experience china

Experience China

October 19 - 28, 2013

$2,199

with the Bend Chamber of Commerce

• Roundtrip motorcoach transportation from Bend to SeaTac Airport

• Roundtrip airfare from SeaTac to Beijing• Airport taxes• Three full meals per day• Four and five star hotel accommodations• English speaking tour guides• Intercity air and ground transportation• Admission to all tours and attractions, as indicated

on itinerary• $2,199 is based on double occupancy. If you prefer

to travel alone, there is an additional $500 charge

InclusionsInclusions

• Typical daily schedule:

– 6:00 am wake up call

– 7:00 am breakfast

– 8:00 or 8:30 am bus departure

– Back to hotel 8:00 pm

Typical Daily ScheduleTypical Daily Schedule

• Flight departs early afternoon, exact time tbd• Either Air China, China Hainan Airlines or Delta• No assigned seats until check-in. Please do not

contact airline as we are traveling as a group• Allowed 2 checked pieces of luggage, per person –

and one carry-on.• When we are confirmed on which airline we are

booked, we will furnish the dimensions and weight restrictions. A purse is not considered a carry-on

• Flight is about 11.5 hours long with two meals & English/Chinese movies

• It’s recommended to not sleep too much on the plane in order to adjust to the time change

Flight & Check InFlight & Check In

• Please make sure your bags are clearly marked with luggage tags

Flight & Check In Cont.Flight & Check In Cont.

• Four and five star, Western style facilities (like Marriott, Hilton and Crown Plazas)

• All rooms are nonsmoking with hair dryers• Electrical adaptors as well as converters are

needed• Water is okay to wash with, but not recommended

for drinking. All hotels have two bottles of complimentary water in each room

• Water is also available on motorcoaches each day - $1

• Bed accommodations: 1 king, 2 queens, or 2 doubles

• Most hotels have a business center where you can get internet access for about $1/hour

• In room internet is approximately $25/day

HotelsHotels

• Most hotels have free wifi in their common spaces• Complimentary hot tea and coffee in rooms• Pool and exercise facility at each hotel

Hotels Cont.Hotels Cont.

• A Western breakfast buffet is served each morning at the hotel – all you can eat

• Lunch and dinner are traditional Chinese style meals served family style – all you can eat

• One drink per person is served with each meal, however you can purchase more if needed. Drinks that are typically served are bottled water, hot tea soda and beer.

• Do not eat street vendor food and only eat fruits that can be peeled

• Dessert is not included in Chinese meals. If you love sweets, please bring with your own

FoodFood

• Most places accept US dollars. Anticipate spending $300 - 500. Have $50 in singles just in case

• Always negotiate when buying. If they say $1,000 you say $200. Carry small bills as receiving change can sometimes be challenging.

• Exchange money in the hotel and be sure to exchange back at the last hotel you stay at. You will want about $100 in Yuan & the rest in US dollars.

• Travelers checks are not recommended, as people have had trouble cashing them

• Credit cards are accepted at factory stores however Discover card is not accepted.

MoneyMoney

• Remember to call your cc companies and bank to let them know you’re traveling and give them dates

• ATM’s will give you money in Yuan. Approximately one US dollar equals 6.6 Yuan.

• $25 cash is given to the Citslinc rep to pay for all tips for the entire duration of the trip

• No refunds will be given on any purchases made in China

Money Cont.Money Cont.

RestroomsRestrooms• Hotels have Western style facilities, as do tour

locations

• Otherwise, most of the toilets are porcelain in-the-ground toilets

• Bring travel tissue packs or the toilet paper roll from your hotel room. Carry it with you at all times

• Bring hand sanitizer gel or wipes

• There are no bathrooms on the bus, however the bus will always stop if the trip is longer than two hours. Our longest bus ride is 3 ½ hours

• Mid-to-high 60s during the day. Mid 40-50s at night and Shanghai is typically 10 degrees warmer

• Bring your raingear and dress in layers

• Take a look ahead through a simple Google search or www.weather.com

WeatherWeather

• Comfy walking shoes – tennis shoes or other

• Blue jeans are fine all day, every day

• Dress in layers

• No clothing restrictions

• Consider a hat and gloves for the Great Wall as it could be cooler at the top

• Backpack or travel purse

• Bring two times the amount of prescriptions

– One with your carry-on

– One with your checked luggage

– Bring your own over the counter medicines

What to BringWhat to Bring

• Citslinc provides basic travel insurance to all travelers, once trip has begun

• Check with your insurance provider

• Places to look into insurance:

– AAA

– Local travel agency

– Online, such as Access America

Travel InsuranceTravel Insurance

• Vaccinations are not required

• Visit your physician if you’re not sure

• China requires all foreign travelers to obtain a travel visa

– The cost is $165

– Your passport must be valid 6 months after our travel date

• Travel visa process:

– Two extra passport photos

– Your passport

– Completed travel visa form

Vaccinations & VisasVaccinations & Visas

• Citslinc has been operating tours to China for nearly 30 years

• 10,000 passengers per year• Bend Chamber member• Based out of Monterey Park, California• Specialize in tours for chambers of commerce

throughout the US since 2001• Has partnered with 500 chambers• Reasonable travel price is based on volume &

traveling during the off-season

About Citslinc About Citslinc InternationalInternational

Optional ToursOptional Tours

*Additional Fees Apply

Beijing: Hutong Alley ($35pp)

Peking Opera ($20pp or $40/pp VIP seat)

Suzhou:Grand Canal Cruise ($25pp)

Evening Cruise on Huangpu River ($25pp)

Cirque du Soleil , ERA - Intersection of time($35pp)

Shanghai: Shanghai Maglev Train ($15/pp one way or $25/pp round trip)

The Legend of Kung Fu ($25/pp)

All optional tours will be announced by the tour guide for you to sign up. The tour guide will collect payment in cash (US dollars).

All tours will take place in the afternoon.

Optional Tours Cont.Optional Tours Cont.

• All optional tours will be announced by the tour guides for you to sign up, day of

• Tour guides will collect payment in cash, US dollars

• Tours will take place in the afternoons and evenings

Travel TipsTravel Tips

• No irons in hotel rooms

• Call your cell phone company to see about an international plan for making international calls

• Stop mail

• China uses 220 watts vs. 110 watts in the US. Converters and adapters should be European style

• Neck pillow for flight

• Portable DVD player with headset or ipod

Tips Cont.Tips Cont.

• Sleep aid

• Copies of important documents

• Sunglasses and hat

• Suggest you roll clothing when packing and recommend packing light

• Please note that you can bring all of your belongings for the day and leave them on the motorcoach while touring.

Business in ChinaBusiness in China

• We will be setting up a meeting with business leaders in China. If you would be interested in attending, please fill out the required form. Date and time are tbd

• Registration form and non-refundable deposit reserves your seat

• Business Meeting form is due July 1, 2013

• Deadline to submit travel partners names, July 1, 2013

• The remaining balance is due by July 15, 2013

• Registration deadline is July 15, 2013

• Current passport information is due July 15, 2013

• Completed Visa application and payment due July 31, 2013 – along with two passport photos

• Trip details will be sent to guests on October 1, 2013

* This travel itinerary is now limited to 80 participants. We can take an additional 50 guests on a different flight, on the same day

Now What?Now What?

Thank you!