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Please give us your advise.
Going to China for 3 months - is it better to visit BEFORE or AFTER the Olympics are over. Which is better time in terms of cost & crowd for accommodations, train travel and places to visit.
Appreciate your input.
Thank you all for your hlep.
Sein & Jenny.

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1

How much time before and how long after the Olympics are over? Are you talking 3-4 days or 3-4 months before/after? If you are talking at least a month or more the start/finish of the Olympics, I would vote for after.

I was there in June/July of this year and many things were closed or covered because of renovation in preparation for the Olympics, not only in Beijing, but other places in China as well. Although if you are thinking about traveling to Tibet...I would go before and soon, before the new road to Everest Base Camp is finished and the whole area turns into Disneyworld:)

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2

born2go,
Thank you for pointing out to me. Yes, about 3 months before or after the Olympics.
Sein & Jenny.

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3

I would vote for after the games.....everything will be in top working order....squeeky clean etc. If thats what you want of course.

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4

Wait untill after the games. I just finished a 40 day trip , which included visting Bejing, Shanghai, and Dalien. This was over a major holiday when in Bejing and it was un believable how many people there were on the streets everywhere!!!!. Much more than normal so can only believe it will be worse as time goes on . They are building and fixing everything.

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5

maseru was obviously here during the Oct golden week, it is always like that during the golden weeks (Oct and May). No doubt the place will go crazy for at least a month before the Olympics, as pretty much happened in Sydney, as for after, there are always a few hangers on. The weather here in June to August is pretty awful (in my humble opinion) Oct is much nicer, as is prior to May. If the Olympics is not your aim avoid it like the plague.

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6

this is my last day in china... my double entry 90 each visa is up...fun time but ready to leave.. going overland towards nam...came in overland via lao first time..mid of visa toured the silk road via pakistan, india & nepal...second entry was via plane as to re-enter overland via tibet from kathmandu would have messed up my visas..so i didn't get to tibet though i completely circled it

....first weeks of may & october are both heavy travel times for their golden weeks ...secret is to head towards the big cities at the beginning of each holiday...out at the end

...loved their train travel...but wouldn't do anything less than soft sleeper...super soft sleeper is best with private baths...needed them for the 40 hour trips...21,000 kilometers on god knows how many trains...but my favorite was the shortest...shanghai to the airport at 431 kph

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