Beijing: A NO-GO for Impromptu Trips, "Kamikaze" Tours & Tight Budgets.
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Certainly, no problem! Beijing is indeed filled with fun yet comes with its share of quirks. I'll give you a detailed rundown, especially for foreign friends, to help navigate these pitfalls wisely.
Ticket Reservations - Of Utmost Importance!
Beijing's attractions like the famed Forbidden City and the Great Wall require online reservations days in advance. Our visit was on impulse, leading to the realization that all tickets within a week for the Forbidden City were already sold out. To visit the Great Wall, we had to take high-speed rail (which operates at incredible speed), but tickets were also snapped up, leaving us with no choice but to wait for cancellations. Even planning a visit to Tian'anmen Square in the afternoon couldn't be realized without prior reservation.
- Reminder for Free Spirit Travelers: Spontaneity doesn't work in Beijing; careful planning is necessary. Make sure all your reservations are well ahead of time or chances are slim that your trips won't be fruitless.
Commuting in Beijing—What Can Be Said? Prepare Yourself!
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Subway:
Navigating the subway can overwhelm a newcomer, with complex network shifts and several circular lines. However, do not worry; using a mobile map ensures safety. The internal subway station design tests your endurance, with long walk distances between station entrances/exits and platform transfers, especially at older stations like Line 1, lacking elevators, making climbing with luggage quite arduous.- Reminder: Get ready to take steps toward thousands every day!
- Crowded subways, packed all day long, akin toTokyo during peak hours. Psychological preparation is needed.
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Extensive City and Extended Travel Duration:
Beijing spans an enormous area; most attractions are located in the city center (such as interior to the Second Ring Road, being Beijing's historic old town). Accommodation costs in this zone are outrageous. For cheaper lodging options available a bit further (like beyond the Third/ Fourth Ring Roads), your traveling time escalates significantly.- Reminder: Taxi services are particularly hard to get across Beijing, including holidays, weekdays, day, and night. You might struggle to find either taxi or ride-hailing services near popular attractions where demand outweigh cost benefits, resulting in much walking – a testament to your "March" spirit! (This metaphor, inspired by China's historic Long March, captures a grueling part of our travel)
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Tips on Navigating Traffic:
Aim for accommodation in concentrated attractions zones despite high costs to save time, or plan better public transit routes. Ride-hailing services might be more accommodating during non-peak periods in less crowded areas.
Do Not Anticipate "Off-Peak" Periods:
We believed we caught an off-season rush but found the crowds overwhelming. It seems there's never truly an off-season due to dense local populations joined by tourists.
Universal Studios Beijing’s “Surprise Factor”:
It was said our visit fell during an off-peak period, yet daily congestion seemed unending! During weekdays, reportedly more than 30,000 people attended.
- Advisory: Avoid holidays and school breaks to dodge crowds, including summer vacations (typically July-August) and winters (January-February).
- Despite expectations, we only managed to access five attractions, experiencing extended waits due to technical failures. Long queues persisted, drastically limiting rides per session. This frustratingly affected our mood significantly.
For Fellow Northerners (Especially Those Acclimated to Humid Climates):
- Reminder: Prepare for "Water-Spanning Incompatibility" (adaptation discomfort)! We, originating from Southern climates, suffered nightly thirst dehydration induced by Beijing’s dry ambiance. Weather disparity between frigid outdoor wind and indoor heating creates extreme temperature flux. Resultantly, we now face a travel-induced cold and severe body pains.
- Advisory: Drink plenty of water. Throat lozenges, moisturizers, and lip balms will be beneficial. Coordinate clothing layers according to the temperature changes between indoor and outdoor environments.
My Beijing Travel Experience Summary:
- Beijing’s extensive landscape necessitates time-intensive transport, testing patience and physical endurance.
- Option one is thorough planning with a leisurely pace, or opt for super-human stamina to undertake lengthy walking daily.
- Staying near the center, we still felt time-constrained even visiting only one attraction a day after adjusting meal and commuting times.
- Expectations for living cost should consider higher expenses primarily attributed to accommodation; dining offers ranges for the budget-conscious traveler.
- Advisory: Suggest allocating an additional budget of RMB 1,000 (~USD 140) to manage unpredictable situations.
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The cost of transportation and time in Beijing is incredibly high... Just imagine, for those who live and work in Beijing long-term, these long commutes, the fast-paced lifestyle, and the constant crowds are just their everyday reality.
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Exactly! He mentioned a 40-minute subway ride, and I was thinking, 'Wow, 40 minutes is actually pretty close!'
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I feel like Beijing is the most exhausting place I've ever visited.
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All the reservations you have to make beforehand, then all the intense walking once you're there... The attractions are huge, and there's so much you want to see. Sigh.
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I planned my trip pretty thoroughly. For example, I booked the National Museum a week in advance and bought tickets ahead of time for all the places I wanted to see. For the Great Wall, bus 877 gets you there in about 45 minutes; they seem to leave every 5 minutes, once full. A real shock was the lack of elevators in many Beijing subway stations. I was dead tired lugging my 20-inch suitcase on the last day. Why so few elevators? It was truly unexpected. I ended up rushing through most attractions because Beijing is just so huge.
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I knew beforehand that Beijing is very dry, so I brought face cream and lotion, and made sure to drink water every night before bed. I didn't experience any discomfort during those days. I wore a down jacket but found Beijing wasn't as cold as Guangdong – Guangdong's cold really made me not want to move! I even unzipped my jacket while climbing the Great Wall and was sweating.
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Oh gosh, now I'm hesitant to go, even though my hotel and tickets are all booked! All that's left is making advance reservations. Reading your sincere account, I feel like I'm already experiencing the exhaustion before even setting off. But I'd regret it if I didn't go see it for myself.
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It's definitely worth going! We went in mid-January and had a great time. Using Gaode (Amap) for taxis is super convenient. I found the prices in Beijing to be reasonable, people were friendly, and the indoor heating was comfortable. If you're worried about dryness, just bring a saline nasal spray. You can also ask the hotel for a humidifier. I'm planning to go again in the autumn!
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With the winter school break plus the Spring Festival travel rush, it's hardly the off-season. Plus, hailing a cab has been tough lately, largely because many non-local drivers have gone home for the holidays.
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So, when exactly is the off-season then?
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My boyfriend is a military veteran, and even he almost couldn't handle my 'special ops' style itinerary. He nearly broke!
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Hahahaha, I'm curious to see this 'devilish' itinerary now!
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Seriously, as a Southerner, I've been coughing constantly ever since I got back for Chinese New Year. I wonder if it's because of the dryness.
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I think that's exactly it. My throat was painfully dry every night when I was in Beijing.