2008 Olympics: Advice to travelers attending the Beijing Olympics

Beijing is such a charming and ancient city that it seems a waste to travel that far and only see Olympic events. When I was in the city in 2006, I was traveling with my family in the spring of the year. We were able to hire a guide through word of mouth from friends in China. But when I looked on line (http://www.tour-beijing.com/) , I found a web site that does just this very thing for you.

We were accompanied by a tour guide and a driver in a van. Our accommodations while not luxurious were perfectly adequate. The tour guides in China are all regulated by the government and are required to take tourist to certain government owned businesses and scenic locations. Still we received a very personal and individual experience. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the history, beauty and people in this city.

Even if I were familiar with the city, I would never attend the Olympics and expected to find my way around in this enormous city without specific help and knowledge. Firstly, the Chinese are not fluent in English. I do realize that the China government has pushed for the Chinese to learn English so that they can accommodate our needs. But, if you were to, for example, wander away from the beaten track you would need to have a back up plan to at least return to your hotel. A business card from your hotel with ensure that a taxi returns you to the correct location. Secondly, this very old city is not designed or planned. It grew up over many, many centuries. While we expect to see some logic in cities when we travel, you will not find it here. Thirdly, you are dealing with a huge mass of humanity. The Chinese are making a real effort to provide mass transportation for their people but it takes time. I did not travel on the subway system in Beijing but I have been on the subway in Shanghai many times. I only ventured out at rush hour one time. You needed to be strong and determined. Elderly or handicapped people are almost never seen.

So my advice to you in this situation is to sign up with a tour group, pay what ever it costs and follow the group leader. This is no time to be going on a travel “adventure”. In fact, even as much as I travel, I cannot imagine it.