Hong Kong to Beijing in 8 days?

Replies: 16 - Last Post: 27-Jul-2007 23:36 Last Post By: ellyse

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jeffmackey

03-Jul-2007 18:08
Posts: 41

Hong Kong to Beijing in 8 days?

Hi folks,

My wife and I are in the initial stages of planning a trip to Hong Kong and Beijing in October of this year. We're looking to fly into Hong Kong on October 5th from Canada and depart from Beijing on October 13th.

We're thinking of a few days in Hong Kong, then either a train or flight to Beijing for a few days before heading home. It's a short trip, but it's either deal with the tight timeframes or not go at all. I'm particularly interested in the train ride versus flying time/cost/scenery-wise.

Any tips or information on the train, timeframes, costs, etc would be welcome. Is there a better way to spend the time? We can fly in/out of either Shanghai, Beijing or Hong Kong.

How long does it take to get a visa for a Canadian citizen, or can they be obtained at the border?

Thanks for any help. Once we do some further research, I'm sure we'll have more specific questions.

Harry_Mudd

03-Jul-2007 20:27
Posts: 4,084

Of course there is a train. It is over 30 hours to get there.

2 days in Hong Kong, at least three to see beijing, and at least 2 for travelling.

give your self some more time, OP.

Flying will make it quicker.

If doing Beijing, leave out Shanghai and vice-versa.

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road" - Henry Ward Beecher

snullr

03-Jul-2007 21:10
Posts: 60

The turnaround time was 2 -3 days (same day service for an extra fee) when I applied in Ottawa this spring. The application form has since been updated and requires more detailed travel plans, but I can't imagine that the processing time would be affected. You can find more information on the Chinese embassy's web site.

Susan

sataraman

03-Jul-2007 21:22
Posts: 200

Unless things have changed drastically in the 4 years since we were in China there is most definitely a non-stop train that goes from Hong Kong to Beijing. When we took it, it took 25 hours and was a nice way to travel. I agree with Harry - take the plane - because you have very little time, you'll be able to maximize what you can see in Hong Kong and Beijing. Both cities are very interesting. Spend slightly more of your time in Beijing and make sure you get out to the Great Wall.

astroboy

03-Jul-2007 21:58
Posts: 4,927

lijuantourguide - interesting - then what the heck is this train, then? Not much of a tour guide if you don't know about the direct train from Kowloon to Beijing, no?

Anyways, it's not such a great idea with only 8 days.

he'll defend us, he'll defend us,
the amazing astroboy!

SingObserver

04-Jul-2007 05:51
Posts: 783

Good grief, what founts of misinformation some people are! (How to kill your own business as a tour guide.......)

Astroboy has given you the right link. The "through train" from HK to Beijing leaves every other day and takes 23 hours (not 30). It does not have any "station stops" between HK and BJ (although there are plenty of physical stops, of course). You go through customs and immigration at either end.

It is an interesting experience if you like train rides. When I did it (a year ago) the food in the diner was pretty good, and the beer was good and cold. (If you're a rail fan, check out The Man in Seat 61 . For the best value and best/most interesting time, consider going "hard sleeper" which is a pullman-type open sleeper (and not all that hard), which will allow you to interact with other people.

On the other hand, if you're in a hurry to get where you're going, and not interested in the ride for its own sake, then better to fly.

jeffmackey

04-Jul-2007 06:16
Posts: 41

Thanks for all the information so far. What is the best airline to check out for a possible flight and what is a reasonable rate for a domestic flight between Hong Kong and Beijing?

astroboy

04-Jul-2007 07:53
Posts: 4,927

Unfortunately, Hong Kong to Beijing is an international flight. . . .and priced that way. Yeah, One Country, Two Systems.

The best airlines to fly that route are Cathay Pacific (infrequent flights) and Dragonair.

Check zuji.com.hk for flight prices

How to save a little money then?

Take a ferry (or bus or train or train + bus or train + taxi or train+ bus) to Shenzhen just across the border, then fly internally to Beijing

Check ctrip.com or yoee.com or elong.com or 9588.com for flight prices.

he'll defend us, he'll defend us,
the amazing astroboy!

guenovnd

04-Jul-2007 09:50
Posts: 212

I do not want to add too many options for you to consider but you can do OK on flight prices if you go out of Shenzhen rather than Hong Kong. One option is for you to go from Hong Kong airport to Shenzhen via ferry. The Airport is far away from the city anyway, so the ferry to Shenzhen could be a good option -- it will cost you 200 HK$ (e.g. Hong Kong Airport to Shekou in Shenzhen).
As far as Beijing is concerned, you can spend a week there --- easily. There are tons of sights to see / explore -- in the city and outside of it.
If you need some ideas (outside of the travel books scope) you can dop me a line on my blog (in my signature here).

Happy Travels.

ChinaTravel

Harry_Mudd

04-Jul-2007 17:34
Posts: 4,084

#9, or walk across the border and fly from Shenzhen.

#3, not much of a guide, are you?

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road" - Henry Ward Beecher

jeffmackey

05-Jul-2007 04:41
Posts: 41

Thanks. What is a reasonable dollar figure for a one way flight either from Hong Kong or Shenzhen to Beijing?

astroboy

05-Jul-2007 05:16
Posts: 4,927

It really depends on the day of the week, the month and the season. Here's the issue - you're flying into Hong Kong right in the middle of China's golden week - so flight from Hong Kong (or Shenzhen) are going to be full and priced at their highest. It's peak travel season - like trying to fly the day before Thanksgiving.

he'll defend us, he'll defend us,
the amazing astroboy!

jeffmackey

06-Jul-2007 20:28
Posts: 41

Thanks for the tips. I'll have to read up on the golden week, I'm not familiar with it. I'm just looking at the flights now...

It looks like I can book on Air China for a three hr flight from Shenzhen to Beijing for about $170 Cdn. Is there any issue with booking online tickets (ie. needing to book them locally with a travel agent, the e-tickets not being valid when I get to the airport, etc)? As well, the flight would be on an Air China 777 from Baoan Airport to Beijing Capital. I assume this is the route you've all suggested.

I'm very surprised this trip is proving to be so cheap overall so far. The airfare from Rural Northern Canada was only $2850 for both of us everything included!! It usually costs me that much to just get to Ottawa.

Thanks again for the assistance.

Harry_Mudd

06-Jul-2007 20:37
Posts: 4,084

have you had alook at TigerAir? They are Flying Vancouver-Hong Kong very cheaply.

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road" - Henry Ward Beecher

jeffmackey

06-Jul-2007 20:57
Posts: 41

For anyone living in a major centre, that's probably a great option. I think Air Canada is the best bet for us at $1433/person all included. It would cost us about $1000 each to get to Vancouver to connect to another airline. My last flight to Vancouver for business in March was $1150.

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