1

Uninformed, useless travel agents......he/she is just reading the Mainland China visa rules and not applying any creativity. And he/she is completely wrong -- overland exit to Hanoi is very possible and many many people do it.

Get a single-entry visa before leaving home. You will have to show an itinerary for the first part of your trip. If necessary to get the visa, book a refundable ticket home (or onward to someplace else) out of Hong Kong.

When you get the visa, cancel the refundable ticket. Exit China overland to HK and Macau as per your plan. (No entry visa for HK or Macau is required for Belgian citizens.) While in HK, get another single-entry China visa to do your transit to Vietnam.

2

You might find it easier to start your trip in SE Asia, with Bangkok as a start/base, and tour the adjacent countries from there-

You need a Visa for Vietnam and Myanmar (Burma). You can get a tourist visa on arrival at the popular border crossings for Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Its best to fly to Burma from Bangkok, as border crossings for foreigners are not a good option or possible in some places.

As you head north from Hanoi, you can go to China from there two areas, one is west of the Sapa region of VN at the Loa Cai border crossing to Kunming China, from there you in the Yunnan areas that is very much worth visiting. The other is north of Hanoi to Nanning, at that point to can go east or west or north. Get a Chinese Visa in VN or Cambodia and then tour the south, then hit Macua/Hong Kong and get another Visa in HK, then head to Shanghia and the north...

But, I dont know why you cant get a Chinese Visa in Belgium, then once in China, get an extension, easy enough in many of the major cities, or go to HK and get another Visa for China and make your way to Vietnam.

You dont need a visa to visit HK/Macau.

Keep in mind of you wish to visit Tibet, you first need to get the Chinese Visa, then, as of newly changed rules, you need to join a tour/group of at least 5 same country Passports in order to get a TAR permit for Nepal. You then need to sort out how you will transit to Lhasa, fast train or flights, coordinated with the group.

What time of year are you planning this RTW adventure starting in Asia?

FYI- Hong Kong is very expensive, so the less time there the better,

3

Thanks for helping!

I know that overland travel to Vietnam is possible. Wich airline has refundable tickets? HK airline is the cheapest one with 415 US$.
If we book the refundable ticket then cancel it and then show up at the vietnamese border and they say that we lied about our visa requirements. Our does everybody do this?

Thanks

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#3

Once you have your Chinese visa, you can enter or exit through any legal border crossing. There is nothing on the visa to indicate otherwise.

Rather than booking fully refundable tickets (almost always there will be some charge), try booking online and get as far as you can without actually paying. Then print out the itinerary - making sure you have flight details and your name clearly shown.