Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
KoryoTours
China
koryogroup.com
.
Beijing's most unusual tour agency, arranging vis-
its (heavily controlled, of course) to the paranoid hermit kingdom of North Korea.
The Russia Experience
UK 0845 521 2910,
trans-siberian.co.uk
.
Besides detailing
their Trans-Siberian packages, the website is a veritable mine of information about the rail-
way. More expensive than similar tours offered by Russian agencies, but probably the most
hassle-free option.
TravelChinaGuide
US & Canada 1 800 892 6988,
travelchinaguide.com
.
A Chinese
company with a wide range of three- and four-day group tours of Beijing and around.
Wild China
wildchina.com
.
Reliable agency for adventure travel around China, includ-
ing a tour linking Beijing with Ulan Bator in Mongolia.
World Expeditions
UK 0800 074 4135, Australia 1300 720 000, US 1 888 464
8735, Canada 1 800 567 2212;
worldexpeditions.com
.
Offers a 21-day Great Wall trek,
starting in Beijing and heading well off the beaten track, and cycling tours too.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Those who arrive by train are lucky to find themselves already at the heart of the city;
all others will find themselves outside the Second Ring Road with a long onward jour-
ney. It's best not to tussle with the buses, especially if you're bearing luggage, so head
for the metro or a cab rank. There aren't many shady cabbies in Beijing, but the few
there are hang around arrival points - ignore offers from freelance operators and head
straight to the officially monitored taxi ranks.
Booking
onward transport
is a simple matter, but for peak seasons - the two-week-long
holidays and just before
Chinese New Year
- it's best to organize it long in advance.
ORIENTATION
Beijing's
ring roads
- freeways arranged in nested rectangles centring on Tian'anmen
Square - are rapid-access corridors around the city. The Second and Third ring roads,
Erhuan
and
Sanhuan Lu
, are the two most useful, as they cut down on journey times but
extend the distance travelled; they are much favoured by taxi drivers. Within the Second
Ring Road lie most of the
historical sights
, while many of the most modern buildings -
including the smartest hotels, restaurants, shopping centres and office blocks - are along or
close to the Third. You'll soon become familiar with the experience of barrelling along a
freeway in a bus or taxi, not knowing which direction you're travelling in, let alone where
you are, as identical blocks flicker past.
