was 81 yuan, which included the toll (@$10.00US). If you take a taxi from the stands inside the airport, the cost was @$25-50 one-way and there is no meter. The metered taxis were very easy to get--there are several outside and several others who assist passengers in the line in securing the next taxi.

 

Travelling in Bejing is super easy. Taxis are cheap. The subway is easy to understand and easy to get around on--and also very cheap.

 

Enjoy your stay!

[juliejoe]

We are flying in one day early before beginning a Princess cruisetour. I just arranged with an English speaking guide for pick up at the airport, transfer to the hotel when we arrive at 9:20 p.m. He'll meet us at the hotel the next morning, take us to the Temple of Heaven, a Hutong and go with us to the silk market, pearl market and cloisonne factory - all typical Chinese products. His charge is VERY reasonable and by going with him we will make the best use of the one day we have on our own in Beijing. He had me send him our Princess itinerary so he could choose other things for us to see. His response has been quick and I am impressed with his efficiency.

 

He was recommended here on cruise critic but based on board rules, I can't tell you contact information unless you ask yere.

 

Julie

[DD]

Ok, I'm asking -- what is the name & contact info of your guide? Thanks, in advance, for providing it :)

[juliejoe]

Since you asked...

 

Barry Xu

barrytour@hotmail.com

[DD]

JulieJoe, can you give me an idea of Barry's price range? Thanks!

[juliejoe]

RE: Barry's price range. I'm sure it depends on what you request. For our day it will be 1000 RMB. Shared among 4 of us - a bargain! His charge for arranging transfer from the airport to the hotel is 300 RMB. He is quick to respond to e-mail requests for information.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Hi, DD:

 

Here's another recommendation for Barry. :) A friend of mine hired Barry a couple of years ago when she and her DH were in Beijing and she spoke very highly of him and said he'd taken really good care of them. Like JulieJoe, I've found Barry to be very responsive to my e-mail requests. I let him know what my priorities are for my two days in Beijing next month and he filled in my itinerary with some additional excellent suggestions. There's now a group of six of us who will be touring with him for the two days and his price is very reasonable.

 

Cheers!

Jayne

 

:)

[DD]

Thanks for your suggestion of Barry Xu. Based on the board feedback and my email conversations with him, we've booked his guide services.

 

Please tell me how you handled a few things --

 

Did you tip him?

 

Did you pay him in dollars or in Chinese Renminbi?

 

Is there anything appropriate to bring along as a small gift from the USA? Anything that you think he would appreciate?

 

Thanks again for the suggestion!

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Thanks for your suggestion of Barry Xu. Based on the board feedback and my email conversations with him, we've booked his guide services.

 

Please tell me how you handled a few things --

 

Did you tip him?

 

Did you pay him in dollars or in Chinese Renminbi?

 

Is there anything appropriate to bring along as a small gift from the USA? Anything that you think he would appreciate?

 

Thanks again for the suggestion!

 

DD:

 

I can't answer your questions yet because he'll be my guide next month! I'll ask my friend at work today (if she's in today) and see what she says.

 

As far as a gift, I think that's a very personal thing and up to you.

 

Cheers!

Jayne

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Thanks for your suggestion of Barry Xu. Based on the board feedback and my email conversations with him, we've booked his guide services.

 

Please tell me how you handled a few things --

 

Did you tip him?

 

Did you pay him in dollars or in Chinese Renminbi?

 

Is there anything appropriate to bring along as a small gift from the USA? Anything that you think he would appreciate?

 

Thanks again for the suggestion!

 

 

Hi, DD:

 

I got back from China on Saturday night. We ended up using Barry for only one of the two days we had scheduled. There was a mix-up and he picked up another group at our hotel instead of our group. He sent another van for us, but we ended up missing two hours of our tour time--with only two days to tour that was very disappointing. And, the two hours we lost were on the Great Wall, which was the one thing we all wanted to see. Throughout the day we felt rather rushed and didn't get to do a couple of things he had told us we would get to do. He's a very nice man and certainly felt bad about the mistake.

 

We lined up a different guide for the second day and she was absolutely fantastic! I'd go with her again in a heartbeat. She took us to the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City. She also took us to the silk market and helped me with the bargaining--I got some great buys!

 

Let me know if you want her contact information.

 

In answer to your question about paying guides--you'll need to pay them in RMB.

 

Thanks,

Jayne

[juliejoe]

Jayne,

 

I would like to have the name and contact information for the guide you used the second day.

 

What bargains did you find?

 

Thanks!

Julie

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Jayne,

 

I would like to have the name and contact information for the guide you used the second day.

 

What bargains did you find?

 

Thanks!

