Which is cheapest way to visit China (for not so long time)

[ZhangXinQiang]

I want to visit China for not very long time, maybe 1 week or a bit more.

I plan to see Dalian or Harbin. In both cities I have some friends, so they might help me out a little. And I also want to see those cities. Especially Harbin, if I will go in winter.

I am living in USA.

How much do you think it would cost me to visit China for such time?

And what would be the cheapest way to do it?

[whereishunter]

Go to Herbin in January as it is very very cold but you will be able to see the ice and snow festivals.

I have been living in Dalian for the past year and there is not much to see. As its a new city in China, about 100 years old. You want to head to Beijing, Xian or some place with more history.

[Lu]

Harbin is FREEZING in winter, but the ice sculptures are beautiful. If you have friends there, too, it's an ok place to stay for a week (if you stay in China longer, it's a good idea to go and see more places, like the mentioned Beijing and Xi'an). But make sure you bring all the winter clothes you have.

The cheapest option for staying there is with your friend, if that's not possible ask the friend to find a cheap hotel for you.

I haven't been in China for a few years, but when I was travelling there I budgeted about Y100 per day (staying in zhaodaisuo (=very cheap hotel), not counting transport). China is a rather cheap country.

Unless you live in eastern Russia, you'll have to fly there. There'll probably be no direct flights, you'll probably have to change planes in Beijing. You can also fly to Beijing and take a train north, but since you only have a week that might not be a good idea. When you buy a ticket, compare prices of different travel agencies and airlines, to find the best deal.

[ZhangXinQiang]

I live in USA, southern USA.

How much do you think tickets would cost me? (on average) (round trip, planning to come back to USA later hehe )

Edited November 28, 2008 at 02:35 PM by ZhangXinQiang

[renzhe]

You can check flight prices on the internet, that will be much better and more accurate.

I'd assume that your biggest expense by far will be the plane ticket, which will likely cost between $300 and $30000, depending on when you fly, which airline, what time, how early you book, whether you get any discounts, etc. Your best bet is to go to a travel agency and ask.

EDIT: As a starter, you could look here. Houston-Beijing-Houston can be had for $600. With some luck, you might be able to get a better deal, but don't expect anything radically below $500.

[trevelyan]

I have no connection with the company, but have had decent experiences with flychina.com

[maximinus]

From a resident of Harbin:

Taxi ride, 10-20 RMB 90% of the time

Cheap meal (noodles) 8 RMB (all per person)

Nice meal, 40 RMB

Blow-out meal, 100+ RMB (you *can* spend more if you like, though)

For food and transport, I can't imagine you'd need more than 200 RMB a day. Don't know what the hotel rates are.

As for the cold; well sometimes Harbin can be too warm! Here I am in my apartment, and it's -12C outside but 29C inside due to the out-of-my control central heating.

Also daytime temperature is not so bad, but it gets really cold as soon as the sun starts to set - which can be around 3:30 in the afternoon around these parts.