Your trip

Cards to show

Written Chinese, full screen. This works where saying the name does not.

• Start railway identity verification Booking high-speed trains with a foreign passport needs verification that can take a day, and the first ticket may need a station counter to check your passport. Start this early or book through an international agent instead. 12306Trip.com
• Buy and install a travel eSIM Install it at home but leave it switched off until you land. Keep your normal SIM active for calls and SMS codes. AiraloNomadSaily
• Register WeChat and get verified New accounts often need an existing user to scan a verification code for you. Far easier to arrange while you are still near friends or family. WeChat
• Set up a payment wallet and add your card Register with your home number, switch the language to English, add a Visa or Mastercard, and complete passport verification to raise your limits. AlipayWeChat
• Tell your bank you are travelling A first payment from an unfamiliar Chinese merchant is a classic fraud trigger. A note on your account avoids a blocked card on day one.
• Book long-distance trains Popular high-speed routes sell out days ahead. This is the one thing genuinely worth booking before you arrive. 12306Trip.com
• Install a map that works in China Foreign maps are offset from real GPS here. Download offline metro maps for the cities you are visiting while you still have fast Wi-Fi. AMapMetroMan
• Install an offline translator Camera translation of menus and signs works without a connection, which matters underground and in small restaurants. Pleco
• Save your hotel address in Chinese Fill in the Address Card in this app and screenshot it. Showing written characters to a driver works where speaking the name does not.
• Get a little cash Two or three hundred yuan you will probably never spend. It is the only payment method that never fails.

Holidays to plan around

Golden Week and Spring Festival move hundreds of millions of people at once.

Exact dates are announced each year by the State Council and can shift by a day or two.