Travel Guides & Tips in this video
Joel Friend's China guide covers the practical details he wished he had known before travelling. He discusses carrying a passport, arranging mobile data, using Didi and high-speed trains, and setting up WeChat Pay and Alipay. The trip also includes advice about seasonal timing, visa requirements, translation apps, VPN access and booking through Trip.com, alongside observations about food and cultural differences. He also describes meals shared around a central table and the prevalence of international food chains as parts of his daily experience.
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Getting around and staying connected
Joel Friend shares lessons from a trip across China, starting with a reminder to carry a passport. He says it is a legal requirement and may be needed for activities such as train travel and even convenience-store visits; photocopies are not accepted. Mobile data also matters for communication and navigation. Joel discusses the difficulty of relying on Google Maps and recommends Baidu Maps, and he describes using Didi as an affordable, convenient way to travel around cities.
For travel between cities, Joel recommends China's high-speed rail network. He found the trains fast, easy to use and affordable, and suggests booking in advance through Trip.com. He also discusses using the subway, which he found user-friendly. For translation, he recommends having a reliable app ready to help with signs and menus. A VPN is useful for reaching blocked websites and social platforms; he names Surfshark and Astrill as options and advises arranging one before entering China.
Timing, payments and local differences
Joel suggests travelling in May or June, or September or October, to avoid the largest crowds and extreme temperatures. He advises checking visa requirements for each traveller's nationality. Some nationalities can enter visa-free for 15 days, while others need to complete a longer application. Joel describes his own experience obtaining a two-year, multi-entry visa.
He recommends setting up WeChat Pay and Alipay before arrival to avoid verification problems. These payment services are widely used for transactions. Joel also talks about travel insurance, naming SafetyWing as the policy he uses and recommends. His account of feeling safer than in London is tied to his own experience and his observation of extensive camera surveillance.
The trip includes cultural differences that surprised him, such as queue-jumping and public spitting. Meals also differ from what he was used to: diners share food from a central table, and international food chains are common. Joel remarks on China's broad food scene and the landscapes he encountered. These details sit alongside practical advice, giving viewers both preparation points and personal observations from the journey.
Booking and planning ahead
Joel recommends Trip.com for booking transport and accommodation, saying that it offers a wider selection than other platforms and makes the Chinese booking system easier to navigate. His advice brings together passports, mobile data, transport, visas, payments and access to online services. For visitors, the central point is to prepare essential tools before arrival: a passport, working data, payment accounts, translation support and a way to access blocked websites. The video presents these as lessons from Joel's own trip rather than a substitute for checking the requirements that apply to each traveller.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What should travellers carry in China?
- A: Joel says to carry a passport; it is legally required for various activities, including train travel, and photocopies are not accepted.
- Q: Which seasons does Joel recommend for a China trip?
- A: He suggests May to June or September to October to avoid the largest crowds and extreme temperatures.
- Q: What payment apps does Joel discuss?
- A: He recommends setting up WeChat Pay and Alipay before arriving to avoid verification issues.
