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These FAQs are designed to
help answer the "most frequently asked questions" before you register for the
tour and during the early stages of trip preparation. The
FAQs are NOT designed to answer all the questions that you may have about
the trip. CTT also provides a detailed "China Trip Survival Guide"
for the purpose of fully preparing you for your trip. The guide addresses even more
issues that you may encounter during the trip, such as water, clothing, safety,
etc. The survival guide is available once you have registered for any of
our tours. ()
1
Chinese Visas
1.1
Group
1.2
Individuals
2
Food
2.1
What kind of meals will be included in your tours?
2.2
Can you provide vegetarian meals?
2.3
Can you accommodate special dietary requests, such as allergies to nuts
or seafood?
3
Hotels
3.1
What are hotels like in China?
3.2
Are Chinese branded hotels safe and comfortable?
3.3
Can the hotel staff understand English?
3.4 Why do ratings for hotels in China vary on the Internet?
4
Money
4.1
What's the currency used in China?
4.2
What's the exchange rate between Chinese currency and US dollar?
4.3
Where can I change my money into Chinese currency?
4.4
Is tipping a common practice in China? Does your trip price include
tipping?
5
Transportation
5.1
What kind of transportation will be used during our tour?
5.2
What kind of transportation is available to me during my “free time”?
5.3
What is train travel like in China?
5.4
What are the luggage regulations when we take domestic flights in China?
6
Health and Medical Issues
6.1
What kinds of medicine do I need to bring with me to China?
6.2
Do I need any shots before I go to China?
6.3
What is the standard of hygiene in China?
7
Tour Guides
7.1
What are your tour guides like?
7.2
What’s a national guide and what’s a local guide?
8
Travel Insurance
8.1
Do I need travel insurance to go to China?
9
Payment and Refunds
9.1
What kinds of payment methods do you accept?
9.2
What is your refund policy?
10
Miscellaneous
10.1
What is the definition of the travel high season, shoulder season and low
season?
10.2
What's the weather like in China and what is the best season to visit
China?
10.3
Will we have a chance to shop for souvenirs during our tour in China?
10.4
What are good buys in China?
10.5
Do I need a special permit for Tibet?
10.6
What is the weather and climate like in Tibet?
10.7 Referral Program
1.1
Group
If you want to process your visa as part of a
CTT group, please download and carefully read the following visa application
instructions and visa application form:
Visa Application Instructions
Visa Application Form
If you are traveling as an individual, or
you cannot submit the visa application to us as part of a group, please contact
our visa agent, Perry International, and process your visa directly with them.
http://perryvisa.com/index.htm (then click “visa” on the left)
E-mail:
Perry@perryvisa.com
Phone: (312) 372-2703
All breakfasts are western style, most
of which will be buffets. Lunch and dinner consist of Chinese food. Unlike most
the other cookie cutter China tours, we carefully select some of the best local
cuisines that are unique and best represent the local food tastes.
We are happy to arrange vegetarian
dining options.
Yes. If you have any special dietary
requirements, please let us know on your registration form so that we can inform
the restaurants beforehand to meet your needs.
3
Hotels
Generally speaking, the services and
facilities offered by the 4-star and 5-star Chinese hotels we use are very
similar to those in the US. Please be aware that the same western brand in
China usually carries a higher quality standard. For example, Howard Johnson in
the US may be 3 star but in China often 5 star.
Yes, most of the Chinese branded hotels
are just as nice as the western brands. We carefully select our hotels that
both are cost-effective and provide high quality standards.
For all 5-star hotels, the receptionists
at the front desk can speak English, and most of the other staff (room service,
restaurant servants, etc) can speak some English. For most of the 3 star and 4
star hotels, especially the hotels we select, many hotel staff can understand
English and some can speak English well.
Ratings on the Internet are inherently arbitrary, as there is no system of standardization in place. A review on one website might label a certain hotel as 3-star; another website might label the same hotel as 4-star. We go by the CNTA (China National Tourism Administration) star rating system, as this is a standardized system in place throughout China.
