Simon Foster - CHINA's Three Gorges & Xi'an

China Excursions(www.chinaexcursions.com) – brief histories and descriptions of destinations around the country.

China Travel News(www.chinatravelnews.com) – the latest on everything to do with travel in China.

Travel China(www.travelchinaguide.com) – information on travel and a host of Chinese destinations.

Travel Advisories

The following governmental websites offer the latest information on the potential hazards of travel to countries around the world, including China.

Australian Department of Foreign Affairs(www.dfat.gov.au)

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office(www.fco.gov.uk)

Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs(www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca)

Irish Department of Foreign Affairs(www.irlgov.ie/iveagh)

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs(www.safetravel.govt.nz)

US State Department(www.travel.state.gov)

Maps

Having a good map of the country always helps in envisioning your trip and the type of landscapes it will encompass. A good map of the whole of China is GeoCenter World Map but, other than providing an interesting overview, maps that cover such a large area are of little use, although some include city plans for major cities. Throughout this guide there are maps to help point you in the right direction (see the map list in the table of contents for details). However, for more detail, it's worth buying a local city map once in China. Up-to-date city maps are available from vendors who operate outside train and bus stations; these usually cost around $5 and may include some English. Another place to find city maps (usually for free) is in upscale hotels – if you're staying, there will probably be one in your room; otherwise just ask at reception.

Customs & Immigration

However you arrive, you'll have to go through immigration and customs, which can be a lengthy process and you'll need to fill in an arrival card and a quarantine form. Note that if you have any particularly valuable items (or over US$5000 cash) you are supposed to declare them upon entry. You're not allowed to bring more than $6000 in Chinese money, 400 cigarettes or two liters of alcohol. Firearms, recreational drugs and animals are all prohibited items and, theoretically, you can't bring in media material critical of China, though this is seldom enforced. Note that if you buy any antiques over 100 years old during your trip, you must obtain an export form (available from Friendship Stores) before departing. It is illegal to take anything home that dates from before Qianlong's death in 1795.

There are also restrictions on what (and how much) you're allowed to bring back to your home country, which generally allow at least for a bottle of spirits, 200 or more cigarettes, some cologne or perfume and up to a certain value of souvenirs – check the following websites for the latest:

US– www.cbp.gov

Canada– www.ccra.gc.ca

UK– www.hmce.gov.uk

Australia– www.customs.gov.au

New Zealand– www.customs.govt.nz

Getting Here & Away

China is accessible through the major international transport hubs of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Airplane is the usual mode of entry, but arrival by boat or overland is also possible.

By Air

Beijing, Hong Kongand Shanghaiare China's best-served international airports, receiving direct worldwide flights. But Guangzhouis seeing increasing international traffic and can offer some of the cheapest flights. While many of China's other city airports can take international traffic, they are predominantly served by flights from within the country and Asia. In recent years a number of budget Asian carrierslike Air Asia(www.airasia.com) and Tiger Airways(www.tigerairways.com) have emerged, flying to airports such as Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, which have substantially reduced prices from destinations such as Bangkok and Singapore.

Peak travel times (and therefore the highest flight prices) include the run up to Chinese New Year, midsummer and, in Hong Kong, the few weeks before Christmas. There are airlines listed under the relevant regions below, but if you want to look for the cheapest details the following online booking agents are worth checking out:

www.bootsnall.com (US)

www.cheaptickets.com (Worldwide)

www.ebookers.com (UK & Europe)

www.expedia.com (Worldwide)

www.flightcentre.com (Worldwide)

www.flychina.com (Worldwide)

www.gonomad.com (Worldwide)

www.hotwire.com (US)

www.lastminute.com (UK)

The following airlines fly from the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand to China and Hong Kong:

Air China (www.airchina.com)

Cathay Pacific (www.cathaypacific.com)

China Airlines (www.china-airlines.com)

EVA Air (www.evaair.com)

From the USA & Canada

Direct flights from the West Coast to China take about 13 hours and will cost between US$700 and US$1,500 round-trip, depending on the season and routing. From the East Coast, you'll need to add a few hours and a couple of hundred dollars.

The airlines listed below all operate direct flights from the US and Canada.

Air Canada (www.aircanada.com)

American Airlines (www.americanair.com)

China Southern Airlines (www.cs-air.com/en)

JAL (Japan Airlines, www.jal.co.jp/en)

Korean Air (www.koreanair.com)

Northwest Airlines (www.nwa.com)

United Airlines (www.ual.com)

From the UK & Europe

Many of Europe's capital cities are linked by direct flights to China, which take between 10 and 12 hours and cost £350/i518 to £1,000/i1,480 round-trip, although a new Hong Kong-based long-haul budget carrier, Oasis Air (see below) has slashed these prices to as little as £160 for a single fare (or £470 for business class) from London. Airlines that fly from Europe to China include:

Aeroflot (www.aeroflot.ru/en)

Air France (www.airfrance.com)

British Airways (www.ba.com)

Gulf Air (www.gulfairco.com)

KLM (www.klm.com)

Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com)

Oasis Air (www.oasishongkong.com)

Virgin Atlantic (www.fly.virgin.com)

From Australia & New Zealand

Direct flights from Australia take between nine and 12 hours to reach China and should cost around AUS$1,500 to $2,000. New Zealand is less well-served but there are still direct flights, although you may want to travel to Australia and then on from there.

Air New Zealand (www.airnz.com)

Jetstar (www.jetstar.com)

Qantas (www.qantas.com)

Overland

The most popular overland routes into China are from the north through Mongolia, from the south through Vietnamand Laos, and from the west through Nepal into Tibet, but it's also possible to get into Xinjiang from Pakistan and the Central Asian Republics along the old Silk Route. Note that for most of these countries you'll need to obtain a visa in advance.

You can book train tickets for the Trans-Mongolianand Trans-Siberian Expressesin Beijing but to be sure of a berth it's worth booking in advance. Monkey Business(www.monkeyshrine.com) and Sundowners(www.sundownerstravel.com) can both arrange train tickets and connections online and can also help you obtain a Mongolian or Russian visa.

Heading to or from Laos or Vietnam there are several border crossings through Guangxi and Yunnan provinces that are open to foreigners. There are trains to Hanoi from Beijing, Guilin and Nanning or you can take a bus to Jinghong and then on to Mengla to cross into Laos.