Travelling to China with my daughter .....?

Question

Id like to travel to China with my 8 year old, get the flight then make our own way to the tourist destinations via bus and train...has anyone does this and how safe would you deem it ? I cant stand package holidays you see...

I' d definitely take the time to learn a bit of the language before i go, being a huge culture vulture : )

Hunni S, you are a moron and shouldn't be allowed in society let alone this site.....grow a brain loser !

I think id be going for about 1 month, budget will be quite low, the reason i dont like package deals is because there is no interaction, just with other tourists.

Answer 1

China is as safe as London - provided you use a little common sense. There are some very good tours you can join there rather than use a package overall. That being said packages usually work out cheaper overall.

If you want to tell us your duration and approx budget we can add a few links for tours etc
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Try the China Focus Travel - Life experience tour 12 days - £699 with much included - thats the land price - its a US tour you can join there. There are smaller more reasonable ones on Beijing Deluxe Tours. I`m looking at flights to Beijing for about £350 up but it might be cheaper to go Oasis to HK and then fly on. If you want a good beijing Hotel the Jiuhua Spa is great and near the attractions.

Answer 2

China is a great place - I love it and the people - they are very friendly and welcoming!!! I have been working here since 2000 and wild horses couldn't drag me away.

But no where in the world is perfect and no peoples in the world are perfect - different cultures have to make allowances for other cultures, also China is changing all the time. Some people have bad habits - spitting for example. Unless you are in a hotel or very highly urbanbanised environment toilets can be very - what shall I say - SMELLY - to say the least, comprising a hole in the ground, leaving you wondering if it is ever cleaned. Remember many of the people in cities are immigrants - from the countryside. They come from peasant homes. Lovely people but not yet urbanised.

When you here about taxi drivers in Beijing being able to speak English - don't believe it, when I ask them in Chinese if they can, they just laugh. Many people will say "Hello" and "How are you", but that's about it.

Language will be a BIG barrier and Chinese is not easy to learn. As well as not having an alphabet - so you cannot deduce phonetics from the characters that you see, there are also different tones. Eg. Ma - short sound no tone, is different to Ma - flat tone, is different to Ma rising tone, is different to Ma falling then rising tone, is different to Ma falling tone. As one means you are asking a question, one means mother, one means horse, one means hemp and one means you are scolding.

I would travel by train or plane in China - its a big country - not bus for rural travel. City buses are OK - in the big cities.

As I said - China is a wonderful place - I feel much safer than in the UK, but would seriously have second thoughts about taking a young daughter if I had never been before and got familiar with the country.

Answer 3

You might want to think twice. I am not being negative here. i am a Chinese but I don't live in China. When we wnet there the tourist guides always ask us to take care of our wallet and belongings. Is this right to say its safe to travel around China. What I think would be right is if you are in a city that the population is quite modern then you should be careful But if you are in provinces that are somewhat old in cultures then I may say that you are safe. If you will be traveling without no one that understand Chinese language better yet don't go. It is hard to learn Chinese language the basic is ok but is still hard if you come into a situation where no one will understand you. Better go with a package for they will take care of your needs. Also don't worry about buying things in China. Believe me they are cheap if you know how to bargain, again if you're in a modern city.

Answer 4

The trains are very safe--you just keep an eye on your luggage. They can be a great way to see the countryside and meet people along the way. The long distance buses can be a bit dangerous once you get off the few major highways. Also, they're pretty uncomfortable. Many Chinese get motion sickness so there is much throwing up going on. I won't bring my 6 year old on the buses, except for the city buses. You can get around China pretty well using the trains and local taxis/buses. If you are traveling with a child, the Chinese are especially interested to talk with you. They love kids. I think you guys would have a great time.

Answer 5

I lived in China for a year and have traveled all over by bus and train, The Chinese are very friendly and you shouldn't have any problems, the only barrier for you will be the language, try to learn a bit before you go, good luck.
Any advice or help you need then message me I have lots and lots of good friends there.

Answer 6

Trains are a great way to travel around, and I admire that you want to travel on your own. I suggest getting some sort of guide, like Lonely Planet, as it will have listed the location of the local train station. Sleepers are overnight and are cheap, but beware if you have a problem with heights, as the beds are at three levels. If you get the ticket the day of, most likely all the bottom bunks will be taken. On the bright side, the top bunk gets control of the AC.

Answer 7

what a great idea - I travelled independantly in China twice, once after the Trans-Siberian Express (Noscow to Beijing), and once by flying in both directions from the UK.

It is quite safe, but follow your innate common sense ...

I'd recommend you stay in Hostels (many of them have double rooms) ... avoid cheap hotels, as these can be real fleabags in some places wheras the hostels are almost always clean and comfortable.

And I hope you make it to Yangshuo, Lijaing, Dali, the Panda Bear Research Center in Chengdu, and Tiger Leaping Gorge

PM me for any more advice or tips

Good luck and happy trails

Philip

Answer 8

Be very very cautious traveling in southern China, my friend have horror stories about so-called "tour guides" who took them out to the middle of nowhere and then demanded money and "were leering at her 15 year old daughter" and asking her to go for a walk with them.

Two Chinese males running a "tour bus" service.

They finally abandoned my friend and her daughter at 3 AM on the side of the road with no city or village in sight. They were going to Sanya.

I feel comfortable traveling in China on my own, however with my daughter, I would be much much more cautious and ask my hotel to arrange for transportation.

On the train to Nanjing from Shanghai a number of men approached me when my traveling mates went to the washroom and demanded "you give me money NOW, you rich".

China has a very low crime rate but that doesnt mean dont use your common sense, There are a lot of pick pockets and shysters looking for foreigners.

Where are you going? I sometimes "engaged" taxi drivers to take me around the cities, as a guide - it doesnt cost much, and its kind of fun, they know the places to go --

We were ripped off on a "tour" out of Beijing to the Great wall and ming tombs. What a joke that was !! We were approached at the Imperial city, given an impressive brochure that promoted this "tour" and like idiots we went with it. Lesson learned, not a good idea.

For the sake of your daughter, dont wing it, foreign women and girls do disappear from time to time, and are taken to Cambodia or where ever and sold to sex slave rings.

Quote: Furthermore, prostitution clients seem to prefer foreign women. In Japan, men are obsessed with having sex with Caucasian women, especially blondes. Fn39 Therefore, blonde women are the most sought-after prostitutes in Tokyo. Fn40 There is great financial incentive for the Japanese crime syndicates to deliver Caucasian women to the prostitution market. Fn41 End Quote

Quote: Victims are kidnapped for brothels by deceptive job offers or tourist trips, End Quote

Answer 9

You will need someone who speaks the language and knows the ropes. You can't get by with just phrases and a book. China is one of the safest places I have been but just use reason.

Answer 10

Here is a free language course that we used before moving to Romania it has Chinese as well. It is nice and easy enough for your 8 year old as well, my 6 year old has used it.

http://www.byki.com/