Getting there from
Britain and Ireland
China has several
international air
gateways, the most
important being Beijing
and Hong Kong. At least
four airlines fly from
London non-stop into
these two cities, and to
Hong Kong alone there
are four or five flights
daily. Additionally a
whole host of other
airlines offer indirect
services requiring a
change of plane en route.
Although no other
Chinese cities are
served directly from the
UK, it is possible to
reach Shanghai, Macau,
Guangzhou, Xiamen and
Ürümqi by air via other
European or Asian cities.
The non-stop flying time
from London to Beijing
is just ten hours, and
twelve to Hong Kong.
One of Cathay
Pacific's daily flights
to Hong Kong originates
in Manchester. Otherwise,
if you are using a
European airline, you
should be able to fly
direct to the European
hub from the major
regional airports rather
than trekking down to
London first. From
Ireland, there are no
direct connections to
China and you will need
to stopover in Europe en
route. For the cheapest
deal this will probably
involve coming to
England to pick up a
flight
Getting there from
the USA and Canada
There are a number of
possible routes to China
from the US and Canada,
with the most options
being through Hong Kong.
Check the ads in
newspaper travel
sections, and shop
around. In particular,
the recent influx of
Hong Kong Chinese into
Vancouver has prompted a
surge in competition and
discounted fares from
Canada. Chinese-owned
agencies, who deal with
consolidators (wholesalers),
can usually quote you a
fare $200-250 lower than
the airlines' discounted
rates
Getting there from
Australia and New
Zealand
The closest entry point
into China from
Australia and New
Zealand is Hong Kong,
though it's also
possible to fly direct
to Guangzhou, Shanghai
and Beijing without
having to change planes,
and to elsewhere in
China if you're prepared
to make a stopover.
From eastern
Australia , by far
the best deal is with
Royal Brunei Airlines,
who offer low-season
returns from Brisbane,
Perth or Darwin to Hong
Kong for just A$850,
with high-season rates
about ten percent more.
There are frequent
discount deals for
flights to Hong Kong in
the shoulder seasons or
for travellers with some
date flexibility. Mid-range
operators such as Garuda
charge A$1200 low season/A$1600
high season to Hong Kong
from east coast
departure points.
Upmarket carriers such
as Qantas and Air New
Zealand have good low-season
rates - about A$1200 to
Hong Kong, or A$1600 to
Shanghai, for instance -
but their high-season
fares can top A$1800/A$2100
for the same trips.
Where available,
fares from Perth are
about five percent
cheaper as you're that
much closer to China
there. Due to lack of
competition and extra
distance, prices from
New Zealand are
relatively expensive;
here you're looking at
low-season minimums of
NZ$1600 to Hong Kong.
Overland routes
into China
China now has a number
of land borders open to
foreign travellers. When
planning your route,
think carefully about
where you buy your
Chinese visa - remember
that Chinese visas must
be used within three
months of their date of
issue, which may not be
very useful if you are
planning a long overland
trip before arriving in
China. Visas are
obtainable in the
capitals of virtually
all European and Asian
countries, though you
may have to wait a few
days for them to be
issued
