Trip to BaDaLing and Beijing 

Welcome back. I hope you found my previous information useful for your trip. I also went through your feedback and will be more than happy to plug any gaps in my information.

Badaling - Dates, Transit routes and other information

First I am going to deal with Badaling and how you are going to get there from your hotel and which date might conceivably work better for you. As someone who travels, I would assume that when you come to Beijing on June 12th, you would want to sample the city before you hike your way to Badaling and back and then start work as well on the Monday. On principle, I would suggest that doing the trip before you leave for Shanghai might work best for you i. e on June 19th.

The trip to Badaling and back

As the closest section of the Great Wall to Beijing, Badaling is by far the most popular part of the site to visit. The best time to visit is early morning, before the tour buses arrive. If you make it past the hoards and hustlers and make the climb itself, the views are quite spectacular. The wall itself was designed to allow five horsemen or ten soldiers to march side by side along the wall! How cool is that! 

• Tickets cost ¥40 and it should take you about 2 hours more or less depending on your fitness levels
• Do wear comfortable shoes and proper clothing as it can get pretty chilly up there (despite it being summer). Be warned that the slopes are dangerously steep!!
• Bring some water (they do sell bottled water at the mid-point rest area but they're expensive) but note that there's no restroom while you're on the wall!
• You can read relevant information about Badaling, ticket prices etc here. Enjoy the read! 

The Hard Way

Going by train is the hard way. Just kidding! Well but it involves trekking to the Beijing North Station (Nearest subway is XizhiMen on the West - and then a 0.5 km walk to the station) then catching the train to Badaling.

• The S2 trains are those with the last station as Yanqing departing from Beijing North with these timings - 07:26, 08:00, 09:33, 11:08, 13:19, 15:01 and the return from Badaling is at 09:22, 11:39, 13:07, 15:19 and then 17:05. Tickets each way would be First Class: ¥24 and Second Class: ¥20

• Once you arrive at Badaling Station, ignore the minibus drivers offering to drive you to the wall, turn left and walk about 500m to reach the main ticket office where you can get your ticket for the Great Wall.

The other option is the bus to Badaling but there are huge fake bus scams involved so please beware. Do read this reader's experience of taking the bus to Badaling to make up your mind. The first bus leaves at early as 6:30 AM.

The Easy Way

Well the easiest way to get to Badaling is take a car and drive out there. Should be roughly a hour's drive away from downtown Beijing using the Badaling Expressway. And even easier is to do with a tour guide. I found a tour with an English speaking guide which is offering its services for about US $86 for two people. Check it out if you prefer this way  The other option is to hire a taxi and ask the driver to wait for you. Check this review from Tripadvisor for more! 

NOTE: Badaling is accessed from Beijing North Station while you are leaving for Shanghai from Beijing Main Station. There is no direct connection between Badaling and Shanghai. You will need to factor in time for making a complete return trip from Badaling to Beijing North and then taking the subway back from XizhiMen to Beijing Main station (Line 2)

Tips about Beijing Main Train Station, buying tickets & generic tips

• So you have two options about leaving the luggage: One is at the hotel itself where it will be kept free of cost and the 2nd is to leave it at the Beijing Main station. There are luggage lockers and other left-luggage services at Beijing main train station. I believe it costs about ¥10-15 per luggage piece.

• Bus routes to the railway station: 9, 10, 20, 24, 25, 29, 39, 52, 59, 103, 104, 122, 403, 420, 434, 457, 637, 638, 639, 640, 668, 673, 674, 728, 729, 744, 938, 957 and some night buses including 203, 204, 208, 209, 211 and for the Subway: Line 2

• English service is provided in the international waiting room, soft seat waiting room and the central ticket barrier.

• Tourists can buy tickets and reserve seats up to 4 days in advance. This traveller however felt that the commission they charge online is quite high and preferred booking tickets directly at the station itself. You can buy tickets online from these vendors: ChinaTripAdvisor, ChinaTrainTickets and ChinaTrainTickets.com

• There are 3 ATM's at the entrance of the Beijing Railway Station.

• Here are tips from a traveller about travelling in a Chinese train right from the booking a ticket to keeping luggage process.

• Ticket check-in usually begins half an hour before the departure time and stops 5 minutes before departure. Please be sure to be at the check-in gate well before time.

I picked four things that you have specifically asked for in your feedback to me. Please do let me know if there is anything more you would like and I can come back to you with answers

• Weather – give temperature range in all 4 places
• Maps would be helpful and probably some idea of distance/transit times so that it can be accounted in the itinerary
• Recommendation for hotel in Shanghai
• A Frommer-style suggestion of which attractions to club together depending on their closeness and time requirement for each

Weather

• Beijing - Expect anything from a 28ºC - 40ºC and yes do expect the intermittent heavy rainstorm as well. You can read more here about Beijing weather.

