Travel to China
What to Bring to China
The Society of American Travel Writers interviewed 10 professional travel writers to find out what they never leave home without.
- Good walking shoes
- A photocopy of the first page of your passport, carried separately from your passport
- Plastic zip-lock baggies
- Imodium
- Photocopies of prescriptions for medication and eyeglasses you can't do without
- A Swiss army knife
- Spare camera batteries
- Your address book
- Photocopies of your credit cards
- Wheels or shoulder straps (i.e., backpack)
- Travel Light!! When in doubt, don't take it.
*Because of your status as a student studying in China, you may need round-trip airfare to/from China. Due to the varying schedule of students' return dates, should the student change their date of return they will incur and be responsible for the late fees.
Travel from Shanghai Pudong Airport
There are two main ways to get from the Shanghai airport to Nanjing.
- Purchase a long distance bus ticket at the airport, which will take you to Gulou bus terminal in Nanjing, then take a short taxi ride to the University area.
- Take the airport shuttle to the Shanghai train station for approximately 15 kuai or the taxi for 200 kuai.
- The "D" trains (dong che) get you to Nanjing in 2 hours, while the other trains take 3.5-4 hours. Sometimes it is worth staying overnight at a hostel and hopping on the D train the next morning if tickets are sold out.
- If taking a train, be sure to get off the train at the Nanjing Train Station. From the train station you can hop on a taxi to the university or hostels (approx 15-17 kuai). Be cautious of your surroundings.
*There is usually a taxi line at the airport and train station where passengers can hop on a taxi. Please avoid hopping on taxis where the driver approaches you and offers to give you a good rate. Go straight to a taxi line and always make sure the meter is running.
**There will be individuals that offer to help you with your luggage (they usually expect a tip). Always use common sense in regards to your safety.
Travel from Nanjing Lukou Airport
If you are flying into Nanjing Lukou Airport (flying to Peking International then connecting to Nanjing Lukou), the taxi ride to Nanjing University or the hotels would be around 125-135 kuai. You can also opt to take an airport bus to Zhonghuamen metro station (25 kuai for the bus), then take a taxi to the hotels (approx. 15-20 kuai).
Passports and Visas
If you have not already, please be sure to apply for a passport as soon as possible. For more information on applying for a passport, please visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/.
As Flagship students studying abroad at Nanjing University, students will need to apply for a study X Visa. (X)Visa is issued to an alien who comes to China for study, advanced studies or intern practice. Nanjing University will be sponsoring your visa from September through January, while Qingdao will be sponsoring the internship portion from February – May. Policies for applying visas have changed slightly so please be sure to check the embassy website frequently for updates. Generally, to apply for an X visa, students will need:
- Invitation Letter (to come from Nanjing University)
- JW 202 (to come from Nanjing University). Students will need to provide some required information to Zhang laoshi before she can provide the JW202. [JW 202 Information Request]
- Visa application (please see below)
- Valid Passport
- Submit fees (subject to change)
China visa application (PDF)
Chinese Embassy Information on Visas
Frequent Flyer Notes
If you have a frequent flyer number with a US or with another carrier you can have miles credited to that account when you fly partner airlines in Asia and elsewhere. If you do not have a frequent flyer account, you can easily establish one by calling the airline, going to their websites, or asking at the airport desk. If you think that you are likely use one of the Asian airlines that we will fly (so far Thai and Singapore) in the future, you can sign up for those directly and have your miles added to them. It is best to open an account before we leave to be sure you are able to get our Asia trip credited. If you do not have an account, it is worth opening one. You may be able to get a free domestic ticket just with mileage we accrue with our travels this tour.
US Airlines with Alliances with Asian Airlines
Delta Air and partners (Northwest, China Air, Southwest China, Korean Air, Continental, Malaysian Air, and others)
Star Alliance: United and partners (US Airways, Singapore, Asiana, Thai and others)
AAdvantage: American and partners (Japan Airlines and others)
Getting Credit for Your Miles
To get your miles credited present you frequent flyer number to the check-in agent (if they are not too busy with our group check-in) or a gate agent after security. You may also be able to have your number added to your account by calling the airline with the flight numbers ahead of our departure. If for some reason, you are unable to get your miles credited. Save your boarding passes and go on-line or call the airline after your return.
Reference Materials
Related Links
Nanjing
University Website
Travel
A good source for specialized and useful travel
items is Magellan's Travel.
Check it out!
Lonely Planet Guides are an excellent source for travel and living in China. They also have a website with useful information.
US Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs This site has resources for travelers, including special links for students and those preparing to travel to China, and much more.
Free Travel Tips.com This site has large amounts of travel information and extensive links to other helpful sites (airlines, airports, luggage and packing, etc.)
Health
See Centers for
Disease Control has information on foreign travel and health, including
a section on Asia
and China