<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Our son will be working in Shanghai for 5 weeks this summer. The plan is to have 2 days off (Mon and Tues) 3 times - a total of 6 days off. He wants to travel and see whatever he can fit in. The Great Wall is high on his list. </p>
<p>I get to help plan (its fun for me) but I can use some help getting started. Ideally it would be great to find some short trips that are both traditional tourist don’t miss sights and some off the beaten path. He’ll be there in July/early August.</p>
<p>Also - will the Capital One Venture card (no international fees) work in China?</p>
<p>All suggestions welcome.</p>
<p>Easy day trips around Shanghai (which will be very hot in Aug and humid like Miami) train to Hangzhou (south) or train to Wuxi, Suzhou (west). Yixing is also interesting, not sure how you would get there now (been more than a few years since I went) - it’s where the clay pots sold all over China are produced and also has cave tours. Get a “off the beaten track” guide book for more ideas.</p>
<p>To explore China yourself, make sure you bring mostly in cash(RMB). Credit cards are for tourist spots only. Local merchants want cash.</p>
<p>Great walls are in Beijing, it is a plane ride from Shanghai, but can be done on a weekend. As Amanda has alrady pointed out the towns have most tourist, there are many short trips you can make around Shanghai, it depends your taste. Perhaps get a tourist guide and find out the type you like first.</p>
<p>The Capital One card will hopefully be used to take cash advances and to use at places if its accepted.</p>
<p>Does anyone have guides or tours or tour companies they recommend? There will likely be just two traveling and they only speak English so a guide might make things a lot easier.</p>
<p>Another vote for Hangzhou…although it might be crowded in the summer (I’ve only been there in the winter.)</p>
<p>Isn’t it possible that where he’s working will be able to suggest a guide? I might also check the English dept at university wherever he’ll be visiting. The students would probably like the opportunity to use their English…and he could get a more “real” feel for the area and a younger viewpoint than from a professional guide.</p>
<p>^^ We took a China tour use a US travel operator and since many of the tour members are Americans, we requested English guides. In Xian, we had a local Chinese English Professor as a guide and NO one can understand him in English. Finally, we asked him to give the tour in Chinese and those can’t understand could not in the first place.^^ The guide in Beijing was alright, though…</p>
<p>If you need an English guide, never join the tour locally in China, you are wasting your money. If you son can understand Chinese, he will be the best guide (just to get around). You need to know the target attraction ahead of the time.</p>
<p>do not take any cash advance internationally, you will be killed with fees and exchange rates. Use a debit card that has Plus, Star or other world wide systmes. The debit card can be used mostly in larger cities. Take some RMB with you just in case.</p>