If you go to China

Doing China on your own

Lodging

Room rates are negotiable. Ask for a discount whether booking over the phone, Internet or in-person.

The Old House Inn, Shanghai, 12-room boutique hotel in the French Concession. Rates: $122 for double with air conditioning and breakfast, based on current exchange rate of 8.07 yuan to the dollar. Phone 011-86-21-6248-6118 or see www.oldhouse.cn.

The Magnolia Hotel, Yangshuo, new hotel one block from "Foreigner's Street." Rooms with air conditioning starting at $35. Phone 011-86-773-881-9288 or see www.yangshuoren.com.

The Ping An Hotel, Ping An, Dragon Backbone (Longji) rice terraces. Basic rooms with air conditioning and private bathrooms. Doubles, $18. Phone: 011-86-773-758-3198.

Moon Inn, Old Town, Lijiang. New family-run hotel in a restored century-old house. Doubles, $50. Call 011-86-888-5180-520.If full, try the 16-room Zen Garden Hotel next door, 011-86-888-5189-799 or www.zengardenhotel.com.

Far East Hotel, Beijing, upscale sister to the Far East International Youth Hostel across the street. Good value in an atmospheric hutong location, 20-minute walk to Tiananmen Square. Twenty-four-hour Internet cafe, restaurants, travelers' services. Upper-floor doubles with private bath, $35; other room prices vary. Call 011-86-10-5195-8811 or see www.fareastyh.com.

Hua Fu International Hotel, Beijing, at the top of Wangfujing Street in Dong Cheng. Business hotel popular with Chinese tourists and groups. Doubles with air conditioning starting at around $50. Call 011-86-10-5120-9588 or see www.huafuhotel.com (Chinese only).

Money

Bigger hotels accept credit cards, but most restaurants, shops, some travel agents and smaller hotels want cash. I used ATM machines and took along travelers' checks as a backup.

Air travel

The question is whether to buy airline tickets for travel within China in the U.S. and pay full price, or buy them in China and take advantage of discounts. I waited, and had no problems buying tickets a few days ahead. The savings were $30-$40 on each of two tickets (a third cost about what I would have paid here), plus I had the flexibility of last-minute planning. Tickets can be purchased from airline offices, travel agents or through hotels.

Keep in mind that flights fill up fast during busy periods. I traveled in mid-October when there were plenty of seats available.

The major airports have English signs and announcements. Leave plenty of time between connecting flights if you're using different airlines. You'll need to claim your bags, go to the ticket counter for a boarding pass, check-in again and re-enter security.

Getting around

Walking is the best way to soak up the sights and sounds, but when the noise and exhaust fumes get to be too much, try the subways or take taxis.

The Shanghai subway was crowded to the point that I didn't have to hold on because there were so many people pressing against each other. Beijing's system is older and less stressed, but both were easy to use, with "You are Here" signs and English announcements.

Taxis are cheap. Most trips cost just $1-$2. As a rule, drivers don't speak English, so ask someone to write down the name of your destination, or pick up a card from a big hotel with the names of common destinations written in Chinese characters. In Beijing, I carried a Lonely Planet map with the street names written in Chinese and English. Avoid pedicabs. Many of the drivers are dishonest.

Staying wired

Cellphone service is available most everywhere, from rural villages to remote sections of the Great Wall. Hotels offer Wi-Fi, and Internet access is 50 cents to $1.25 an hour at cafes. Despite news of censorship, I was able to access my Seattle Times and Yahoo e-mail accounts and read U.S. news sites online.

Language

If you're good at playing charades, you'll get along just fine. Gestures always work.

A few basic words and phrases ("Hello," "Thank you," "Excuse me") come in handy more out of friendliness than necessity. "Where's the bathroom?" isn't necessary since most are marked with stick figures for men and women.

— Carol Pucci