Julie

 

Hi, Julie:

 

Her name is Catherine, and I took her business card to work with me so I'll get her contact information and post it for you.

 

We got to the silk market late in the day, so it was very crowded. After a long day of touring, we decided to spend only an hour there. But, during that hour I got a couple of silk scarves (beautiful long ones) for about $11 each, four t-shirts for about $8 each, and best of all for about $50, I purchased a large jade happiness ball (those are the ones that have a few balls inside of them all beautifully carved from one piece of jade), three balls slightly smaller than a handball--one in yellow jade and two in polished stone--and a couple of jade bangle bracelets. Each was put into a small silk drawstring purse.

 

One of the best shopping places was right next to the entrance of the Badaling section of The Great Wall. For about $60, I purchased a beautiful quilt, two "I climbed the Great Wall" sweatshirts with the short zippers at the collar, two jade bracelets, and a tacky Great Wall snow globe. :D

 

We also shopped a one of the Friendship Stores that's on the way to the Great Wall. It's more expensive there because the prices are fixed, but if you look around you can still get some decent prices. One of the things I was looking for was the perfume or snuff bottles that are painted from the inside. I got a beautiful set of four for only $40 and an artist painted our last name and the date in Chinese on the inside of one of the bottles.

 

On our last night there one of my coworkers mentioned he'd seen a grocery store just a few blocks from our hotel. We went there and got a bunch of Chinese candy and snacks. They've been a real hit. I took some to work and everyone was excited to try them.

 

That's a long answer to your question, but I came home with a suitcase full of stuff for my family and friends! Can you tell I love to shop?!?

 

cheers!

Jayne

[juliejoe]

Thanks for your post Jayne! All of your purchases sound special and I'm glad to get the ideas!

 

I look forward to hearing more about Catherine. I will contact her for a price/services comparison to what Barry offers.

 

Julie

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Thanks for your post Jayne! All of your purchases sound special and I'm glad to get the ideas!

 

I look forward to hearing more about Catherine. I will contact her for a price/services comparison to what Barry offers.

 

Julie

 

Catherine's card has two e-mail address:

 

snow_lxh@163.com

Catherine_1130@hotmail.com

 

You can reach her at either one. Please tell her you heard about her from "Jayne at Intel."

 

She's 25 years old and graduated from university. She has a sweet, bubbly personality and never failed to tell us about the history of each place. She's very easy to talk to and we discussed a lot about what it was like to live in China as a young, single person and the cultural differences between China and the U.S. The day we spent with her was truly a highlight of my trip to China.

 

She provided a driver and a van. She chose a wonderful restaurant for us to have lunch.

 

I've attached a photo of Catherine, me, and two of my coworkers. She's very tiny (of course, I'm 6' tall, so she looks even tinier!). In the photo she's not showing the "peace sign." When they do that in China they mean "victory."

 

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

Thanks!

Jayne

[Spikesgirl]

Jayne -

 

Gald to hear that you had a great time there. We still look back upon our time in Beijing fondly. Glad everything worked out for you.

 

Charlie

 

P.S. We brought back some of those snacks as well - people love them!

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Jayne -

 

Gald to hear that you had a great time there. We still look back upon our time in Beijing fondly. Glad everything worked out for you.

 

Charlie

 

P.S. We brought back some of those snacks as well - people love them!

 

Thank you, Charlie! It was better than I anticipated and I was really pleased that my back held up. I was certainly sore after each day of touring, but I made it through--even with all the stairs at the Summer Palace!

 

Regards,

Jayne

[pkfort]

We book 2 nites before cruise at the Courtyard in Beijing. Has anyone else stayed there? I have read that it's walking distance to Tian'an Men Square. Was the water Americanized in the hotel? How were the accomadations? Any info would be greately appreciated.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

We book 2 nites before cruise at the Courtyard in Beijing. Has anyone else stayed there? I have read that it's walking distance to Tian'an Men Square. Was the water Americanized in the hotel? How were the accomadations? Any info would be greately appreciated.

 

I stayed at the Crowne Plaza, which is a 5-star hotel (by Beijing standards anyway--it wouldn't have been a 5-star in the U.S., though it was very nice) and they provided bottled water. There was a sign by the faucet warning not to drink the water. My understanding is that's the way it is everywhere in Beijing.

 

Jayne

 

:)

[saddlebrooke]

I stayed at the Crowne Plaza, which is a 5-star hotel (by Beijing standards anyway--it wouldn't have been a 5-star in the U.S., though it was very nice) and they provided bottled water. There was a sign by the faucet warning not to drink the water. My understanding is that's the way it is everywhere in Beijing.

