A week in China - Where/What?

[Flashback]

I was thinking of just fronting up to the ticket window for tickets for Dad and I from Shenzhenbei to HK W Kowloon, but in the end I booked a specific train on Trip.com and copped the booking fee, which wasn't as stark a proportion as @Flashback 's ticket just upthread.

Especially when Dad opted for first class, despite it being approx double cost and for a 18 min ride.

The irony of this ride is that the border controls take far, far longer than the journey itself (which is pretty much one long tunnel ride).

Is that because the AUD booking version price is lower, for the fee? It seems to be £2-3 for the 4 fares I need to book.

 

[anat0l]

Is that because the AUD booking version price is lower, for the fee? It seems to be £2-3 for the 4 fares I need to book.

We paid in CNY. The fare is between Shenzhenbei and HK W Kowloon was about CNY 69 (CNY 120 for First Class) and the booking fee was CNY 20 per person. There was some sort of instant voucher available when I booked using the Trip.com app which gave a tiny discount.

CNY 20 is about GBP 2-3 as you state.

 

[Flashback]

We paid in CNY. The fare is between Shenzhenbei and HK W Kowloon was about CNY 69 (CNY 120 for First Class) and the booking fee was CNY 20 per person. There was some sort of instant voucher available when I booked using the Trip.com app which gave a tiny discount.

CNY 20 is about GBP 2-3 as you state.

£2, yep. In that case I shall get booking as I have specific times I want and I'm already seeing some cabins sold out.

 

[Flashback]

£2, yep. In that case I shall get booking as I have specific times I want and I'm already seeing some cabins sold out.

I was able to reduce the booking fee slightly by paying in CNY rather than GBP (base fare is still the same), so 20 became 12 CNY.

 

[Flashback]

Well, I'm at a complete loss as to how to pay for anything, other than getting out a load of cash (and then struggling with change etc.).

I've just been to Lawsons and Family Mart, neither payment worked using both a Mastercard and Visa. Each one my bank made me auth the tx via the app, which I did. Failed. I then also tried to use the physical cards, they also both failed.

Super frustrating...........

 

[moa999]

Have you downloaded Alipay and done the ID verification?

 

[Flashback]

Have you downloaded Alipay and done the ID verification?

Yes, did all that prior to arriving here.

The only successful payment I've had so far is:

1. Metro (it didn't ask me to auth that tx, it just worked)
2. Paying the personal QR code for the lady at the till

Off to ICBC now to go and get some cash out.........

 

[Flashback]

Alright, I think I have it nailed.

At places like Family Mart, Lawson etc. it times out before you are able to complete the bank auth. Using WeChat, worked for me without going to the bank for auth, so that's that one nailed.

Most food places have worked OK, although they're about to tell me it's not worked...... when finally 45 seconds later after I've finishing authing the payment, it then shows as approved.

ICBC worked well for cash out also, no fee.

 

[moa999]

Can you turn off the bank auth? I still had to use a pin for most txns but no separate bank auth. Using Latitude card previously.

 

[Flashback]

Can you turn off the bank auth? I still had to use a pin for most txns but no separate bank auth. Using Latitude card previously.

Nope, tried already and support said no.

UK / EU brought in much stricter payment auth verification methods 1-2 years ago, it's proved to be a right pain in the cough. I don't mind it, if there was a way to disable either temporarily or for certain vendors.

 

[MrGalaxy]

Essentials:
Alipay and WechatPay
Didi
Baidu maps
Translate
eSim with built in VPN

 

[jase05]

Essentials:
Alipay and WechatPay
Didi
Baidu maps
Translate
eSim with built in VPN

Agree with most of that list.
We are back in China currently and are just using my Telstra global roaming and it’s been fine for everything.
The DiDi China app is different to the normal DiDi app back home too.
Google maps and Apple Maps works pretty well for most things general but I’ve found their locations when searching for something can be out by several hundred meters.
I always take an emergency bundle of cash just in case but have used a few small notes for tips so far

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Agree with most of that list.
We are back in China currently and are just using my Telstra global roaming and it’s been fine for everything.
The DiDi China app is different to the normal DiDi app back home too.
Google maps and Apple Maps works pretty well for most things general but I’ve found their locations when searching for something can be out by several hundred meters.
I always take an emergency bundle of cash just in case but have used a few small notes for tips so far

Ride share comes in alipay anyway, as does translate.

