Cheap Trips To China

When we were living in China, though, nothing made us chuckle more than hearing what foreign visitors had spent for guided excursions and Western hotels. Okay, not everyone is ready to live the way even middle class Chinese do, and it can be scary to venture out alone into a country where a very small percentage of the people speak English, but if you’re adventurous enough to travel independently and live like the locals, you can have a lot of fun in China for very few renminbi.

To avoid Western-style eateries, Like eating French cuisine in the United States, eating foreign food in China is a status symbol. As a result, it tends to be expensive and subpar. Many high-quality Chinese eateries are cheaper than an average Western one.

Skipping the tour guide in major cities is a great idea - Even if you know no Chinese, you’ll have no issue traveling to and around the Forbidden City and Great Wall in Beijing, the Shanghai Museum, and other key sights in China’s greatest cities. Accessible by taxi or subway, most of the city's top sights offer audio tours in English. You can either use a translation app on your phone or have the hotel write out the Chinese characters so you can show them to taxi drivers.

Start thinking in RMB - The sooner you comprehend that 50 RMB goes a whole lot farther than the 6 USD it trades for, the better. Six dollars is little, but 50 RMB may be many things — a very decent lunch in a restaurant, a night in a hotel, a rather lengthy cab journey.

Try to avoid the “foreigner charge” - But recognize it's sometimes necessary. The ordinary Chinese citizen makes a few thousand dollars a year; migrant laborers selling street food make a fraction of that. It's unsurprising, then, that many people in China perceive foreign visitors as walking ATM machines. For government attractions like Beijing's Forbidden City, the foreigner fee is set and cannot be negotiated. In other cases, though, you should feel free to negotiate a lower price or just refuse to pay more than the going cost. Claiming to be a student may assist, but it will be difficult to pull off if you don't know any Chinese.

Take the train; China's extensive rail network is an excellent resource for budget-conscious tourists. The only time of year when it's not a pleasant and cheap method to travel is around national holidays. I like looking out the window at the passing countryside, where I've seen water buffalo in rice fields and other lovely sights. Taking Chinese trains also has the added benefit of putting you in contact with regular citizens, who will have plenty of time to open up to you. Very stimulating conversations are almost guaranteed whenever an English speaker joins. Learn more about taking the train in China by reading this.

In the more time you spend in China, the more it makes sense to eat at local restaurants and markets. In order to avoid spending your whole vacation in the restroom, it is important to be selective about what you eat when you just have a few days to complete your journey. When dining on the street in China, I use this simple rule of thumb: if it comes directly from the open flame, the pot of boiling water, or the cloud of steam, it is safe to consume. You can eat safely while enjoying a few cents' worth of barbecued lamb skewers, dumplings, and bowls of noodles. For further advice on eating safely from the street, read here.

Let the right job find you!

Job search function
Recruitment function
Employment Solutions
Free legal advice
Get professional foreign-related legal advice

Worldwide Talent Acquisition

GEOR provides a global human resource labor management platform tailored to your requirements. We will connect you with top-notch international talent while ensuring your hiring processes align with local labor regulations. Access Talent Globally through our International Recruitment Solutions.
img

Explore Chinese Job Vacancies

As a top-tier provider of recruitment outsourcing services, we offer expat job opportunities in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, whether you're in Asia Pacific, Europe, or the Americas. For additional career opportunities and job listings in China, please log in or register to access more detailed information.
GEOR Global Recruitment is an industry-leading recruitment outsourcing service provider, we are committed to achieving compliant and efficient global recruitment for all kinds of companies around the world. We provide one-stop human resource solutions for digital global employee recruitment and management for Chinese overseas enterprises with our technology platform and professional services, and aspire to become a global human resource labor management platform, which mainly provides foreigner recruitment, foreign talent recruitment, overseas talent recruitment, foreigner job search, foreign talent network, foreigner recruitment network in China, foreign talent recruitment platform, foreign talent job search platform, foreigner talent Recruitment in China, Overseas Foreign Talent Recruitment, Foreign Talent Job Hunting in China, Foreign Talent Headhunting Service, Overseas Foreign Talent Job Hunting, Foreign Talent Intermediary Service, Foreign Talent Recruitment Platform, Foreign Talent Job Hunting Platform and so on. The company has branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Suzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Tianjin, Ningbo, Qingdao and Changsha. Our global market experts provide a range of customized recruitment solutions based on your needs. Whether in Asia Pacific, Europe or the Americas, we will match you with the best international talent and ensure that your recruitment practices comply with local labor laws. Our experts have a unique insight into all aspects and every step of the overseas recruitment process. We offer our experience and expertise in everything from inquiring about interviews and developing offer letters to onboarding employees. By leaving the complex hassles of overseas recruiting in our hands, you can save more time and focus on your company goals of global expansion success.

Overseas Employment Agencies and International Recruitment

Whether you're looking for job opportunities abroad or planning to hire foreign talent, our guide has all the information you need. Explore the latest job openings, receive expert agency recommendations, and learn how to secure employment overseas. Don't miss out on global career opportunities; discover trustworthy international employment services right here.
Jobs
Candidates
Blog
Me