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Adaptor: My hotel had UK plugs so no need for an adaptor!

Flight time: The flight from Huangshan was 2 hours (but was eventually delayed by another 2 hours or so as it was an evening flight!)  My flight back to the UK from Beijing was 8 and a half hours to Helsinki and then another 3 hour flight to London.

Packing: Essentials - umbrella (to use as a sun shade), sun lotion, sunglasses, and also warm clothes as it can cool down significantly at night.  Also antibacterial wipes for use, especially in toilets.  A good Mandarin dictionary and map is essential!  Also a guide book with pictures or names in Mandarin - as either will help you with the cab drivers - although it doesn’t mean they’ll actually get you there!

Getting around: As I was staying in the centre of town I mostly walked.  Provided you stay to the main streets these are reasonably well marked out - although side streets may well be impossible.  The tube system is easy to use, marked in English, but be aware that you may have to pass through security to get onto it at some stations.  The staff at my hotel warned me not to try to use the buses as I don’t speak Mandarin.

Taxis.  Probably the worst taxi drivers of any city I have visited (barring the odd completely psycho driver in London or Paris).  The easiest way to get anywhere in a taxi is to have someone from your hotel, or the hotel you have stopped at for coffee/cocktails/spa/the toilet instruct the driver for you.  If you hail a cab on the street they may well expect you to not only know the route to where you are going, but to be able to tell them in Mandarin.  Waving a card with an address on it may not work at all (please do not ask me why).  According to someone I met in Beijing you really should be able to say “straight ahead”, “left” or “right” to get where you want to go.  I found thrusting my whole arm through the gap between the front seats and gesturing madly forward, forward, forward and then right, plus showing the driver on the map was enough to get me 3 blocks east and 1 block south.  They are cheap though.

Shopping: (See also China Spa Princess - Shopping.) When I arrived in Beijing I wished I hadn’t bought anything on my trip.  It’s cheap and plentiful.  The famous Hongqiao Pearl Market is a bit run down but a place to pick up cheap gifts. I bought very cheap silk scarves for my niece to cut up and bargained them down hugely, then realised they were actually quite nice when I got home.  Once again tips on the latest places to shop from your hotel are often the best.  My favourite shop was the wonderful Three Stone Kite (25 West DiAnMen Street, Beijing, www.cnkites.com cnkites@sohu.com - although the website is in Chinese and I couldn’t get the English button to work!) - where I got a fabulous dragon kite for my family.  Near to Hou Hai, I recommend this shop if only for a look.  If you want to buy prepare to banter gently but firmly and don’t be surprised if all you get is a spool of thread rather than a discount.

The Guides: Although I had great maps and guides, in particular the ever reliable DK Eye Witness, none of them are any good when the road and shop signs are all in Mandarin.  If you want to visit Beijing outside of the main tourist sights, or even visit The Great Wall I would recommend that you do a guided tour.  Sadly the one we had booked I had to cancel as there was no way my legs could make it up The Great Wall, so I can’t recommend any.  Review recommendations on Tripadvisor, or ask your hotel about guided tours.  Areas which are easy to visit for English speakers are Hou Hai (where there is also a Tourist Information Office with information in several languages, and who can help you book many activities), The Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven, The Lama Temple, Tiananmen Square.  Bei Hai Park is easy enough to navigate but here, and pretty much anywhere you can still get into trouble trying to order food, so yes sometimes it is easier to eat and socialise in your hotel - so pick a nice atmospheric one and you won’t feel that you’re missing out when you head back there.  As always, let your hotel staff help you out - most of them are only too happy to share their local knowledge with you.  If all else fails and you get lost and have to jump in a cab make sure you have a guidebook with either pictures you can point to (how I got to The Lama Temple) or addresses in Chinese (how I got to Tian Spa.)