Traveling around China can be accomplished in a number of ways. With over 140 airports throughout China, air travel is easy. Rail travel is also easily accessible. Traveling by automobile, on the other hand, can be difficult, expensive, and downright dangerous!

There are twelve main airports in China, covering mainly the eastern and southeast regions of the country. In the north, Beijing Airport and its northern partner, Dailain Airport account for the most passengers in the northeast. Further down along the coast, Shanghai has two major airports - Honggiao and Pudong - for the many millions of passengers who come to the Shanghai region each year. Xiamen, Baiyun, Baoan, and Hong Kong Airport take up the most southeast traffic. Further inland, the major airports of Xianyang, Chengdu, Chongging and Guilin make travel throughout the western areas more accessible.

The most popular airlines within China are Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Dragon Air, and Hainan Airlines. There are many more airlines and it is wise to check prices before you leave home in order to ensure you have a cheap and efficient flight within China.

The first railway in China was built in 1874. Now, there are tens of thousands of miles of track linking virtually every town and city. There are four classes of train travel within China - hard seat, soft seat, hard sleeper, and soft sleeper. Like it sounds, hard seat is the most unpleasant but also the cheapest. It is similar to "coach" class. Soft seat is a first class ride for short distances. Hard sleeper is a semi-private sleeping car, soft sleeper is more private and bedding is provided.

Most travel guides encourage first-time visitors to China to NOT rent a car. It's dangerous, many Chinese drivers have little experience driving, and it is not inexpensive. In fact, hiring a taxi driver for an entire day is often cheaper than renting a car!

However you decide to travel within China, planning ahead is the best way to make it a success. Do your research before you leave home and you will most likely have a safe and enjoyable trip.