Travel in China

The good news is that travel in China has really improved. The horror stories you may have heard about are not as common now. In the early 1990s, trains were pretty much the only option, but now there are buses everywhere and about a dozen modern airlines. New train stations and airports have been built everywhere, and tickets are readily available.

The train is still the most popular mode of long-distance transportation.

A "soft sleeper" train compartment is the top of the line. It has four bunks, teacups, sheets and blankets. Males and females may be together in one compartment. It's comfortable, but the bunk may be a little cramped for the average American man. Trains often leave in the evening and arrive at their destination in the morning.

Hard sleeper is the next step down for overnight travel. The sleeper berths are not bad. A car is divided into about a dozen compartments, each containing two sets of three bunks. You get a sheet and a blanket. An attendant comes through the car selling fast food in a styrofoam tray.

Soft seat is the next level, good for day trips. Hard seat is the low-end. Despite the name 'hard seat,' the seats are cushioned. Not everybody gets a seat, however. Some people have to stand for 10 or 12 hours.

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Soft sleeper is a comfortable way to travel.

Train stations used to be a nightmare, but they have improved. The train stations used to have long lines of people desperate for tickets, but now things are more subdued. There are also ticket offices around town where you can buy them now. Mid- and higher-class hotels can usually get train tickets for you. Your waiban can usually do this for you, and students can help you get tickets, too.

One other thing, don't lose your ticket. You need it to get out of the station upon arrival.

Bus and car travel have taken a lot of the pressure off of the train system. A modern highway system was built during the 1990s and its now possible to drive rapidly between cities. For example, you can now take an express bus that will pick you up at your hotel in Guangzhou and drop you off in Kowloon, Hong Kong about 2 hours later.

There are a lot of buses -- modern luxury buses, minibuses, and sleeper buses. Be careful, though, because this is probably the most dangerous way to travel. Accidents are common. It's also possible to hire a taxi to take you between cities.

Air travel has grown tremendously in China. Until about 10 years ago, there was only one airline, CAAC (foreigners used to call it "China Airlines Always Crashes), flying old Russian Tupelov planes. Now there are about a dozen regional airlines (still government-owned), and they're competing, which means prices are falling. Most of them use modern Boeing jets (the largest export from the U.S. to China is aircraft.) Most cities have rebuilt their airports. The service is good, too. You even get sandwiches and forks for your meals. In recent years they have had a good safety record.

Be prepared for the unexpected when traveling. Always carry extra cash. When we arrived in Guangzhou on the first leg of our Hong Kong-Jinan flight, we had to get our baggage, go through customs, and check in our baggage all over again. That meant that we had to pay again the excess baggage fee that we had just paid in HK. We had no cash left, only travelers' checks, which the people at the airport did not know what to do with. Finally, we managed to get on the plane without paying, thanks to two attendants who helped us out, and no thanks to my rudimentary Chinese. Our plane was several hours late, arriving around 10 pm, but the delegation from our school was there at the airport, still waiting for us.

There are lots of hotels in China now. They vary tremendously in quality and price, but there are many good quality hotels now. Chinese hotels usually have a free breakfast buffet, which I like. Universities and other government institutions often have hotels, or guest houses (bin guan), that are cheap, suitable for the foreign teacher on a budget. Watch out for the prostitutes that will call you or even knock on your door in the evening.