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Original poster

Long layovers on long haul flight

30 replies

ZenNudist · 17/12/2023 08:49

Am I crazy?

Been pricing up 4 people flight Manchester to japan and I am looking at £5.5k to fly out early the day I want to go, from my home town of Manchester, 3 hour stop off in dubai. Gets me there midday. On the way back similar drill but depart midday and arrive early am.

Just found flight going from Heathrow the evening of the day I want to go, flying via Beijing with a shorter flight and similar lay over of 3 hours at Beijing. £3k!

Problem is way back said 22 hour wait at Beijing so I've rejigged the flights so I can stop in Beijing and fly the next day. Is this madness?

I'm very tempted to take the 2 hour journey to see the great Wall but as its a short trip I'm thinking tiannamen Square and forbidden city and eat peking duck.

Anyone been to Beijing or made a long layover into a mini break? I'm apprehensive about it.

For context colleagues are looking at £500-600 ppn not in school holidays so £5.5k for 4 is just extortionate. £3k more like it...

OP posts:

Doggymummar · 17/12/2023 08:52

Have you checked you are permitted to leave the airport? Often you are not. Will you need a visa for China and are you allowed to go unescorted on the trips you want to do? If yes to all then it will be great. Although why it's so expensive I done know, time of year maybe flights to Tokyo were under £500 yesterday when I was looking.

IrresponsiblyCertainAboutSexualDimorphism · 17/12/2023 08:53

A stop over is an excellent idea. We had about 40 hours in Singapore on our way to New Zealand and I’d definitely do similar again.

ElevenSeven · 17/12/2023 08:54

You need a visa to leave the airport and enter China

IrresponsiblyCertainAboutSexualDimorphism · 17/12/2023 08:55

…assuming it’s feasible to get whatever permissions you need. Singapore is easy.

SausageCasseroles · 17/12/2023 08:56

Yes was going to say we spent 12 hours in Singapore Airport and did the (escorted) tour and it was brilliant.

This time the flights won't allow us more than 6 hours andnI am gutted!

parietal · 17/12/2023 09:00

I was recently in Beijing. The airport is a long way south of the city centre. You will need a visa to leave the airport. And I found it impossible to do anything without a local guide. All spending money, getting taxis etc is done by local Chinese apps on your phone and if you don't have the app, you can't do anything. Google and western media don't work.

Fascinating place to visit but not easy for a quick stay.

fitforflight · 17/12/2023 09:00

I think with China (providing you're a British passport holder) you have a 72 free visa. That 72 hours starts at midnight the day you land, even if you landed at 10am (you'd be 10 hours into your visa) but doesn't sound like that's an issue for your plans. It's also advised to have at least a 10 hour layover to do the great wall, so as long as you've got a full 10 hours the day you land or the day you fly again you should be fine.

dizzydizzydizzy · 17/12/2023 09:29

I went to Beijing in 2016. I booked a car with a driver to take me to the Great Wall. We had the fantastic Miles Meng driving us.
He speaks very good English:

www.beijingenglishdriver.com/

He is recommending in Lonely Planet
Which is how I found him.

We went to the Mutianyu section of the wall because you can get down from it on a toboggan. Just thought the kids would like it

and they did it.

dizzydizzydizzy · 17/12/2023 09:32

Great Wall the highlight of the trip for me. I did also go to the Forbidden City and Tiannamen Square.

Original poster

ZenNudist · 17/12/2023 12:22

parietal · 17/12/2023 09:00

Fascinating place to visit but not easy for a quick stay.

This is good to know and think hard about. I will try and book a local driver. It would be worth hanging around the airport just to get the cheaper flight but a shame not to try and see some amazing sight. I'd love to go to the great Wall. It's such a long drive on top of a 10 hour flight back to London. I was thinking.

For visa I was going to try and pick one up at the Chinese embassy before I went rather than wait in thd airport for one.

OP posts:

parietal · 18/12/2023 10:27

Visa costs £150 or so and needs 2 visits to the visa centre in London. You can't get a visa at the airport.

Also, you will be v tired off a long flight. If you really want to see Beijing, stop for 3 days and make it a proper trip.

wishIwasonholiday10 · 19/12/2023 13:44

fitforflight · 17/12/2023 09:00

We have done this in Shanghai. Check whether it’s still an option before applying for an expensive visa.

