Cruise Port Transfer Beijing -XINGANG

[cruisinlivin]

Hi Sabrina,

I see you're still on the boards, how are things?

[aclay]

Thanks gail
I had checked beijinglimo (US$219 shown on web site) and pandatours. It seems our problem is now solved as we are hooking up with some kind folks on our rollcall - our share is US$46 so we are all happy:cool:
thanks again
Alex

[DougYWG]

Cruisinlivin

We are looking into hiring a guide for Beijing, we would appreciate any recommendations you might have.

[12345MM]

Take a taxi from Beijing to Tianjing/ the pier. The price should be less than US$90. You may ask the hotel to arrange for you but the price will be higher.

Alternatively, you may take the train from Beijing to Tianjing and from Tianjing rail station, you can take a taxi to the pier. Though taking the train from Beijing to Tianjing is much cheaper, it is not recommended.:)

[Crown Prince]

The train is very unreliable and may be dangerous. I see many recommendations to NOT do the train. And, they speak Mandarin, not English.
A taxi will not hold very much luggage. Unless you are traveling all alone, this is also not a very good option.
You can Google Beijing Transfers and find a lot.
We are using: Wings Across Continents Tours (WACTS) website. I have had many e-mail conversations with their Chicago office and they also have an office right in Beijing to make changes quickly.
We also have booked our Bell Tower Hotel in Xi'an with WACTS, as well as some tours.
Our transfer from the Crowne Plaza Beijing Hotel to the Pier is $208 USD for an 11-pax Van.

[Host Caroline]

[COLOR=navy]You cannot ask people to email you for info re tour ops and guides or tell them you will contact guides for them AND tour ops and local residents cannot post soliciting business.. read the post at the top of the board re tour ops etc. if you have further questions or need clarification.. Your cooperation will be appreciated![/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy][/COLOR]
[COLOR=navy]If you are looking for folks to share guides/tour op you need to do that on your roll call thread.[/COLOR]

[12345MM]

In any case, beware of the serious traffic congestion in Beijing! You may spend hours and hours in a queue!

[sjbdtz]

I'm so confused.


Are Tianjin & Xingang the same place? What about Xi'an ?

We're doing the repo on the Sapphire Princess next year 2007 and are looking for transfers (or train, etc) from the port TO Beijing...so far most of what I've read has related to the other way-round.

Any ideas?

[cruisinlivin]

Hi,

Saw your message.... I can understand the confusion we went through it too!!

Tianjin is the largest city near the Xingang port. When discussing transport to it just make sure they know you want to go to the ship terminal the fees are different for Tianjin and Xingang.

Xi'an is a city to the West and a little south of Beijing where the terra cotta warriors are. We went by overnight train which was great(for us). There are 4 berths to a cabin, we had bunk mates from France which made the trip even more interesting. Each bunk has it's own TV and great linens. The toilet was Western and down the hall. Fees were less than the plane & hotel for the night.

China is a wonderful country to tour. We did it pretty much on our own with transportation and hotel bookings. The people are terrific and very helpful.

[cruisinlivin]

[quote name='Crown Prince']The train is very unreliable and may be dangerous. I see many recommendations to NOT do the train. And, they speak Mandarin, not English.
A taxi will not hold very much luggage. Unless you are traveling all alone, this is also not a very good option.
You can Google Beijing Transfers and find a lot.
We are using: Wings Across Continents Tours (WACTS) website. I have had many e-mail conversations with their Chicago office and they also have an office right in Beijing to make changes quickly.
We also have booked our Bell Tower Hotel in Xi'an with WACTS, as well as some tours.
Our transfer from the Crowne Plaza Beijing Hotel to the Pier is $208 USD for an 11-pax Van.[/quote]

We also used WACTS. The Bell Tower is a great hotel for its class. The rooms are great and they have a buffet in the restaurant which was good too. It is centrally located right between the Bell and Drum towers. Easy walking to shopping too. We took the local bus through town trying to find the Big Goose Pagoda, don't trust the tourist map it is not too scale... LOL. We ended up pretty close to it but still needed a taxi to take us in the end. We took the bus back though and recognised where we were to get off to see the Small Goose Pagoda, then we walked back to the hotel from there. It is a ways to walk but we loved it, great way to get a real feel for the city and the people. We felt safe throughout the town.

We had a great local guide in Xi'an who spoke excellent English and was very fair and reasonable. It was a wonderful experience all around.

