Four things are genuinely worth sorting out before you fly. Everything else you can figure out after landing.
China now waives visas entirely for ordinary passports from dozens of countries — most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and others get 30 days visa-free. You book a flight and go.
Not on the list (the US, UK and Canada aren't)? You likely qualify for 240-hour visa-free transit: up to ten days if you're passing through to a third country or region. Fly into Shanghai and out to Hong Kong, for example, and the whole trip fits inside the window.
The rules change several times a year, so before booking anything check the National Immigration Administration's official announcements or your nearest Chinese embassy's site.
China is nearly cashless; everything from noodle stalls to taxis runs on QR codes. The fix takes ten minutes: install Alipay, add your Visa or Mastercard (foreign cards have been supported since 2023), and you can pay everywhere. Set up WeChat Pay too as a backup — some small vendors only take one or the other.
Carry a couple hundred yuan in cash for the rare stall that wants it. Shops are legally required to accept cash, but nobody will expect it.
Google, Instagram, WhatsApp and most Western apps are blocked on Chinese networks. The painless workaround is a travel eSIM (Airalo, Holafly and similar): their data routes through international roaming, so everything on your phone works exactly as at home. Buy and install it before you fly.
Two apps worth adding: Amap (Gaode) for maps that actually know China — Apple Maps also works well there — and any translator with a camera mode for menus.
High-speed rail beats flying for most routes on this site: 350 km/h, station in the city center, no baggage circus. Beijing–Shanghai takes about 4.5 hours; Shenzhen–Guangzhou about 40 minutes.
Book with your passport on the official 12306 app (it has an English mode) or on Trip.com for a small fee. Tickets open about 15 days ahead and sell out around holidays. At the station, your passport is your ticket.