WickDittington · 19/12/2023 14:07

If you can get a visa, do 24 hours in Beijing. I'd recommend Tiananmen Square & the Forbidden City - then walk through the hutongs, back into the downtown - you can do a sort of loop. And then wander the Silk Road market - may many floors of tourist stuff, but some of it really gorgeous.

It was sobering to stand in the middle of Tiananmen Square and remember the live footage I saw back in the 80s. Those students were brave.

WickDittington · 19/12/2023 14:08

All spending money, getting taxis etc is done by local Chinese apps on your phone and if you don't have the app, you can't do anything. Google and western media don't work.

I was there pre-Covid (December 2019) and I used a VPN on my phone.

TizerorFizz · 19/12/2023 15:39

Tianamen square has a queueing system I recall. Quite frankly, we didn’t think it was that great. Just a big square with Russian architecture! Far better is the National Museum of China, It has wonderful exhibits! Also consider the Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City and the Great Wall. We went to the Jinshanling section but Badaling is much nearer Beijing. Busier though. Definitely do as long as possible or it’s all a rush!

Mountaindhew · 19/12/2023 15:47

It seems a big faff! I would get someone like trailfinders to give you flight options as there must be other combo's other than just these two options.

Flibbertigibbettytoes · 19/12/2023 15:53

I went to Beijing about 20 years ago and it was totally doable without a phone or local guide 😂
Also I don't think people go to Tiananmen Square for the architecture but to remember the tragedy of those young people who hoped they could change the future and were literally crushed.
OP if you can sort the visa, definitely try and stay at least one night to make it a break. There's loads to see in addition to the Great Wall.

HolidayHappy123 · 19/12/2023 15:55

Try to book with a 2-3 day stop over in Beijing to make the most of the trip.

HolidayHappy123 · 19/12/2023 16:00

Also have a look at the ITA flight matrix which will show you all the options. I put in 2 weeks over October half term as an example...

HolidayHappy123 · 19/12/2023 16:03

The best option without a long stopover is MAN-DXB-HND and vice versa at £1019 per ticket. There is just enough time to stretch your legs and get something to eat in DubaI.

parietal · 19/12/2023 16:36

WickDittington · 19/12/2023 14:08

All spending money, getting taxis etc is done by local Chinese apps on your phone and if you don't have the app, you can't do anything. Google and western media don't work.

I was there pre-Covid (December 2019) and I used a VPN on my phone.

You can get western media if you have a vpn - you need to set it up and pay before you leave the uk. But if you want to book a local taxi or a ticket to the Forbidden City or to buy things in most shops, you need a local app. UK bank cards were not accepted where I tried, and cash only sometimes was.

TizerorFizz · 19/12/2023 18:52

Tianamen square is very difficult to imagine with tanks and students in it. You see it as a vast open space with ugly buildings. You need vivid imagination to see it as anything else as there’s obviously no memorial. I definitely preferred the museum which was full of outstanding and wonderful objects from China. Ceramics, bronzes, costumes, money etc. It’s great!

Holidayqueen1 · 25/12/2023 04:42

Hi
we paid 850 pp last October half term via Qatar. Looking for next Oct half term flights were over £1000 pp- too much for us! Japan is an amazing place. There used to be tourist visas available when you landed in Beijing as long as you didn’t leave the city and the queues weren’t too long. If you do it I’d def prebook a driver and allow lots of times the roads into the city are soooooo busy! Make sure you leave enough time to get back and checked in too!

DialMforMummy · 25/12/2023 05:15

Beijing is massive and the airport is miles away from the centre. As others have said, navigating the city without any Chinese will be a challenge unless you fork out for a guide.
Tiananmen is a bit meh, and the wall, depending at what time of the year can be rammed with people. If you are planning to do this during a Chinese national holiday, then rethink your plans.

RantyAnty · 25/12/2023 06:58

Yes do it!

I've had long layovers in Shanghai, bejing, and Guanzhou

There will be a desk in the airport.
This explains how to do it. It didn't cost anything.

Ask for help as people are really friendly.

visaguide.world/asia/china-visa/transit-visa/72-hour-visa-free/

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