is this too much?

Replies: 9 - Last Post: 22-Jun-2007 05:35 Last Post By: ellyse

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piglet44

19-Jun-2007 22:30
Posts: 20

is this too much?

Going to China in September ,around 3 weeks (not sure yet..)
Tell me if this is too ambitious- Beijing 4 days, train to Pingyao (2 days) .Train to Xian (2 days) .Plane to Guilin (2 days) Bus to Yangshuo ( stay 4 days to see Li River )
Plane to Shanghai (3 days) Day trips to Suzhou and Hangzhou.Flight to Beijing.
Is this possible or should we change something? We don't know any Chinese. But we have done a lot of traveling.
Thanks all!

purpletreefrog

19-Jun-2007 23:37
Posts: 2,503

Don't stay in Guilin. Get the bus from the airport straight to Yangshuo.

I think it is doable although I wouldn't bother with a day trip to Hangzhou (nothing against Hangzhou, just a long way to go for a day trip).

Also do you have any time planned for Beijing on your return? If you want to shop (and most people who come to china do, even if they initially say they don't want to) I would keep time in Beijng at the end and do all of your shopping then to save carting stuff.

I would take the train from Shanghai to Beijing, not the flight (unless you are connecting with another flight in Beijing).

Veronica explains life "working is not good for your complexion and fertility. woman should stay home and bake."

Kennex

20-Jun-2007 00:44
Posts: 28

Hi,

Hangzhou & Suzhou are quite similar, I think Hangzhou is much worth to visit, if you go there by train from Shanghai, it takes around 2 hours for 1 way. I did once few years ago, I think the six hours day trip is enough to have brief understanding about the city.

& for Xian, if you love hiking, you should spend at least 1 more day to "Hua Shan", the scene is amazing, stay there for 1 night, and go to see the sunrise, you will not regret to spend a day over there.

Same idea as 'purpletreefrog', skip Guilin & head to Yangshuo directly, if you have extra day, try to plan to ping'an, the rice terrace also valuable to stay for a night.

ellyse

20-Jun-2007 00:56
Posts: 8,932

#1, Hangzhou is 1h20min from Shanghai on the fastest D trains. Not a long way to go for a daytrip! Though if OP only has 3 days, and wants to see Suzhou, Shanghai AND Hangzhou, that's too rushed!

Here's my suggestion: Beijing (3 days) -- bus -- Datong (1.5 days) -- bus (via Taiyuan) -- Pingyao (1.5 days) -- overnight train -- Xi'an (2 days) -- flight (via Guilin) -- Yangshuo (4 days) -- flight (via Guilin) -- Hangzhou (2 days) -- bus (via Jiashan) -- Xitang (1 day including overnight) -- bus (via Jiashan) -- Shanghai (2 days) -- train -- Suzhou (1 day) -- overnight Z train -- Beijing (3 days)

Cheers!

bjork0425

20-Jun-2007 08:33
Posts: 2

Hello,

just a remind, you should take the D trains to Hangzhou at Shanghai south railway station...
I think the most beatiful and special scenery in is in West China, like Sichuan(Jiu zhai gouDao chengYading...)Yun nanTibet... It is a real China, poor but beatiful...
It's worth to live overnight in Xitang, enjoy the quiet...
"skip Guilin & head to Yangshuo directly" is totally right

Dexplorer

21-Jun-2007 23:36
Posts: 162

Agree with #4,
its worthwhile to spend a night at Xitang. You can probably go to Hangzhou in the morning by train and then get into Xitang by late afternoon and then spend the night there and get back to Shanghai in the morning.

I was there just last weekend, and spent a night at Hangzhou as well. Its a beautiful place no doubt but its the kind of place where I would like to spend a lazy weekend. There lakes beautiful and the city is nice. Kinda made me want to just laze around ... not really "cover" the location with a quick trip (although thats precisely what i did..... .talk about hypocrisy)

piglet44

22-Jun-2007 00:48
Posts: 20

thanks .Can I get tickets to all these places the day before travel or am I going to need longterm reservations?

woolf135

22-Jun-2007 01:14
Posts: 1,610

They've shaved another 8 - 10 minutes off the trains to Hangzhou from shanghai (D trains). I still think it's worth at least 1.5 days though, one day for the west lake and one day for the rest of the city.

Dexplorer

22-Jun-2007 05:24
Posts: 162

For the buses, you can get tickets at the bus station itself at the time of travel. For Xitang you need to take a bus to Jiashan from the Shanghai South railway station (fare 28 Yuan , runs every 40 minutes). From Jiashan bus station you need to take a bus to Xitang (fare 4 yuan, runs every 5 minutes). To go to Hangzhou, you can take bus from Jiashan again (30yuan)

ellyse

22-Jun-2007 05:35
Posts: 8,932

Hmmm I thought the fare for Shanghai -- Jiashan was 24 RMB, but I could be wrong.
For Jiashan -- Xitang, you could also go by taxi/share-taxi, it's around 20 RMB/taxi so it's actually pretty worth it, plus it would be much faster.
Cheers!

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