The mainland of China is criss-crossed by a total of 226,800 kilometres of rivers, including 136,000 kilometres of inland waterways. The Shanghai-Chongqing line along the Yangtze River extends for 2,399 kilometres. On any given day the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River are being plied by more than 50 luxury tourist boats.  Simply put, water is an option when considering travel in China.  If you're close to a river and you're looking to go somewhere up or down the river check with a local travel agent to see what your options are.

Bikes provide a form of transportation for a majority of people in China, so much so that in major cities there are cycling side roads set aside on all major roads. Once of the nice things about many Chinese cities is that they are for the most part, very flat. No stories about having to ride uphill to and from school...

Train travel in China is cheap and relatively comfortable (depending on the type of fare you book).  The only issue with train travel is that you often don't have much time off and it takes a while to get anywhere on the train.  The best way to do train travel is to do you best to plan your trip for night travel and then to get a sleeper berth.  The beds are relatively comfy and hopefully the rocking of the train the will put you to sleep.

Virtually every city has an airport or it'll have one close by.  The best way to book a flight in China is to go to a travel agent.  Checking prices online simply doesn't work as most of the booking engines aren't accessible in English and the large travel sites like expedia and such simply don't have access to deals.

There are nine primary airlines in China:

• Air China
• Eastern Airlines
• Southern Airlines
• Hainan Airlines
• Shandong Airlines
• Shanghai Airlines
• Shenzhen Airlines
• Sichuna Airlines
• Xiamen Airlines

It is often NOT recommended to call or contact these airlines directly.  Find a travel agent, become their friend, and book all your travel with them.

Traveling by train in China is always an interesting experience for a foreigner. 

On my way back to Canada this year I took an overnight train from Anqing to Beijing. I had booked a "soft sleeper" which has nothing to do with the quality of the bed .   The "hard sleeper" has 6 beds to a compartment and the soft four.  On this occasion there were a couple of younger fellows as well as an older lady on her way to visit her son in Beijing.

We all hit the hay quite early and were up to greet the morning sun.  The lady had her breakfast and then pulled out a bag of peas and began to clean them on the bed. I am preparing dinner for my son tonight she said.  What else will you have I asked?  She promptly reached under the bed and pulled out a large sealed bag. Inside the bag was a large pot filled with water containing four rather long snakes.  My son loves to eat snakes and I cook them a special way. Do you eat snakes in Canada she queried?  I was so glad that I did not know about the snakes until morning otherwise it would have been a" no sleeper".

By the way, do you realise that the snakes were alive.

They offer an experience for tourists. They are found around big hotels and street corners in cozy seasons. Rickshaws provide a more relaxing way to explore the city.

Prices are bargained with the driver and though prices are usually reasonable, one should still be careful--it is not unheard of for a new tourist pay 50 Yuan for a 2 minute ride from the Friendship Store to the Subway.

You should carry a map with you, know where you are going or ask a foreigner if you care about the price, and if not then just go. The one really nice thing about these rickshaws is that unlike Thailand or other places where these are often used, the drivers don't make arbitrary pitstops in suit or dress manufacturers.

Taxi is a convenient means of transportation in large and medium-sized tourist cities in China, with fares ranging from 1 to 2 Yuan per kilometre. Simply raise your hand, and the taxi stops immediately for hotels in Beijing and other tourist cities.

Taxi meters start at 6 RMB in most places.

In general, the city buses (Gonggong Qiche) provide the cheapest way to get around most cities. The cost is 50 fen (5 jiao) per trip, generally inside the 3rd ring road; generally outside the 3rd ring you pay 50 fen for the first 3 stations, and then an additional 30 fen for each subsequent 3 stops.

The buses can be a very interesting experience for a foreigner. Few foreigners take the bus but for those who do it is definitely a cultural experience. Best advice here is to AVOID RUSH HOUR PERIODS.

The subway is a fast, convenient and a helpful way to get around the city--except of course during rush hours (7:00-9:00 and 16:30-18:00) when they're very crowded.

There are two subway lines: one circles the city and one extends into the western suburbs.