You do not need a lot of money to travel through China. Food, sleeping and public transport are cheap. But you need to know where to save money. In this article we provide you tips for traveling on a low budget in China.
Hostels
Average price of dorm: 30RMB – 60 RMB (€3,50 – €7)
Sleep in hostels instead of hotels. Hostels in China are quite good and very cheap, most staff speaks English. A bed in a dorm with other travelers is the cheapest way to stay. Sometimes rooms are more expensive when booked on the internet, so ask at the reception if there is a bed for you is the cheapest option.
Food
Average price of a meal in a restaurant per person: 10 RMB – 25 RMB (€1 – €3)
Saving money on food doesn’t mean that your food is less tasty. China is full of “restaurants at the street”, people who cook your meal at a small car at the street. Sometimes it looks not hygenic, but believe us, the food can be great! Leave the restaurants which look luxurious and very clean, those are far more expensive.
Public transport in China
In general the public transport between cities can be ordered like this: domestic flight (most expensive), train (cheap), long-distance bus (cheapest). Almost every distance can be covered by train and bus in China, so skip the plane if you have enough time.
Domestic flights
Domestic flights can be booked by foreigners on the internet. Prices getting more expensive in the last three days before department. For more information about domestic flights and sites to book your flight see this page…
Train in China
The train is quite comfortable and there is a good train infrastructure in China. Tickets can be booked in 3 classes: seat, hard sleeper and soft sleeper. The differences are the prices and the comfort. Read more about trains in China here…
Long distance bus
The cheapest way to travel between cities is the long distance bus. Some bus rides are thousands of kilometers long. The buses are not that bad, but can be very warm. If you don’t mind to sit on a seat for hours, than consider to take a long distance bus. Read more about it here…
Taxi in China: budget tips
Start price Chongqing: 10 RMB (€1) + around 3 RMB (€0,30) for each kilometer
Taxi’s are not expensive in China if your compare to Western Europe. Prices are different per city. Always take a official cab, recognisable by the colors (yellow or green depends on the city) and point at the taxi-meter if the cab driver doesn’t turn it on. They always do though.
Cabs are more expensive at long-distance busstations, trainstations and airports. Sometimes you can walk a street further to catch a cab at the street, which is cheaper.
In the night, cabs are also a bit more expensive than during the day.
City buses: very cheap
Ticket: 10 – 20 RMB (€0,10 – €0,25)
Take a city bus, pay at the entrance, you need to put cash money in a box. And enjoy the complete bus line for just 20 RMB. We need to say that local buses are more difficult since everything is in Chinese.
So many tips about low budget. It’s enjoying.