In the cities, all hotels we use have private
western style bathrooms, hot water, air-conditioning, television, IDD
telephones, laundry and other facilities. Where possible we will endeavor at
passenger’s request to accommodate couples in double rooms. Please note however
that on occasions during your journey, this may not be possible and in such
instances a twin room will be supplied. Extra beds in most Chinese hotels will
be foldaway or rollaway beds. All cabins on the Yangtze cruises will be twin
rooms. Some group tour itineraries involve overnight stops at basic towns,
where the accommodation is clean but basic.
Check in and check out times can vary by hotel but most hotels in China require
guests to check out by 12 noon and do not allow check in until 2pm. Many hotels
may allow an earlier check in or later check out subject to availability on the
day. However, if you are arriving early in the morning to a destination or
leaving late in the evening you should consider pre-booking a guaranteed early
check in/late check out. The additional cost varies from hotel to hotel but is
usually between 50-100% of the nightly rate.
Transport
On the road we generally use late model air-conditioned buses with either 26 or
30 seats - depending on the size of the group. Modern sedan cars and minibuses
are used for transporting smaller numbers. Seat belts are not common,
particularly in back seats of vehicles. Vehicles in the more remote poorer
areas of Sichuan Province and Tibet may not be of the same standard as those in
the bigger cities. Vehicles in Tibet generally do not have air-conditioning.
Most tours include domestic flights. China has a number of regional airlines
which operate relatively modern fleets, however schedules frequently change,
flights can be cancelled and this can sometimes result in alterations to your
tour program. Some tours also involve overnight rail journeys. Accommodation
(1st class) is in mixed gender, four berth, shared soft sleeper cabins which
are usually air-conditioned. These have 2 lower bunks and 2 upper bunks with
limited storage space underneath the lower bunks and above the door to the
cabin. Sheets and blankets are provided and are generally of good standard. A
western and Asian toilet will be available. Note that many Asian train stations
will have crowded areas and lots of stairs. Keep this in mind when packing
luggage as it not only needs to fit into the areas designated for storage on
overnight or day trains, but you will also need to carry it on and off trains
and through train stations.
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