RoamChina
The Shanghai skyline at sunset seen across the river
For first-time visitors

RoamChina

Travel China with confidence.

Five short guides, covering the things that actually catch people out — entry rules, paying with your phone, staying online, trains, and daily life.

Start with visa & entry

Currency

Renminbi (¥ CNY)

Cards rarely accepted

Typical day

¥500–900

Per person, comfortable

Tipping

Not expected

Anywhere, ever

Emergency

110 · 120

Police · ambulance

The five things to sort out

Do these before you board. Almost every problem visitors run into is one of them left unsolved.

A Chinese passport lying on a table01

Visa & entry

Visa-free entry, 240-hour transit, and the documents to have at the border.

4 min read

One hundred yuan banknotes spread out02

Money & payments

Link your Visa or Mastercard to Alipay and WeChat Pay before you fly. Plus real prices.

4 min read

A traveller holding a phone in a lit-up city street at night03

Internet & apps

Which apps stop working, why an eSIM solves it, and what to install at home.

5 min read

A high-speed train waiting at a station platform in China04

Getting around

High-speed rail on your passport, metro by QR code, taxis without speaking Chinese.

4 min read

A busy night market street lined with food stalls and lanterns05

Culture, food & safety

Ordering food, everyday etiquette, three common scams, and emergency numbers.

5 min read

Visitors walking along the Great Wall of China

Your 48-hour pre-flight checklist

  1. 1Confirm your entry route for your passport, and print your onward ticket.
  2. 2Install Alipay and WeChat, link your card, and finish identity verification.
  3. 3Buy a travel eSIM with a China plan and test that it installs.
  4. 4Download maps, DiDi, a translator, and an offline Chinese language pack.
  5. 5Save your hotel name and address in Chinese characters.
  6. 6Withdraw or order a few hundred yuan in small notes as backup.