Another factor to take into account when viewing Internet ratings is that hotels change ownership and management more frequently in China than they do in the US. Thus, a particular hotel may be in poor physical shape and poorly run and garner bad reviews, but in a matter of months new management renovates it and improves the quality of service, turning it into an excellent place to stay.
CTT’s staff in China frequently visits the hotels we use to make sure they adhere to high standards. We base our choice of hotels both on our personal inspections and on the feedback we get from guests who stay in the hotels.
Also, when you look at hotels on the Internet, please bear in mind that booking over the Internet doesn’t allow you to select rooms based on their location. We know the layouts of the hotels we use thoroughly and we book rooks with optimal locations based on their views, noise levels and privacy levels.
The official currency in mainland China
is the Renminbi (RMB). The basic unit is the yuan (also known as ‘kuai’), which
equals 10 jiao (or ‘mao’), which is then divided into 10 fen.
The rate is approximately 7.5 Yuan to 1
US dollar, but the rate is, of course, always subject to change.
You can exchange traveler's checks or
cash at most banks and most four or five star hotels in the cities. The exchange
rate in the hotels is generally the same as that in the banks. To change money,
you have to have your passport with you.
Tipping for tour guides and drivers in
recognition of their good service has become a common practice. Hotel bellboys
expect tips as well. Other than that, it is not customary to leave tips at
hotels or local restaurants.
No, the quotation we offer normally does
not include tipping unless noted otherwise.
Private deluxe coaches with
air-conditioning will be provided for your group. Tours include one group
airport pickup upon your arrival and one group airport drop-off upon your
departure, in each city.
During the “free time” of the tour,
taxis are the most convenient transportation in most cities. They are
affordable and wide available. Instructions on taking taxis can be found in our
“survival guide”.
Usually, Chinese trains carry four
classes of accommodation: soft-sleeper, soft-seat, hard-sleeper and hard-seat.
We normally book soft-sleepers which have comfortable 4-berth (2 upper &2
lower) compartments with full bedding provided. Each car has two restrooms at
both ends of it, with a separate room beside it for you to clean your hands and
face. Hot water will be provided from water boilers at both ends of compartment
free of charge. Meals and drinks can be purchased in the train's dining car
which is in the middle of the train, and staff with pushcarts may sell things
like drinks, meal boxes, fruit, etc. from one compartment to another.
1) For check-in luggage, passengers holding an adult fare or half fare ticket
are entitled to a free baggage allowance of 40kg (88 pounds) for first class,
30kg (66pounds) for business class, and 20kg (44 pounds) for economy class. If
your luggage is over the limitation, you will need to pay for the excess weight,
and some of the airports in China are quite strict with this.
Tip: If you are traveling together in group, you can use your allowance
together. For example, if you have 35kg and your friend has only 5kg, it will be
fine as long as you two check in together. This method also applies to 3, 4, 5
or even more people within one group, as long as you are checking in at the same
time at the airport counter.
2) For carry-on luggage, total weight of carry-on baggage for each passenger may
not exceed 5kg (11 pounds). First class passengers may carry up to 2 pieces.
All other passengers may carry on only one piece. The size may not exceed
20x40x55cm. Carry-on baggage in excess of the limit is subject to an excess
baggage fee and must be carried as checked baggage.
6
Health and Medical Issues
We suggest you take some common
medicines with you that you use at home, such as medicines for flu, sore throat,
cough, diarrhea, etc.
Please check the CDC website for recommendations for
vaccines and other health information for travelers to China. We also
recommend that you see a local travel doctor 4-8 weeks before you leave because
some vaccines or medications need to be started 4 or more weeks prior to
departure. You should also check the CDC website and talk to your doctor
about any other countries you might be visiting before or after the China tour
if you are extending your stay in Asia.
CDC
China website:
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationChina.aspx#vaccines
We always carefully select restaurants
and hotels that are clean and safe in order to provide you with a safe and
healthy environment.