The iPhone's camera scan to translate is good.

I bought a china e-sim through Klook, 7 days 5GB for $10. Worked perfectly with VPN.

 

[SYD]

eSim with built in VPN

With a roaming eSIM you technically don’t need a “built in VPN”, you’ll be able to access most things as normal. It’s the wifi that’s invariably locked and a VPN most likely won’t work at all.

Yes, a VPN can provide extra security over cellular data and also plonk you virtually somewhere else in the world if you want to access location specific content (eg Netflix, ABC iview etc). But that should work with your existing VPN over cellular.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

With a roaming eSIM you technically don’t need a “built in VPN”, you’ll be able to access most things as normal. It’s the wifi that’s invariably locked and a VPN most likely won’t work at all.

Yes, a VPN can provide extra security over cellular data and also plonk you virtually somewhere else in the world if you want to access location specific content (eg Netflix, ABC iview etc). But that should work with your existing VPN over cellular.

I have a VPN installed on my phone and ipad. Using the china unicom e-sim (purchased from Klook Hong Kong) I was able to access all sites, unrestricted.

When in a hotel or other place with wifi I had to switch off the wifi on occasion to access some sites which only worked via cellular.

 

[elanshin]

Agree with most of that list.
We are back in China currently and are just using my Telstra global roaming and it’s been fine for everything.
The DiDi China app is different to the normal DiDi app back home too.
Google maps and Apple Maps works pretty well for most things general but I’ve found their locations when searching for something can be out by several hundred meters.
I always take an emergency bundle of cash just in case but have used a few small notes for tips so far

A Maps is accurate. Gmaps is wildly off, Google has not been allowed into China at all. Apple works because iphones are so common they had to let apple in basically.

Never rely on any map data from Google (including hotel maps that use google). I remember one of the AFFs was sent 3km away from where their hotel really was based on the hotel's Map (which was using Gmaps) and in some random residential / commercial complex.

Also as an aside if you have a Pixel phone, when you connect to wifi in China you always have to override the phone thinking it has no connection (because it can't ping the Google servers to check).

 

[jase05]

A Maps is accurate. Gmaps is wildly off, Google has not been allowed into China at all. Apple works because iphones are so common they had to let apple in basically.

Never rely on any map data from Google (including hotel maps that use google). I remember one of the AFFs was sent 3km away from where their hotel really was based on the hotel's Map (which was using Gmaps) and in some random residential / commercial complex.

Also as an aside if you have a Pixel phone, when you connect to wifi in China you always have to override the phone thinking it has no connection (because it can't ping the Google servers to check).

Just for curiosity sake I used google maps a couple of times whilst in a taxi and it seemed to be fairly accurate for getting to/from the hotel but yeah when trying to locate things like restaurants etc it was hopeless

 

[elanshin]

Just for curiosity sake I used google maps a couple of times whilst in a taxi and it seemed to be fairly accurate for getting to/from the hotel but yeah when trying to locate things like restaurants etc it was hopeless

It's broadly correct in the sense that you're probably within a km of where you really are and roughly going in the correct direction.

Here's an example of a place I've stayed at Mercure Shanghai Yu Gardens. Where I circled is where the hotel is actually located at.

 

[SYD]

It's broadly correct in the sense that you're probably within a km of where you really are and roughly going in the correct direction.

Here's an example of a place I've stayed at Mercure Shanghai Yu Gardens. Where I circled is where the hotel is actually located at.
View attachment 478533

Had this exact problem in Beijing. Just walking back to the hotel overshot several blocks but at least discovered some new streets….

 

[kpc]

A Maps is accurate. Gmaps is wildly off, Google has not been allowed into China at all. Apple works because iphones are so common they had to let apple in basically.

Never rely on any map data from Google (including hotel maps that use google). I remember one of the AFFs was sent 3km away from where their hotel really was based on the hotel's Map (which was using Gmaps) and in some random residential / commercial complex.

Also as an aside if you have a Pixel phone, when you connect to wifi in China you always have to override the phone thinking it has no connection (because it can't ping the Google servers to check).

Yup...was standing ouside Hilton Xi'An and google maps said the hotel was 500m away! A Map all the way in China!