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Practical help with airport transfers, controlled-entry museums, mobile payments, metro tickets, passports, hotels and staying online. Each article answers one planning question, explains what to do when the plan fails and links the sources used for changing details.
Choose a practical Shanghai airport transfer by comparing the airport, terminal, final address, luggage and arrival time before you travel.
The decisionConfirm whether your flight uses Pudong (PVG) or Hongqiao (SHA), then check the terminal.
Read the checklistBook the Palace Museum with a foreign passport, check the entry rules and prepare a sensible fallback when the date is closed or sold out.
The decisionNo same-day tickets are sold; book in advance through the official website or mini-program.
Read the checklistBook the Terracotta Army with your passport, confirm the order and choose a realistic route from central Xi'an to the museum's North Gate.
The decisionBook through the museum's official website or named official WeChat accounts.
Read the checklistPayment, metro and other nationwide starting points, kept together so you can check the shared pattern before confirming local rules as cities are added.
Register Alipay or WeChat Pay with your passport and a major international card, and understand how acceptance, limits and fees can vary.
Read the guideNationwide · 5 min read · checked 12 Nov 2026Metro tickets and QR ride codesUse common metro basics in major Chinese cities, choose between a QR ride code and a single-journey ticket, and keep a cash fallback.
Read the guideNationwide · 8 min read · checked 13 Nov 2026Shared bikes: when and how to use themDecide when a shared bike helps in China, check phone and payment access, and recover safely when a lock, parking zone or ride end fails.
Read the guideNationwide · 6 min read · checked 10 Nov 2026Train tickets with a passportBook China's high-speed trains with a foreign passport on the official 12306 service, ride with the same document and handle changes and refunds safely.
Read the guideNationwide · 6 min read · checked 10 Nov 2026Entry rules for your passportVisas, visa-free visits and visa-free transit are different schemes. Check the one that matches your passport and full itinerary before booking flights.
Read the guideNationwide · 6 min read · checked 11 Nov 2026Hotel refusals and check-inSome Chinese properties cannot host foreign guests. Confirm before you pay, know what check-in needs and keep a plan B ready.
Read the guideNationwide · 6 min read · checked 10 Nov 2026Booking attractions with a passportCheck passport fields, phone verification and Chinese-only booking systems before reserving popular Chinese attractions.
Read the guideNationwide · 5 min read · checked 10 Nov 2026Getting by without ChineseYou do not need Chinese to travel in China — you need a prepared phone, saved Chinese addresses and a routine for asking staff for one step at a time.
Read the guideNationwide · 5 min read · checked 12 Nov 2026Staying online with a SIM or eSIMDecide how you will get online on arrival day, install and test the local apps at home and know what to do if your usual services are unavailable.
Read the guideThese articles solve the moment where most plans break. The Standard guide adds the fixed three-day route, alternatives for slower walkers and poor weather, useful language, source notes and a personal PDF after confirmed payment and delivery.