[kaisatsu]

Has anyone tried taking the train from Beijing to Tianjin? I know that handling the luggage might be a hassle, but is it prohibitive or just a nuisance? The language issue shouldn't be a problem since we both speak basic Mandarin.

[greatam]

[quote name='kaisatsu']Has anyone tried taking the train from Beijing to Tianjin? I know that handling the luggage might be a hassle, but is it prohibitive or just a nuisance? The language issue shouldn't be a problem since we both speak basic Mandarin.[/QUOTE]

If the Beijing to Tianjin train is anything like the train from Chongqing to Chengdu, I would not even attempt to do a cruise transfer with cruise luggage. In Chengdu, we were trying to get OFF the train with carryons only. People were pushing ON the train, throwing luggage in our compartment before we even got all our stuff out. There was absolutely NO order and the train stop was NOT very long. I was really worried that I was not going to get off-couldn't get around all the people pushing ON.

It was a madhouse. With more luggage, it would have been a NIGHTMARE.

[cruisinlivin]

Hi,

I agree about the luggage.

It possibly depends on which train station you leave from in Beijing. I think we left from the West station when we went to Xi'an by train. It was at night, the originating stop(which Tiajin probably would be too), the station was calm, quiet and comfortable for boarding. It was easy to navigate the train to our compartment and language was not an issue.

It comes down to how comfortable are you traveling in unknown conditions and the number of bags you might have to get up and down to the train platform.

[12345MM]

The train service from Tianjin to Beijing is good, and it will stop at Beijing Station. I think the train will depart for Beijing in every half an hour! An underground station is next to the Beijing Station! If baggage is not a problem and that you can speak some Chinese, it is worth taking the train. A good experience to know the 'real' situation in China! Good luck:)

[greatam]

[quote name='12345MM']The train service from Tianjin to Beijing is good, and it will stop at Beijing Station. I think the train will depart for Beijing in every half an hour! An underground station is next to the Beijing Station! If baggage is not a problem and that you can speak some Chinese, it is worth taking the train. A good experience to know the 'real' situation in China! Good luck:)[/QUOTE]

I don't understand your posts. On this one, you recommend the train. On another, you state the train may not be a good option.

With CRUISE LUGGAGE, I would stay away from the train. Carryons, fine.

Pray tell, what is the "REAL" situation in China? Been there 4 times in the last 10 months and if I can avoid it, will NOT go back. The "REAL" situation in China is being obsured from the rest of the world.

[Member]

For those who will travel within China, Hong Kong & Macau during the Oct.1 National Day holiday period (from Sept.24 all the way to Oct. 8), be prepared to encounter huge traffic congestion in all public area & train/air/bus stations. With tons of migrants around then, be prepared for more pick-pocketing and other crimes too. Just a reminder.

[12345MM]

Sorry for causing any misunderstanding!!!!
For those who want to experience the 'real' Chinese transportation system, the can try the train. But, personally, I don't recommend taking the train although the system has been improved a lot in the past few years. In particular, if those who cannot speak Chinese, it may be difficult to purchase the train ticket and getting to the right platform!!!
The transportation system in China will be heavily loaded during the National-Day holiday!!! Beware!!!

Good luck for anyone who take the train!!

[kaisatsu]

So, having asked some of my colleagues, they agree that cruise luggage would be pretty difficult on the train.

However, one suggested the long-distance buses. I haven't used them before, but she was saying that the luggage shouldn't be a problem because of the luggage compartment. Any thoughts?

We live in Beijing, and while that still isn't the 'REAL' China, we are fairly comfortable getting around in 'REAL' China! ;)

[kaisatsu]

[SIZE=3][COLOR=blue]A few tips for hiring private transportation:[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[B][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue]Local Online Ads[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]
[I]I don't know why I didn't think of this before! [/I]For people still trying to arrange transportation between Beijing and Tianjin, you might try looking at the classified ads for some of the local English-language magazines. Both have a few listings for drivers. Since they're local sources and some are smaller operations, they may be a little less expensive.

[B]That's Beijing[/B]
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[SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][B]Things to Keep in Mind[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE]
When arranging private transportation in China, there are a few things to be sure to consider:

1. [B]Seating[/B] - Don't expect there to be any extra luggage room, so count the luggage in when you're counting seats. Also, many vehicles have extra fold-down seats in the aisle, so a 10-person van will probably only have 7 or 8 normal seats and then have a few fold-down along the side near the door.

2. [B]Extra Charges[/B] - When discussing a price, make sure you clarify what all is included (time, distance, gas, tolls, etc). At the end, you don't want to have to argue about being asked to extra for something that wasn't included in the price. For something that might be variable, like the time the trip takes, what is the rate if you exceed a fixed amount?

