How to Get Around China

High-speed rail is the answer to most journeys. The network is longer than every other country’s combined, trains run at up to 350 km/h, and Beijing to Shanghai takes about four and a half hours. Book through the official Railway 12306 app or a reputable agent; you will need your passport, which is scanned at the gate.

Flights cover the long west-east distances that rail does not. Delays are common.

In cities. Metro systems in every major city are modern, cheap, signed in English and extensive — Shanghai and Beijing have among the largest in the world. Didi is the ride-hailing app.

Payment and apps. China runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay, both of which now accept foreign cards for visitors. Set them up before arrival; taxis, metros, shops and even street vendors expect a QR code, and cash is increasingly awkward.

Visas. Requirements change; a growing number of nationalities now have visa-free entry for short stays, and transit exemptions exist in many cities. Check current rules close to travel.

Entry, while the window is open

Until 31 December 2026 you can enter China visa free for stays of up to 30 days, for tourism, business, visiting family or friends, or transit. Anything else — paid work, a long-term assignment, journalism, study, or any stay over 30 days — needs a visa applied for before travel, and arriving without the right one means refusal of entry. Your passport needs six months' validity beyond arrival and two blank pages. Emergency Travel Documents do not qualify for visa-free entry. If you do need a visa and you are between 14 and 70, you apply online then attend a centre in person for fingerprinting. Hong Kong and Macao are separate: different rules, different advice.

Once in, registration is mandatory. A hotel does it at check-in; if you stay in a private home you must register yourself, and failing to can bring fines or detention. Carry the proof.

You cannot drive, so plan around trains

Foreign and international driving licences are not recognised in China. Getting a Chinese licence requires a foreigner residence permit, so a tourist simply does not drive. The reason to take that seriously rather than risk it: a foreign driver suspected of causing an accident can be detained until the case closes, which can take years, and the blood alcohol limit is 0.02 per cent with on-the-spot licence confiscation.

What you use instead is the rail network, which is extensive and includes high-speed lines — but you must present a passport both to buy a ticket and to board, so the passport travels with you rather than staying in the safe. Taxis and ride-hailing are widely available in major cities, and some apps let foreign visitors book with an international card and a foreign mobile number, though this varies by city. Most drivers speak neither English nor French, so have your destination and your hotel's name and address written in Chinese characters before you go. Taxi, motorcycle and pedicab drivers sometimes overcharge, especially at airports, and may hand back counterfeit notes.

Money

The currency is the renminbi, its basic unit the yuan. It is illegal to use foreign currency for everyday transactions, and exchange should be done only at officially approved facilities. Paying by phone is how the country actually works: the major Chinese mobile-payment platforms now let foreign travellers link an international credit card and pay by scanning QR codes in shops, restaurants, taxis and on public transport. Leaving with more than about US$5,000 or the equivalent may need a permit from a local bank.

The legal exposure, which belongs in a travel plan

Chinese authorities may place an exit ban on individuals connected to any open civil or criminal investigation, including a business dispute involving a family member or an employer — and you may only discover it at immigration on the way out, with little prospect of getting information about it. Detention for up to 37 days without charge is possible, up to six months before formal arrest in national-security cases, and detention before charge is common and can be lengthy. Dual nationality is not recognised: enter on a Chinese passport or identity card and your other government will usually not be permitted to give you consular help. Expect no internet privacy, assume communications may be monitored and devices reviewed, and note that facial recognition and video surveillance are widely used in policing. Photographing military installations or government buildings is prohibited and can mean detention; drones are strictly regulated by the Civil Aviation Administration; and drug penalties run to the death penalty, apply from age 14, and are described by the Canadian advisory as capable of being assigned arbitrarily.