Shanghai to Beijing on a Budget

Exchanging money to CNY

Instead of having your money exchanged in the airport which is a total rip off, once you get to Shanghai you can easily look for Bank of China. It is a government bank, and there is a big one at The Bund, a major tourist area.  Rates there are better.

Arriving at Pudong International Airport
I think one of cheapest mode of transportations you can take is the subway, not the MAGLEV or the high speed train. Both Shanghai and Beijing have excellent subway systems that take you everywhere. It will only cost you about 14¥ or less depending on where your hotel is compared to the MAGLEV that costs around 50¥. Take note though that the subway system has different lines that are interconnected. You have to ask your booked hotel which lines to transfer to and at what stations so you can arrive at your destination. Buying a ticket can be a bit of a headache, you have to get the help of a subway official or approach some Chinese guy who seems to know English to help you buy a ticket because instructions of ticket machines are in Chinese. I think there is a way for you to get English instructions, but even if I did, because of the many subway lines interconnecting, I still found that confusing. 

Accomodation

Being a cheap finder, I was happy having stayed at MINGTOWN YOUTH HIKER HOSTEL. It’s a backpacker hostel with a dorm option where you get to share rooms with other backpackers. Only costs about 50¥ per person with a public toilet and shower area. You also get a locker for the safety of your belongings. I found the place clean and the staff efficient. Rooms are provided with comforters and heaters in case you are travelling in winter. They had a nice restaurant-bar so you can mingle with other travelers. The place is also very close to The Bund. I booked by calling because I didn’t want to pay 10% of the cost in advance if I do it by websites. 

明堂上海旅行者青年旅舍，

Mingtown Hiker Youth Hostel

上海市江西中路450号

No.450 Middle Jiangxi Rd，Shanghai

电话Tel：021-63297889

邮编zip code：200002

Getting around Shanghai
Travel by foot; Shanghai is a walkable city and a delight to walk in. Getting around, you can take the subway that cost only 2-4¥ if you’re going short distances. You can also take the taxi if you’re a group for nearby places. I think the flag down rate in Shanghai is 14¥.  Best if you avail of the city bus tour, every hotel sells a ticket I think for 30¥. The bus will take you to the major tourist sites in Shanghai and your ticket will be valid for 24 hours. You can go off anytime if you want to stay at one place and catch the next city tour bus for another ride. IMPORTANT: Wear REALLY comfortable shoes.

 The Shanghai City Tour Bus and Khai and me inside it. :)

Shanghai is a walkable city.

Train from Shanghai to Beijing

We opted for the cheapest train ticket of course, that would be on the T or D-train. You have to ask your hotel where the government booking office is. There is one very near Mingtown Youth Hiker Hostel so that was convenient. We took the overnight T-train that was 15-hour ride and we got a hard-sleeper slot for 311¥ per person. Beds are bunk type and our bed was on the third deck! Really fun experience! Getting a ticket from the booking office was a bit tricky because the woman in charge didn’t know any English so we had to get the help of our Chinese dorm mate. You can also ask the hotel staff to write your ticket preferences in Chinese before going to the ticket office for easier and faster transaction. Note that you cannot book a roundtrip ticket from Shanghai; you have to be in Beijing to book a return ticket. The important trick is booking early and booking in advance. That would also better the chances of getting cheap fares (low-priced seats get full easily and you might end up taking the high-priced left). IMPORTANT: Be in the station 30 minutes early. The train leaves on time. 

 The 15-hour ride to Beijing

Arriving in Beijing
I’m not 100% sure about it, but based on my experience, Shanghai has more English speakers. Getting off the train at Beijing West Station, we wanted to take the cheaper bus option to get to our hotel but nobody can understand when we asked where the bus station is. People want to help you but you still can’t understand their instructions. After two hours of frustration, we opted to take the taxi. Taxis can be a rip-off so you have to be firm that you want your ride to be on meter or it would help to know from the hotel in advance how much a taxi would cost you. Ours should only cost us 30¥, a Chinese guy was kind enough to haggle for us and we got the ride for 50¥.

Accomodation

I loved Happy Dragon Hostel, a backpacker place which also offered dorm options for budget travelers with a private shower/toilet for each room. Rates are 30-40¥ per person for dorm rooms. I loved the happy atmosphere and the cool staff they had. They also have a bar for mingling with other guests. Staffs were also efficient. IMPORTANT: Get a subway map from the reception. Convenient and helpful because the hostel is near a subway station.

Website: www.happydragonhostel.com

Address: Ren Min Shi Chang Xi Xiang

29 Hao Dong Cheng Qu Beijing, China

Tel no: (0086)1084015584/8402571

Email: happydragonhostel@yahoo.com

Getting around Beijing 
You can join a group tour or you can go DIY. Beijing has an excellent subway system that even the Great Wall is reachable by subway. I recommend the DIY more because I didn’t enjoy my group tour experience and you only have a limited time per place besides the fact that they try to sell you things. 

In the Badaling Great Wall, you can take a cable car to take you to the middle of the Great Wall and back which will cost around 80¥ (important that you don’t lose the ticket). I have no information about how much the entrance fee is because I took a crappy group tour and that was tour inclusive. All I can recommend is that a minimum of a half-day (6 hours) should be enough to really appreciate the Great Wall’s beauty (because it really is). 

You can also easily access the Forbidden City by subway. Lots of walking involve here, since the whole area was said to be as big as a hundred football fields. Three to four hours should be enough to enjoy this place.

If you want to go to the Panda zoo, be aware that the zoo closes at 5 o’clock pm. 

 Cable Cars at the Great Wall

The subway train is jam-packed with people during rush hour (starting at 5 p.m.), and transferring at lines can be stressful in those hours.

Train from Beijing to Shanghai

You can ask your hotel staff to book for you for an additional cost of 20¥ (because a ticket agency will deliver the ticket to the hostel). We got an overnight T-train hard seat for 306¥, a 12-hour ride. We booked late so there were no cheap sleeper tickets left. The seats were not so bad; they were well-spaced, big, comfortable, and not cramped. IMPORTANT: Book early and in advance. Be in the station 30 minutes early. The train leaves on time.

Chinese Food

I wasn’t big fan of Chinese food, and because we were on a budget, we thrived mostly on street noodles. It costed 7¥ to 10¥ per serving (servings were BIG). Dumplings (10¥) were awesome too. Milk teas (4¥) were also nice and can be bought at convenience stores.

Chinese People

Generally nice and helpful even if most can’t speak English. 

All in all, we were in Shanghai and Beijing for a total of five days and spent only around 350 USD or 15,000 php per person, this includes the Christmas gifts and souvenirs we bought for home. 

Happy backpacking!