3. [B]Negotiate[/B] - In China, almost all prices are negotiable. Even if you don't get a discount in the end, you can always try!

[rho88]

Hi to all,

My parents and some of my relatives will be on the Sapphire Princess Oct.26 Asia cruise. They are leaving on the 21st and are doing a 5 day tour of Beijing before the cruise. The tour company will bring them to the Renaissance Hotel for check-in on embarkation day.

I have a question concerning Xingang: My parents did not get the Princess transfer, so they will go on their own to the Renaissance Hotel for check-in. But after check-in, I guess Princess will arrange for transportation to the ship? As in after check-in they won't have to arrange for their own transportation right?

Thanks!

Roger

[Hergie]

[quote name='kaisatsu'][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue]A few tips for hiring private transportation:[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[B][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue]Local Online Ads[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]
[I]I don't know why I didn't think of this before! [/I]For people still trying to arrange transportation between Beijing and Tianjin, you might try looking at the classified ads for some of the local English-language magazines. Both have a few listings for drivers. Since they're local sources and some are smaller operations, they may be a little less expensive.

[B]That's Beijing[/B]
Classifieds - Travel
[URL="http://www.thatsbj.com/index.php?a=5&b=173"][COLOR=#0000cc]http://www.thatsbj.com/index.php?a=5&b=173[/COLOR][/URL]
[I](This is a very popular magazine, and their ads usually change every few weeks)[/I]
Hi Thankyou for your information:
One question you may be able to help with. we are hoping to take the train from the cruise ship to Beijing. I understand there are a couple of stations in Tianjin I have had a freind write out for me in Chinese what I want to do, however I am not sure which station. I have also heard there is a station Called Teda which is nearer the port, are you familiar with this or any other station. Appreciate your input.
Jean

[cruisinlivin]

[quote name='rho88']Hi to all,

My parents and some of my relatives will be on the Sapphire Princess Oct.26 Asia cruise. They are leaving on the 21st and are doing a 5 day tour of Beijing before the cruise. The tour company will bring them to the Renaissance Hotel for check-in on embarkation day.

I have a question concerning Xingang: My parents did not get the Princess transfer, so they will go on their own to the Renaissance Hotel for check-in. But after check-in, I guess Princess will arrange for transportation to the ship? As in after check-in they won't have to arrange for their own transportation right?

Thanks!

Roger[/quote]

Roger,

I suggest you call Princess direct and talk with them.

There is always a lot of confusion about this port and boarding for some reason.

For our cruise we were told Renaisance but it was not there it was right at the port. When we were told Renaisance we were also told we would have to arrange our own transportation from the hotel to the ship, so our bus would have to wait while we check in.

At the port once you go through check in you are considered out of the country by immigration so you walk out a door and get on the ship. You can't go back to your taxi or bus to get your luggage.

Your parents will receive a Beijing or Tianjin(Xingang) port authority number in their documentation. When they receive it you could call that number and maybe find out more information. But the 1-800-Princess number should be able to clarify it for you too.

I hope they have a wonderful trip. China is a beautiful country with terrific people.

Good Luck.

[rho88]

Thanks. We are sure check-in is at the Renaissance Hotel because it says when we log-in to our Cruise Personalizer on the Princess website.

[aclay]

Hi

if it's any help we were just on the Oct 2nd Sapphire sailing Beijing to Osaka.
We took private transfers to Tianjin and went straight to the port. This was the wrong way to do it, as we should have gone to the Renaissance Hotel to check in and then use the free Princess shuttle to go to the port. As it was we were lucky in that we could leave our luggage at the port (i.e. receive luggage tags and check them in) then go back to the Renaisaance hotel to check ourselves in properly, before shuttling back to the port again.
The check in at the Renaissance is absolutely painless, there is a huge conference room with maybe 20 or so check in lanes, most of which were empty when we arrived.
The positive side of our 'double shuttle is that we had two city drive-through tours:)
HTH
Alex

[TimH]

MyExcursions.com offers private transfers and excursions for all ports of call and has private transfer options too. While not always the lowest cost, they do offer great reliable service. Rates for minivan service are about $100.00 based upon 4 guests (keep in mind 6 guests with cruise luggage may not be viable). Excellent private programs in ports of call are also available. Note they only do private programs and will not combine guests together. If you have a group - let them know the ship, sailing date, number of guests and desired programs.