Visiting China outside of Beijing, Shanghai and Xian

[MEL_Traveller]

Another consideration is the 6 day visa-free option. If we head anywhere outside of Beijing (including the Wall, presumably) we will need to get visas (around $263 for 2). Not a huge outlay but it all adds up.

Have those who have used the visa-free option got any thoughts? I am wondering if the process at the airport is complex or time-consuming making getting a visa more attractive than not?

JV

Beijing is not eligible for 144 hour TWOV - only 72 hour. So if you want 5 days you'll need a visa.

As an aside... the 72 and 144 hour visas technically restrict you to the municipal limits, and this is enforced through hotels which cannot check you in without the relevant visa or TWOV stamp. In practical terms this means you can venture outside the city limits, just you need to be back each night for your accommodation.

In terms of processing, TWOV requires no input from the passenger and takes 1-2 minutes to process by the immigration officer on arrival. There is no comparison with the time, cost and effort of getting a full visa. (ie, the only time you would bother to get a full visa is if you don't qualify for TWOV)

 

[Jacques Vert]

You do need to be on transit to a third country though to qualify. For example, Australia-PEK-Australia won't qualify, while Aus-PEK-somewhere else will.

No problem there; we fly in from NRT and fly out to LHR

 

[Jacques Vert]

You could still easily do the Great Wall if you did use the TWOV option. You're restricted to the official boundaries of the municipality of Beijing, which is actually quite large and includes the hills and mountains to the north of the city where the wall is located. The popular Badaling section of the wall for example is well inside the Beijing city limits, as are the Ming Tombs. Tianjin would not be accessible under this visa, however.

Thank you very much for that advice; this is undoubtedly the best place to ask all these slightly obscure questions.

JV

 

[Jacques Vert]

Beijing is not eligible for 144 hour TWOV - only 72 hour. So if you want 5 days you'll need a visa.

As an aside... the 72 and 144 hour visas technically restrict you to the municipal limits, and this is enforced through hotels which cannot check you in without the relevant visa or TWOV stamp. In practical terms this means you can venture outside the city limits, just you need to be back each night for your accommodation.

In terms of processing, TWOV requires no input from the passenger and takes 1-2 minutes to process by the immigration officer on arrival. There is no comparison with the time, cost and effort of getting a full visa. (ie, the only time you would bother to get a full visa is if you don't qualify for TWOV)

OK; so a VISA it is. Interesting how quickly one goes from not having enough time to having too much.

Thanks for posting; this could have been embarrassing

JV

 

[MEL_Traveller]

OK; so a VISA it is. Interesting how quickly one goes from not having enough time to having too much.

Thanks for posting; this could have been embarrassing

JV

If you were able to make your itinerary 4 (ish) days and 3 nights you would be able to use TWOV at PEK. The time commences at 00:01 the day after you arrive.

 

[Jacques Vert]

If you were able to make your itinerary 4 (ish) days and 3 nights you would be able to use TWOV at PEK. The time commences at 00:01 the day after you arrive.

Yes of course; or maybe we could push the dates to have more time in and around Beijing.

Too many options: so much to see, so little time

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes of course; or maybe we could push the dates to have more time in and around Beijing.

Too many options: so much to see, so little time

The cost of a visa for one extra day probably isn't worth it. If you are going to stay longer than 5 days, then I'd be looking at another city, such as Shanghai.

 

[moa999]

But you can't get the TWOV travelling to other Chinese cities

 

[MEL_Traveller]

But you can't get the TWOV travelling to other Chinese cities

24 hour TWOV... unlimited cities you can transit/visit
72 hour TWOV... generally limited to the municipality you land in (CAN has a wider reach)
144 hour TWOV... good for the three provinces covered under the agreement.

As the OP was possibly going to get a visa anyway, and perhaps stay longer, it would then be open to go to shanghai (or another city) in additional to beijing.

 

[Jacques Vert]

As the OP was possibly going to get a visa anyway, and perhaps stay longer, it would then be open to go to shanghai (or another city) in additional to beijing.

The only challenge being that we are booked to fly both in and out of PEK and as we have already taken the first couple of flights on this ticket, we can not change the routing but can change the date (as I understand it), assuming award seats are available.

That doesn't preclude us doing what you suggest, and I do appreciate you taking the time to make the suggestion. But as it would mean that we would have to return to PEK to fly out, we will most likely leave Shanghai for the next trip but could consider "another city" as you suggest, just somewhere a little closer.

Thanks again for your comments.

JV

 

[Jacques Vert]

Last time I just took the subway or as far as I could then jumped in a cab. Paid him about$50 for 5hrs (with a good tip on top ,- waiting time is literally nothing). Just used hotel card and a couple of words the hotel had written down for me

Hi moa999,

Can you advise which station you took the subway to and which part of the wall you went to from there?

 

[Jacques Vert]

My +1 and have visited Beijing 5 times, three of which were leading groups of Year 12s from Perth. We had about 7 days each time and saw all the main attractions:
· Great Wall at Badeling, Mutianyu, JuYong Pass or Simitai. My +1 recommends JuYong Pass for ease of access and smaller crowds.

When your +1 recommends JuYong Pass for ease of access, what is their recommendation for transport? Bus, Taxi, Subway, etc.?

 

[Jacques Vert]

Thanks for the tips and advice, especially Cruiser Elite, moa999, seanpodge, Isochronous, sinophile888 & MEL_Traveller.

We successfully completed our four days and five nights in Beijing and were able to see the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs (one of them), Tian'anmen Square, Chairmen Mao, the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, the Railway Museum, Hutong Alleys, Hou Hai Lakes area, and squeezed in a day's shopping and a mattress run.