Our guides are friendly, knowledgeable
and experienced. They are experts in communicating with people, organizing tour
logistics, and dealing with unexpected situations and difficulties. They are
all fluent in both Chinese and English.
A local guide escorts the group within a
specific city or area and provides most of the guiding on local sightseeing.
During a tour, local guides are different for each city/area. A national guide
escorts the group throughout the whole trip, and may play the role of the local
guide in one of the cities which he is based in.
We strongly recommend that you purchase
a travel insurance policy. We recommend Access America. Click on the
logo below to learn about their services:
9
Payment and Refunds
We accept personal checks, bank checks
and money orders only, unless stated otherwise.
REFUND/CHANGE/CANCELLATION POLICY: Upon
approval of itinerary, a guarantee of payment is required in order to confirm
reservations. Reservations will not be confirmed without this guarantee. Any
voluntary changes after reservations have been confirmed will incur a minimum of
a $50 change fee, plus any penalties assessed by the suppliers of your travel
arrangements. Cancellations after reservations have been confirmed will incur a
minimum 30% fee, plus any penalties assessed by the suppliers of your travel
arrangements. Upon confirmation, a minimum 30% deposit will be required and is
NON-REFUNDABLE. If reservations are confirmed within 45 days of your trip
departure, full payment is required. Once reservations are paid in full, entire
package is NON-REFUNDABLE. For reservations made within 6 weeks of travel dates,
additional late booking fees may apply.
High season refers to the part of a year
when the weather conditions and other factors are the best for traveling.
Usually there are more people traveling in the high season, so it’s always the
busiest time for the hotels, airlines, and travel agencies. Thus the price of
hotel, air tickets, etc. is comparatively higher than in other seasons.
High season, shoulder season and low season are commonly defined as:
High season: April, May, Sep, Oct
Shoulder season: June, July, Aug, Nov
Low season: Dec, Jan, Feb, March
There are slight differences of definition of this between different hotels,
airlines, and travel agencies in different regions.
Note: If you plan to travel during the high season, we suggest that you make
reservations several months prior to your departure date.
10.2
What's the weather like in China and what is the best season to visit
China?
China is a vast country with different
climates, but generally speaking, spring is from April to June, summer from June
to September, fall from September to October, while winter is from October to
March. Usually it is colder and drier in the north in winter, and hotter and
more humid in the south in summer.
May, September and October are the best months for you to travel to China when
the weather is the most pleasant all over China.
10.3
Will we have a chance to shop for souvenirs during our tour in China?
Yes, you will have the chance to shop
for souvenirs while traveling in China. You can shop in the department stores,
friendship stores or free markets. Sometimes our tour guides will take you to
factories and workshops where local specialties are produced and sold.
In China, good buys are silk, tea,
antiques, paintings and calligraphy, Chinese medicines, handicrafts such as
cloisonné, paper-cutting, replicas of terra-cotta horses and warriors, jade and
pearls.
Yes, you do need a permit to go to
Tibet, but we will arrange to get the permit for you.
The Tibetan climate is not as harsh as
many people imagine it to be. Travel to Tibet is suitable from April to the
beginning of November, and the best time is August and September. But if you
only stay in Lhasa, you can go there anytime of the year.
Sun radiation is extremely strong in Tibet. The sunlight in Lhasa is so intense
that the city is called “Sunlight City”. The thin air can neither block nor
retain heat, so temperature extremes can be met in daytime and the same night
respectively. May, June and September are the high season for tourism in Tibet.
Most annual rainfall comes in the rainy season that starts from July to
September. Usually it rains at night in Lhasa, Shigatse and Chamdo area. The
rainfall may block roads and make travel difficult but the scenery at that time
will be the best.
If you
have enjoyed our services and would like to refer us to
any groups going to China, such as MBA's in other
schools, you would qualify for a referral fee of
$20/person for the first 10 people and $10/person for
each person after that. For example, introducing a
group of 60 people would qualify for
$20*10+$10*50=$700 referral fee. We will pay out the
referral fee promptly upon the end of the group's
China trip. Please contact us for details.
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