Travel Guide: Cheap flights to China
China Airlines and Airports
Airline and airport information plus insider tips for China
Despite the recent increase of cheap flights to China, this can be a difficult country to visit unless you're on an organised tour to one of its many spectacular sights (like the Great Wall). But take the time to scratch beneath the 'official' surface you will discover just how fascinating this country is.
Once you and your travel companions step off your flights to China, you'll think you've arrived in a different world. Home to one of the world's most complex civilisations, China is a country of great differences, from international and cosmopolitan cities like Shanghai and Hong Kong to the grasslands of Inner Mongolia.
The third largest country on Earth, China has a rich cultural heritage dating back thousands of years. But along with all the awe-inspiring historical sights you'd expect to find here, China is a land of innovation, complete with skyscrapers, sophisticated modern culture and an exquisite national cuisine. Visitors will also be able to discover some of the country's amazing natural history, like the beautiful giant pandas. It's so different from anything you may have experienced before, you'll find it hard to believe that cheap flights to China only take about 12 hours.
Finding cheap flights to China is not as difficult as you might think. One budget airline (Oasis Hong Kong Airlines) offers one-way flights to China from £75.
Find the best flight prices to China
When to fly to China
Peak season:
The peak domestic travel seasons, when the Chinese travel, include Chinese New Year, Labour Day, and National Day.
The New Year occurs in January/February, and cheap flights to China are usually harder to find as people try to get home for this important holiday. The Labour Day and National Day dates vary, but are around May 1 and October 1. Hong Kong's high season is October through December. Despite the heat and humidity, summer is the peak season for Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou and the price of flights to China may well increase.
Off season:
Hong Kong's off seasons are summer and winter. Conventions and trade fairs, however, tend to book the best hotels, particularly in March and April. For cheap flights to China, the best time to travel is in winter. This is the off season for Beijing and Shanghai, and hotels offer substantial discounts. One of the nicest times to visit is in autumn. Flights to China are still inexpensive, the weather is gorgeous and there are fewer tourists.
Getting Around
Flying is the best way to cover large distances in China. Internal China flights are frequent, with more than 470 airports and international and regional carriers, and some reduced rates on offer. Buses are available and sometimes provide a faster service than trains. Trains range in service from express with all mod-cons, to slower and no-frills.
Foreign visitors are allowed to drive only within the city limits of Beijing and Shanghai and in Hong Kong.
Major cities have an abundance of taxis and public transportation systems. Taxis tend to be inexpensive and popular with visitors. Hong Kong's public transport is excellent and includes ferries, the Mass Transit Railway (MTR), Light Rail Transit, and double-decker buses. Shanghai's and Beijing's subways provide fast transport around town and are crowded during rush hour.
Flying to China
Major airports in China include:
Beijing Capital International Airport (BJS)
Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA)
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN)
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
Macau International Airport (MFM)
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY)
Airlines offering cheap flights to China include:
Air China
British Airways
Cathay Pacific
Quantas
Virgin Atlantic
Oasis Hong Kong Airlines offers particularly cheap flights to China.
In-flight Reading
The Search For Modern China
by Jonathan D. Spence
An introduction to Chinese history, from the 16th century fall of the Ming Dynasty to the 1989 demonstrations.
Ocean Of Words
by Ha Jin
Stories about soldiers and officers on China's northern border in the 1970s, when China and Russia were close to war.
Soul Mountain
by Gao Xingjian
Based on Gao's experience of being falsely diagnosed with lung cancer and threatened with arrest for counter-revolutionary writings, the story follows the author's flight from Beijing to the remote regions of Sichuan. So entertaining, your flights to China will fly by.
The Travels Of Marco Polo
by Marco Polo, translated by Ronald Latham
Classic adventure story of Polo's 13th century travels from Venice through Persia, land of the Tartars, Tibet, India, and China where he stays at Kublai Khan's court for 17 years. Polo's epic journey will make you and your travelling companions' 12 hour flights to China seem extremely short in comparison!
Confucius: His Life And Thought
by Shigeki Kaizuka
Biography of the great Chinese thinker, covering his system of ethics, cultivation of the mind and social justice, as well as the history and culture of his time.
Insider Information on China
If you've been lucky enough to find cheap flights to China, you may well find yourself in Beijing. An intriguing mix of new and old, Beijing is a modern capital city. Here you can visit the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and sections of the Great Wall of China. The nightlife is diverse with offerings ranging from opera to acrobatics, clubs, and karaoke. Hopefully you will have saved enough money by finding cheap flights to China that you'll be able to take advantage of all the city has to offer. The largest city in the world, Shanghai's foremost attraction is commercial activity, but there's lots to explore as soon as you step off your China flights, starting with the Shanghai Museum, Bund (waterfront promenade), YuYuan Garden, and colonial neighbourhoods Once the only city foreigners were allowed to visit in China, Guangzhou is the economic centre of the Pearl River Delta. The city is famous for embroidery, local opera and food.
An imperial capital for 2,000 years, Xi'an has a fascinating history, elements of which can be seen in the Terracotta Army, Banpo Site, Goose Pagodas, Bell and Drum towers, Ming city walls, Da Qingzhensi and ancient architecture. The experience of shopping the outdoor antiques market is also popular.
Travel Tips
- Finding Cheap FlightsOur golden rules for finding a cheap flight
- Airlines with low-cost ticketsAn essential guide to how the main carriers operate
- Before You GoAdvice on everything you need to do before you set off
- Regional UK and Irish AirportsFlying from the four corners of the UK and Ireland
- Glossary of Flying TermsAn A-Z of common terms you’ll need to know
- Travel Sickness and DVTHow to stay happy and healthy in the air
Travel links
- Currency converterFind the current exchange rate
- WeatherThe weather in China today
- Destination GuideLonely Planet's guide to China
- MapChina Map from Multimap