China and Tibet Rail Adventure

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

Given the particularity of Tibet, we will not bear any legal liability or compensation for any change of itinerary due to force majeure factors such as state policy or weather.

Please note lighters and aerosol cans are not allowed planes, trains or sights of special interest, such as Tiananmen square, Forbidden city, The Temple of Heaven, Terracotta Warriors, Three Gorges Dam, and the Wild Goose Pagoda.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £390.14pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

China entry requirements

You will require a visa to visit mainland China. If you’re 14 to 70 years old, you must apply for a visa in person at a visa application centre. If you’re aged 13 and under or aged 71 and over, you can only apply online. You must provide biometric data (scanned fingerprints) for your application. There are visa application centres in London, Manchester, Belfast and Edinburgh. The details of their opening hours are on their websites. The Chinese Embassy has further information on visa categories and how to apply. The application process takes approximately 4 – 10 working days and the cost depends on the visa and class you choose. You will require extra documentation for your application that you can request from us from 2 months before departure. They may ask for the Agency License Number which is China International Travel Service Ltd: 911100001013930695. We work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. When calling the Travel Visa Company they will advise you of any changes to the fees or the procedure, they will also advise you of all the information they will require to apply for the visa.

Tibet entry requirements

You will require a visa for entry into Tibet. If you have a British passport we have included the cost of the visa in your tour and this will be arranged for you by our team in China. Important: in order for us to process your visa for Tibet you must provide us with a colour photocopy of your passport. Therefore, you do not need to organise a visa for Tibet before you travel. Please note: we can only arrange a visa for British passport holders, all other nationalities are on request and you must check with us prior to booking.

We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding these.

Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your e-ticket and final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.

IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.

Please note - spray cans of any form and lighters are not allowed on trains or planes.

Passport and visa information are very necessary documents for applying Tibet Permit. It usually takes at least 20 days to get the permit. Therefore your prompt information will be greatly helpful to improve our working efficiency. Please provide us your scanned photocopies of your passport and visa to China 30 days prior to your departure.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health/vaccination requirements for your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure.

Altitude sickness is a fairly common condition that can occur when you ascend to a high altitude (generally higher than 2,500 metres above sea level) quickly. Therefore, you may find you experience some symptoms at this altitude. It is advised that at these high altitudes, you keep hydrated. If you do experience symptoms of altitude sickness during your tour, ensure you tell your guide immediately who will be able to advise the best thing for you to do. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, or your General Practitioner.

This tour is accessible to most people with a good level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves climbing of steep stairs and getting on and off coaches & trains. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.

The currency in China is the Renminbi, known as RMB or CNY. It is often referred to as the Yuan. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you depart. US Dollars are widely accepted in China should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. Most major credit cards are accepted in hotels and shopping malls in China. Small shops and restaurants may not accept credit cards as well as street vendors, so it's strongly advised to have sufficient Chinese currency with you. ATM’s are readily available in big cities and most small towns.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £300 - £400 will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases.

Tipping

It is customary to tip your national guide, local guide and driver approximately CNY50 per person, per day. Your national guide will collect this for your convenience on the first day of your tour, approximately CNY600 per person for the total duration. Tips are collected in Chinese Yuan.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 18. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date, then you may be asked to change to a different date or a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local guide in each of the cities which you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. For groups of less than 10, you will have a driver and be joined by a local guide at each location.

Trains

During your tour you will be getting on and off several trains and experiencing some of the most scenic routes in China and Tibet. You will be booked in to air-conditioned carriages for all day trains. Seats generally recline and there is overhead space for a bag. Overnight trains you will be booked in to soft sleepers, all cabins come with air conditioning but there is no private toilet, Bathrooms are at the end of each carriage. Beds usually come with a pillow, bed sheet and blanket. Please bring toilet roll and hand sanitiser. Trains in China and Tibet do vary to the UK in terms of quality

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK, Tibet and China. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours. Unlike the western world, Chinese people do not normally pre-heat their plates and food can be presented at a variety of temperatures, which is a typical Chinese way of doing things.

Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Bottled water will be available at shops and hotels.

If you are travelling within the below Chinese Public Holidays, please note that celebrations last for several days and during these times some businesses will be closed and coach, air and train travel may be affected. Tourist attractions will be open but may be crowded. Chinese New Year usually falls sometime between January 21 and February 20. Golden Week public holidays fall annually between 1st – 3rd of May and 1st – 7th of October.

On your arrival in China you will be met by a representative from our local agent will be in the terminal, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays representative will show you to your transfer vehicle.

If you need to contact your representative during your stay the details are:

Head office address China Travel Service Head Office (Beijing) co. Ltd.

Address: Room 919, CITS tower, Dongdan North Road No.1 Dongcheng District, Beijing, China. Tel: 0086 10 8522 8725 / 0086 10 8522 8722.

Please find below the emergency contact details for China Travel Service:

During Office Hours: 0086 10 85228725 OR 0086 10 85228722

After Office Hours: Ms. Linda Liu (Mobile): 0086 61 3911043036 Ms. Starling Wang (Mobile): 0086 61 3810153047