• Shanghai - Approx 21ºC - 27ºC , during the summer months in Shanghai, the evenings are especially pleasant and balmy, despite being up to 10ºC cooler than those during the daytime. Shanghai is also afflicted by the 'Plum Rain Season'. Called so because of the plums which ripen along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Starts in mid-June and ends early July. So do make sure you carry that umbrella with you!

• Guilin - Average of 22ºC - 32ºC. The three rainiest months however are April, May, and June. Travel to Guilin is possible during these months, but prepare for rain and make sure to pack along a raincoat or umbrella.

• Xian  - Summer in Xian (June to August) becomes both hot and humid with average temperatures from 18ºC - 33ºC.

In Your Neighborhood in Beijing

• I thought I would let you know that your hotel is located very close to Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai Lakes. These are artificial lakes surrounded by more than 100 bars and restaurants and some well-preserved hutongs. So you can take a leisurely stroll along the area or rent a bicycle and wander through the neighborhoods.

• Oooh The Dragon Boat Festival that I had recommended to you previously happens in the Houhai lakes. I have been trying to find accurate information regarding timings and the like online about this but all I am able to find is that it typically happens at these lakes so do check with your hotel concierge once you get into Beijing.

• In your vicinity is also Nan Luo Gu Xiang, a hutong considered a hidden treasure in downtown Beijing. This is very close to Beihai Park which is a about a hour's walk away from your hotel. The 2nd option is take Bus No 14 from near your hotel and alight at Zhonghai (which is 1.5 km walkable distance away from Beihai). Popular spots include
  • Passby Bar
  • Eateries like Paper
  • Cheeky Beijing-themed T-shirt vendor Plastered 8
  • Late night snack outlet Fish Nation. 

• Last but not the least I am putting in a Google map that shows you attractions in and around your hotel which clubs what you wanted Frommer-style. My only worry for you then is visiting the attractions keeping in mind your work timings as well. Note that Birds Nest, 798 Art District and the Lama Temple are the 3 attractions will probably take more commute time. This is of course apart from Badaling that should take you almost 5-6 hours journey including the trek to the Wall.

 
View Beijing in a larger map

SHANGHAI

For Shanghai, I am going to give you a listing of hotels that will be suited to your requirements as well as a map with attractions.

The list of hotels is as follows:

• Old House Inn - RECOMMENDED. ¥720 - ¥1,030 ($103-$147) Located in the French Concession District, this hotel is of a truly historical nature. Check this review here to really get the feel of the place.

• Ruijin Hotel- - RECOMMENDED. ¥1,200 ($175). The French Concession quarter has this wonderful gem of a hotel. Ask for a garden view room and you won't be disappointed. Read this review of Tripadvisor to make up your mind.

• Quintet Bed and Breakfast - RECOMMENDED. And the French Concession district triumphs again. You can check the rates here but I would recommend the Grand Cathay at about ¥1100 (US$162). Read this review to know why you should pick this over the other two recommendations I have made here!

Splurge

• Peninsula Hotel - This hotel right off the Bund is over the top. It has been only open since Oct '09 but at ¥2010 (US$300) a night, its a steal for the kind of luxury you would experience. Breakfast, limousine transfers, wi-fi, VoIP Internet telephone are all complimentary. But do check the fine print at this blog before you venture into the Peninsula.

• URBN Hotels Shanghai is a super eco-chic boutique hotel that just opened up. They are supposedly the first carbon neutral hotel in China. Their studio room comes at about ¥2000 (US$290) a night, breakfast included. Read this review to make up your mind about them.

I am assuming here that you would want to stay in a hotel and not a hostel. If you think you would want cheaper accommodation, please do come back to me and I would be more than happy to suggest options for you.

MAP FOR ATTRACTIONS

I have marked all the spots I had recommended to you. Have marked Quintet B & B as well to give you a rough idea on how much you would need to walk or take public transport in Shanghai.

View Shanghai in a larger map

If you would like to know more about commuting or finding a desi joint serving you paneer tikka in Shanghai, do write back to me.

Have you given any thought to your return trip i. e if you are taking a flight out of Shanghai or Beijing? I can then suggest how much time you would need to spend at Guilin/Xian apart from Shanghai itself. Do let me know what you decide. Have a fun holiday and make sure you don't shanghaied!! (Could not resist that one I am afraid!)

Kirti

PS: I posted a note on a China Travel forum regarding the luggage lockers at the station. I got a reply back which said that small luggage lockers are available at the station and you should speak to the staff for assistance. This link here also gives a whole lot of information on what is permissible baggage on the train, any extra charges and the like. I think this would be a very useful read for you. Cheers. Kirti.