Important to know before you go to China! [2026]

Planning a trip to China is a whole adventure. There are a few practical things worth knowing before you arrive. From internet access and mobile payments to trains, useful apps and everyday tips, being prepared can save you a lot of time and frustration. These are the things one needs to know before going on a trip. Hopefully they’ll help make yours a little smoother!

Internet

As it’s well-known, the internet in China is farewalled. Thus, if you want to keep access to the apps you probably use regularly (whatsapp, google, instagram, etc), you have two options:

• Purchase a VPN connection. You need to do that before you head to China. They are cancelled regularly, so check which one is recommended at the time when you’re going.
• Buy an eSIM from an international provider. There’s multiple companies that offer this service. We tried Holafly, NomadVPN and Maya.net. All of them worked ok, none was great, as the internet was often slow and spotty. That seems to be an issue with the Chinese network and not necessarily with the eSIM, as friends who live in China told me that was the case for them too. Check what’s more convenient for you in terms of prices and conditions.

Payments

Having money when traveling is one of the most important things you need. The money situation in China is a bit different than what we’re used to in Europe. Essentially, China is cashless. Everything you pay, you can pay through an app. Fortunately, you can connect your Visa/Mastercard to this app without any issues, and the charges you do with your app will go directly into that card. Pretty simple. Be aware that credit cards are very often NOT accepted, with the exception of perhaps some international hotels and brands.

There’s two apps that you can use. One is AliPay and the other is WeChat. Both are integrated into the Chinese App ecosystem, so they offer additional functionalities too. Usually, you can pay by scanning a QR code and then confirming the value that you need to pay. Some stores will ask to scan your QR code. It’s the same process, you just need to select the Scan or Transfer options in the app. The store clerks will help you if you get confused.

Are drones allowed in China?

In principle yes, but practically speaking no. Regulations change really fast, so check before going. In my case, I read that from 1st May 2026, drones could not be used or sold in Beijing. That implied that one also cannot bring them in and they will be taken away at the border for the length of your stay. That basically means that you as a foreigner most likely will not be able to get it into the country. I found that to be quite disappointing, especially for the home country of DJI.

High-speed trains in China

The train stations are quite similar to those in Japan and other Asian countries. You can find your train on the large screens, which will guide you to the gates. Be aware if the car numbers, as you need to enter through the correct gate.

Your passport is your ticket, and you’ll have to show it twice: once to get into the station, where security will also check your luggage, and again when entering your gate. I was lucky and there was barely any queue in all the trains I took, but arrive at least 30 min and even better, 60 min before the departure to make sure you can get in, especially if there’s a public holiday.

If the train is not already on the platform, you ca search your car number on the platform floor. Since there’s several train types, the car numbers will vary. To choose the correct train, take a look to the color on the floor and see the color shown on the panel – it should match.

Can you travel without speaking Chinese?

Sign language and microphone-based translating apps will do marvels. Now, if you can manage some Chinese that always elevates the experience, as you’ll have more freedom to visit places that otherwise will not be too interesting. Also, only touristic restaurants have pictures or translations in the menus. I went to one where we were given a long text with Chinese characters. It was a struggle to order, but the food was excellent.

Important to know – carry your passport around, always!

My friend told me this was not a thing before COVID, but currently to enter in any touristic attraction and train station you need to show your passport. Multiple times. It can get a bit annoying, but they do link your tickets to the pass, so you can enter with the passport instead of the ticket.

Is it safe?

Of course things can happen everywhere, but generally speaking it’s very safe. There’s a CCTV every few meters, especially in touristic areas, and including nature places. So very safe albeit a bit observed. You’ll even see that the delivery people sometimes leave the packages in the street and no one but the owners take them. I wish that was the case for big European capitals too…

Cool perks you may get

In many touristic attractions people above 60 and kids below 12 have either discounts or can enter for free, and this includes even tourists. Ask the clerks about it and you or your companions may have a reduced price!

Public toilets

This is something I loved and hated at the same time. There’s pubic toilets everywhere and they are free. It’s amazing. Now, they are usually Chinese style toilets (squat toilets), which makes sense, but for a westerner you may need some time to get used to it. The bad part of the toilet experience is the toilet paper. In many places you need to grab it before you enter into the cabin, from a shared spot, but very often there was no toilet paper at all. Soap to wash your hands was also in limited supply. So it’s great that there are places to relieve yourself, but carry everything you need to be hygienic. To be honest, it’s similar in other places of Asia, like Malaysia.

Restaurant etiquette

Restaurants are not that different from what we’re used to in Europe, but a couple of points might be worth mentioning. Dishes are usually to be shared, so if traveling in a group you’ll have the advantage of tasting different specialities. A bit more complex when you’re traveilng by yourlsef, but consider ordering 2-3 things and then asking for a take-away box. They usually have them.

Fancier placer require you to buy the rice separately, but smaller restaurants just include it as an essential. A bit like bread in many European countries. Tea is also often included for free.

Power outlets

When I googled which are the power outlets in China, I found that types A, C, and I should work, at 220V (same as in Europe, higher than US). For orientation, type C is what we have in most (all?) of Europe, with the round sticks. Confidently, I didn’t took any connector, because I already have type C. Once I arrived however, I realised that, while there is the socket, type C tends to not work. Don’t ask me why, but I had lots of troubles trying to get electricity in many hotels from type C. I’d recommend having at least one type A adaptor in case type C doesn’t work. One of the hotels also didn’t have a type C, so that day was fun.

Which apps should I install? (BEFORE going)

In order of importance, I would say you need:

1. AliPay – you need to pay somehow, cash is not widely used, but everyone has AliPay. Install it now. AliPay also gives you access to other apps, so you might be able to survive with only that.
2. WeChat – you may not know anyone in China, but once you’re there, people from the hotels and businesses may want to interact with you, and the easiest way is through WeChat. It allows to you to translate the texts in the app, which is quite convenient. WeChat can also be used to pay.
3. DiDi – good to have a taxi app, even if you plan on taking public transport. No one likes getting stranded, right?
4. AMap or Baidu Maps – GoogleMaps has no use in China. Apple maps was better, but quite slow, at least for me. Amap worked perfectly fine, although it took me some time to get used to the interface.
5. An app to translate – LensAI, GoogleTranslate, etc., but rarely you’ll find someone who speaks English, and the best you can do is to be prepared. I did not find any app I loved, so I’m happy to hear about suggestions.

Need some inspiration?

Check out this post to get inspiration for your China itinerary. From China, you can also easily visit other Asian countries, such as Taiwan, Malaysia or Singapore.