China bereisenFirst hand China travel information
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Qilou street in Haikou on Hainan as a China travel impression
China bereisen

China holiday: travel, destinations and tips from first hand experience

A holiday in China has become much easier for many travellers thanks to visa free entry. This site helps with travel in China, based on first hand experience with Hainan, Beijing, Shanghai, trains, eSIM, hotels and payments.

Planning a holiday in China

For many travellers, China is not a classic holiday destination like Thailand, Japan or Vietnam. That is exactly why practical preparation helps. First time visitors to China should understand internet access, payments, hotels, train tickets and the first route before they travel. Hainan, Beijing and Shanghai offer three very different entry points.

Plan your China trip The key steps before the first flight
InternetCheck eSIM options HotelsFind places to stay Getting aroundUnderstand trains First entryDiscover Hainan
Palm trees and beach in Sanya on Hainan
Best first step

Hainan as a softer start in China

Sea, Haikou, Sanya, Wuzhishan and a slower travel rhythm. A good start if China should not begin with maximum big city intensity.
Lama Temple in Beijing
Classic startUnderstand Beijing

Temples, city axes, history and the Great Wall.

 High speed train in China at 333 kilometres per hour
Getting aroundChina by high speed train

City to city, quiet, fast and surprisingly easy.
Qilou street in Haikou
Before departureInternet, apps and eSIM

Prepare Google, WhatsApp, YouTube, maps and translation before the trip.

Experienced instead of copied

First hand China travel information: I have personally experienced the places described here, including Hainan, Beijing, Dandong, Shanghai, Qiandao Lake, Huangshan, Xidi, Qinhuangdao, Dalian, Shenyang, the Great Wall from Beijing and the Ming Tombs. In April 2026, I also travelled across Hainan Island by taxi in stages.

This site is not a random list of famous sights. I pass on my own experience. It includes well known sights such as the Lama Temple in Beijing, but also places that are still largely unknown to tourists, such as Wuzhishan in the middle of Hainan Island.

Dawn in Beijing with a view of the skyline
Dawn in Beijing

The beginning: China suddenly became easier

For German, Swiss and Austrian travellers, China became noticeably easier from late 2023 and 2024. At first, short stays of up to 15 days were possible without a visa. Since late 2024, many eligible travellers from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other countries can enter for up to 30 days per stay without a visa, currently until 31 December 2026.

I used this new option early. In 2024 I happened to be in Almaty in Kazakhstan and continued from there into China. I expected a complicated travel destination. What surprised me positively was how well many things worked in practice. Since then, five further trips to different places in China followed.

The most important lesson for me was not the visa, but the internet: Google, WhatsApp, YouTube and other familiar services do not work in China on normal local connections the way they do at home. A suitable eSIM can be the key to keeping many of them reachable. The cheapest eSIM for mainland China that I found on my trips was on Trip.com.

Selected guides

Destinations and practical China travel guides

The key pages are built as visual cards: easy first entries, then cities, landscapes, the Great Wall, trains and practical preparation.

China eSIMChina eSIM

Prepare Google, WhatsApp, YouTube, hotels and flights before travelling.

Hotels in ChinaHotels in China

Firm mattresses, large beds, good four star hotels and Trip.com from own experience.

HainanHainan

Tropics, beach, Sanya, Haikou and Wuzhishan as a softer China entry point.

Beijing for the first timeBeijing for the first time

Forbidden City, Lama Temple, urban axes and a clear way into China.

Great Wall and Ming TombsGreat Wall and Ming Tombs

The Great Wall from Beijing, water section and Ming Tombs as a sensible day plan.

Shanghai skylineShanghai skyline

The Bund, Pudong, metro and modern urban energy.

Xi'anXi'an

City wall, Terracotta Army and historical depth.

Huangshan, Xidi, Qiandao LakeHuangshan, Xidi, Qiandao Lake

Mountains, village architecture and Qiandao Lake as a strong landscape route.

QinhuangdaoQinhuangdao

Bohai Sea, coast and Shanhaiguan away from the standard route.

Dandong, Dalian, ShenyangDandong, Dalian, Shenyang

Northeast China with river, bridge, coast and major city weight.

Three good entry points

Start softlyHainan

Sea, tropical landscape and island pace. Good when China should not begin with maximum big city intensity.

Start classicallyBeijing

Forbidden City, Lama Temple, Great Wall and Ming Tombs. Very clear when China should become tangible for the first time.

Start modernShanghai

Skyline, the Bund, metro and international urban energy. An easier entry into China’s present.

Frequently asked questions about holidays and travel in China

Short answers from first hand experience about eSIM, train tickets, hotels, passports and Trip.com.

Do Google, WhatsApp and YouTube work with an eSIM in China?

In my experience, yes. With most European eSIMs and with all China eSIMs I have bought through Trip.com so far, Western apps worked well in mainland China. For Google, WhatsApp, YouTube, maps and translation, a suitable eSIM is the easiest solution for me. More details are on the China eSIM page.

Can I book a China train ticket with a German or Swiss passport?

Yes. The important point is that name and passport number match the booking exactly. When booking through Trip.com, the passport number is stored with the ticket. At the station, the passport is practically the ticket. With a German or Swiss passport, it is usually better to use the staffed manual gate because many automatic gates are designed around Chinese ID cards. More details are on the train travel in China page.

What is my experience with Trip.com for train travel in China?

Very good. I would do it again and continue to use Trip.com for train tickets in China. The direct Chinese railway platform is cheaper, but for many foreign travellers it is much harder to use. Trip.com is the more convenient solution for me, even if a small fee is added.

Is hotel check in in China a problem with a foreign passport?

In my experience, no. Hotels in China can check in foreign guests with a passport. Sometimes staff search through the passport for a while, especially if they are looking for a visa or are not immediately familiar with visa free entry. Stay calm and offer to help them find the right page.

Are hotel mattresses in China hard?

Often yes. Many mattresses in China are firmer than in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. Sometimes there are two sides or a topper, sometimes not. This is not necessarily a defect, but often simply the local standard. My own hotel tips are on the hotels in China page.

How long does the high speed train from Beijing South to Shanghai take?

The Beijing South to Shanghai route is about 1,318 kilometres long. The fastest services take roughly four and a half hours. For that distance, this is extremely convenient: city centre to city centre, no airport transfer and often a very smooth ride at more than 300 km/h.

Which hotel in Wuzhishan on Hainan do I recommend?

My concrete tip is the JI Hotel, Wuzhishan, Hainan. During my stay it felt very new, modern, clean and practical. Wuzhishan is also a good base if you want to experience Hainan beyond the beach.