Most first-time problems in China are decided before boarding: entry policy, payment setup, internet access, and train tickets. This section covers the mechanics, and it ends with the page every traveller hopes not to need — what to do when things go wrong, on the road. Policies change often — every page carries a "last checked" note, and we verify policy specifics before they affect your actual trip.
Start with these three steps
You do not need to read everything in this section before your trip works. Work through the three steps in order — each one removes the biggest risk for the step after it.
01 · Check entry requirements. Check which entry rules apply before fixing your travel dates. Your passport decides which door is open, how long you can stay, and whether your itinerary needs a third-country leg — so this check comes before any non-refundable booking. Deep dive: Visa-Free Entry and Transit Policies.
02 · Set up payments & internet. Prepare payment, connection and map apps before you arrive. China's payment rails work differently from home, and the apps that replace your defaults — maps, translation, ride-hailing — need to be installed and tested while you still have unrestricted internet.
03 · Plan transport & bookings. Choose trains, check station names and understand when to book. High-speed rail is the backbone of most routes, but booking windows, multiple stations per city and passport-as-ticket mechanics have their own logic — and only the skeleton of a trip should be booked in advance.
When all three steps are done, what remains is not a planning problem — it is the road itself. That is what the emergency page is for.