 

Jayne

 

:)

Hi Jayne:

 

We, too, are scheduled to stay at the Crowne Plaza and was concerned about the accommodations. Was the breakfast included in your stay? If so, how was it. Also, the price range of the dinners at the hotel? Was it worth eating there or is is good to look elsewhere?

 

Thanks for the information:).

 

Terry and Judy

 

One last thing, in light of the sanitary standards in China, did you take any precautions other that the drinking water which must be boottled water?

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Hi Jayne:

 

We, too, are scheduled to stay at the Crowne Plaza and was concerned about the accommodations. Was the breakfast included in your stay? If so, how was it. Also, the price range of the dinners at the hotel? Was it worth eating there or is is good to look elsewhere?

 

Thanks for the information:).

 

Terry and Judy

 

One last thing, in light of the sanitary standards in China, did you take any precautions other that the drinking water which must be boottled water?

 

Hi, Terry and Judy:

 

First, I believe there are two Crowne Plazas in Beijing. I stayed at this one:

 

Crowne Plaza Hotel

Beijng Wuzhou

No. 8 North Si Huan Zhong Road

Beijing, 100101 China

 

It's next to the Beijing International Convention Center.

 

I stayed in a room on the business level so breakfast wasn't included, but my manager stayed on the executive level (or it may be called club level) and breakfast was included. I believe he also had limited laundry and there was a lounge on that level as well.

 

On the days I had my conference I was too tired to go elsewhere for dinner after 12 to 14 hour days, so I ate at all three restaurants over my eight-night stay. I had breakfast at the Asia Cafe everyday. It was very good. Their reasonably large buffet had a wide variety of international food and if was fun to try different things. They had possibly the best coffee I've had in my life!

 

The Asia Cafe had dinners as well and I ate there one evening. It was very good. When I post my photos, you'll see a photo of the dinner I had there that night--the presentation was lovely, so I took a shot of it. Be warned of two things:

 

1. If there are only women in your party, service will be very, very slow. You'll need to be assertive to get served. But, if there's even one man in your group, you'll get service pretty quickly.
   
2. The drinks are strong!! Oh, and try the Jasime tea--wonderful!

The Brazilian restaurant was excellent. They have a good salad bar--though not what you think of as a salad bar in the U.S. It had everything from soup to vegetables to mashed potatoes to desserts. The waiters come around with meat on skewers and cut it right onto your plate. Every cut of meat was excellent (except the mutton--I'm not a big mutton fan, but they love it in Beijing!).

 

There's a restaurant to the left of the Brazilian restaurant down the hall. Excellent! We tried some wonderful things there. The garlic cucumber appetizer was fabulous, as was the stringed potato appetizer. The shrimp dumplings were the best I've ever had. We even tried the deep fried crispy pigeon. It tasted fine, but too many little bones. It was quite the experience since it was served with in it's actual shape, complete with head. At a near table they had lobster, which looked wonderful as well!

 

As far as the hotel itself, I was never concerned about anything but the water and felt no need to take precautions. The hotel is pretty clean--they clean constantly (but, don't look in the corners! :eek:). The king-size bed was incredibly comfortable--I was pleasantly surprised. And, the room was pretty large. There were even rose petals in the toilet every day. :p I was on the 14th floor and the view was great!

 

The lobby is really quite lovely, and the service is excellent. My converter didn't fit their plug--though it was specific to China--and when I called the front desk, they brought me a power strip that my converter worked in. It was there within minutes. The mini bar prices are much more reasonable than in the U.S.

 

There's an ATM in the lobby the dispenses RMB and you can convert currency at the registration desk (all the way over to the left, but if they're busy any of the clerks can help you). The exchange rate at the hotel was slightly better than at the airport.

 

The gift shop is very small, but has a nice selection of items at reasonable prices. The concierge is very helpful and there's always staff in front of the hotel to get you a cab and open the doors, help you with your luggage, etc. The staff is very friendly and I don't believe I every passed a single staff person that didn't greet me with a smile. People smoke everywhere--including the lobby of the hotel and smoking is allowed in the restaurants.

 

Hope that helps!!

 

Cheers!

Jayne

 

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Just re-read your post and you asked about price range at the hotel restaurants. The breakfast buffet was about 120 RMB (exchange rate was 7.65 to the $1), dinner at Asia Cafe was about the same. I didn't look at the other two restaurants because I was with co-workers and they picked up the bill--sorry.

 

Just one more note, next time I go to Beijing, I'll likely stay there again since I had such a good experience there. :)

 

Cheers!

Jayne

 

:)

[Spikesgirl]

We stayed at the other Crowne Plaza and if you would like details of that one, let me know. It was very much the same as Jayne's. We were within 15 minutes of the Forbidden City and right off a major shopping area.

 

Charlie