Test your China payments
before you go
Verify AliPay or WeChat Pay with a real ¥1 transaction.
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Get trip-ready
Book train tickets
Popular routes can sell out. Plan ahead and book your train journeys before you travel.
Find train tickets
Our recommended hotels
Explore our hand-picked hotels for a more comfortable stay in China.
View recommended hotels
Popular trains don’t last... book early
Tickets go on sale 15 days before your travel date, and seats on popular routes can sell out within days. Book in English with your passport and an international card.
- Beijing → Shanghai from about 4h 20m
- E-ticket linked to your passport, nothing to print
- Choose your seat class and window seat
China’s high-speed trains are one of the most comfortable, efficient ways to travel: city-centre stations, roomy seats with power sockets, speeds of up to 350 km/h and no airport queues.
Don’t miss your seats: set a ticket reminder
Tickets for every train go on sale exactly 15 days before departure, and seats on popular routes can be gone within days. Tell us when you travel and we’ll remind you on release day, so you can book the moment seats open.
- 1Enter your travel date
- 2We work out the day tickets open
- 3Get an email and a calendar alert on release day
Free. We only use your email for this reminder.
Hotels that will actually check you in
Some Chinese hotels can’t register foreign passports. Book through Trip.com and filter for places that welcome international guests.
- Foreigner-friendly filter
- Free cancellation on most rooms
- Pick from our favorites
- Save with zero booking fees
Best of the Best
Tell us your itinerary and we’ll recommend our favourite vetted hotels and experiences.
Land with data that works
An eSIM gets you online the moment you land, so AliPay, WeChat, maps and messaging just work. Install it before you fly.
What's an eSIM?
A digital SIM that's built into your phone. You buy a data plan online, scan a QR code to install it, and it switches on when you land. No plastic card, no airport queue.
Why you want one in China
- AliPay and WeChat Pay need data to work
- Maps, taxis and translation from the moment you land
- Google and WhatsApp usually work without a VPN
- Cheaper than roaming, and you keep your home number
Our pick: we currently like Airalo as the best eSIM for most travellers. Read our full eSIM guide
Our recommended eSIMs
Best Overall Value
Airalo · Unlimited
Best for most travellers. A balance of speed, stability, price and customer service.
- 3GB a day at full speed, then 1Mbps
- The only eSIM on both China Mobile and China Unicom
- Published fair-usage policy
Absolute Cheapest
YeSIM · Prepaid
For travellers who need only a basic connection: maps, messages and payments, and not much scrolling.
- 30-day prepaid plans for light data use
- Built-in VPN on iOS
- Switches to the strongest network
Best Unlimited
Airalo · Unlimited
Set and forget. For heavy data users who want one plan that covers the whole trip.
- Never runs out: 1Mbps after 3GB a day
- No need to watch your usage
- Backup network if one gets congested
Compare flights into and around China
Search international and domestic flights side by side, including the routes where a train would take all day.
- International arrivals to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou
- Domestic hops like Shanghai → Guilin or Beijing → Chengdu
- Flexible-date fare search
ReadyForChina Flight Watch
How we pick these fares
- We check 29 domestic routes for every day in the next 60 days.
- You only see fares at least 20% below that route’s usual price, the best one per destination.
- Prices come from recent traveller searches and refresh every 12 hours. Check the live price before you book.
Last updated Oct 31, 2026, 2:28 PM (China time)
Beijing → Hong Kong
Dec 16, 2026
from $58
41% below the typical $99
Found 1 day ago
Add a few days of harbour views, dim sum and hiking trails, a short hop from the mainland.
See this fare
Guangzhou → Zhangjiajie
Nov 20, 2026
from $104
33% below the typical $155
Found 1 day ago
Hike among the sandstone pillars that inspired Avatar. Flying in skips a long rail trip to this remote corner of Hunan.
See this fare
Guangzhou → Xi'an
Nov 3, 2026
from $81
25% below the typical $108
Found 2 days ago
See the Terracotta Warriors, cycle the Ming city wall and eat your way through the Muslim Quarter.
See this fare
Guangzhou → Chongqing
Nov 2, 2026
from $68
24% below the typical $90
Found today
A neon mountain megacity of stacked streets and riverside night views, and the starting point for Yangtze cruises.
See this fare
We may earn a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Don’t forget travel insurance that covers China.Compare travel insurance
How it works
Verify your setup in under 2 minutes with our simple 3-step process
Set up your app
Follow our detailed guides to configure AliPay or WeChat Pay on your device.
Scan the test QR
Use our secure testing system to verify your payment setup works correctly.
Travel with confidence
Arrive in China knowing your mobile payments will work perfectly.
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The complete guide to digital payments in China
Everything you need to know about using AliPay and WeChat Pay in China as a foreign visitor. Setup instructions, tips, and common pitfalls to avoid.
Read the full guide
15-minute read
Want to plan your trip to China?
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