China Travel Prep
Shanghai Pudong skyline at sunset with the Oriental Pearl Tower and dramatic clouds over the Huangpu River

China Arrival Prep

First time in China? Make your first 24 hours manageable.

Build a practical arrival plan for payment, internet, airport transfer, hotel address, and offline backups — before you fly.

No account. Email is optional — we only use it to send your return link.

See what the plan covers →

The output is a saved arrival file you can act on.

One short form turns into a prioritized, offline-ready plan for your first 24 hours on the ground.

  • A first-hour landing sequence
  • A payment backup if your card or app fails
  • Internet and maps that work without the local network
  • An airport-to-hotel decision for your arrival time
  • An offline hotel address card in Chinese
  • A first meal, water, and recovery note
  • A printable offline pack
  • Prioritized next steps, not a generic checklist

A practical China fallback system for first-timers.

Before you fly, when something fails, and when your itinerary looks good only on a map. Pick where you are.

I'm setting up before flying

The boring-but-essential setup that saves your first night.

Something failed

Already on the ground and stuck? Pick what went wrong.

I'm planning the route

Some China plans look good only on a map. Sanity-check the shape.

I have a special situation

Threshold-based advice, not generic reassurance.

Not ready to build a plan?

Search one thing you're worried about — across your plan checks, Quick Answers, and City Guides.

What the plan covers

A practical arrival file, not a generic trip guide.

Create the plan first, then save the setup checks you complete into the same return link.

Before flying

Payment setup

Foreign-card support can differ across Alipay, WeChat Pay, ATMs, and merchants.

Check payment setup →

Before flying

Internet and phone

eSIM, roaming, local SIM, and VPN choices solve different problems.

Choose internet setup →

Before flying

Essential apps

Install the few apps you actually need before app-store access gets harder.

See app checklist →

Before flying

Arrival to lodging

Arrival point, time, luggage, and address format change the first route to your hotel.

Plan arrival route →

Before flying

Hotel address and check-in

A Chinese address, hotel phone, and passport-ready booking prevent first-night friction.

Save hotel address →

Before flying

Save key documents offline

Passport, visa, hotel booking, and return ticket should be saved offline in case you have no connection on arrival.

Mark as prepared →

Check one specific question.

Quick Answers settle a single worry — save the ones that matter into your Arrival Plan.

Popular questions

All answers →

Questions people are afraid to ask

Calm, practical answers — no judgement.

City guides

Find the cities in your trip.

City Guides back up your Arrival Plan with city-specific arrival routes and first-day anchors.

See all city guides →

Ready to land without the scramble?

Build your free arrival plan in two fields. Payment, internet, transfer, and offline backups, saved to one return link.

Build my Arrival Plan