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City rules differ, but many travel basics follow a shared pattern: how you pay, how you ride the metro and how station systems usually work. These articles explain the common starting point once, then point you back to local app screens, station signs and operator rules.
Register Alipay or WeChat Pay with your passport and a major international card, and understand how acceptance, limits and fees can vary.
The decisionRegister Alipay or WeChat with any phone number that can receive SMS; an international number is accepted.
Read the guideUse common metro basics in major Chinese cities, choose between a QR ride code and a single-journey ticket, and keep a cash fallback.
The decisionQR ride codes live in each city's metro app or in Alipay and WeChat ride-code services, and need a linked payment method.
Read the guideDecide when a shared bike helps in China, check phone and payment access, and recover safely when a lock, parking zone or ride end fails.
The decisionAs a planning range, shared bikes work best for a short 1-3 km connection without luggage, children or time pressure.
Read the guideBook 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.
The decisionRailway tickets are real-name documents: carry the original passport used for the booking, not a copy or photograph.
Read the guideVisas, visa-free visits and visa-free transit are different schemes. Check the one that matches your passport and full itinerary before booking flights.
The decisionVisa-free transit and visa-free entry are different policies; the transit rules do not decide eligibility for a visit.
Read the guideSome Chinese properties cannot host foreign guests. Confirm before you pay, know what check-in needs and keep a plan B ready.
The decisionA paid booking is not a guarantee: some properties cannot register foreign guests and may refuse them at check-in.
Read the guideCheck passport fields, phone verification and Chinese-only booking systems before reserving popular Chinese attractions.
The decisionReservation-controlled venues sell no same-day tickets; book the moment your date is confirmed, not when you arrive.
Read the guideYou 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.
The decisionSave every place you need to reach as a Chinese address or map pin before leaving your accommodation.
Read the guideDecide 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.
The decisionCheck with your home carrier whether China data roaming is available and what it costs before you travel.
Read the guideThe essentials above are a nationwide starting point. City tips cover the decisions that change more sharply: airports, controlled-entry museums and out-of-town sites.