Traveling to China was one of the best experiences of my life. I traveled one month with a group of students through Beijing, Piaoyao, Datong, and Shanghai, and have learned so much about not only the language, Chinese culture, but about traveling in general.

Here are a few tips:

1. If your traveling to tourist areas, there will be people who speak some English, at least. However, I highly recommend that certain words in Mandarin are known. This includes "thank you" ("Xie xie"), "please" ("qing"), and etc. Knowing a bit of Mandarin is also great for bargaining.

2. BARGAIN! I can't stress it enough. Prices will be marked up far higher if you are American or European. Speaking a bit of Mandarin helps here. "tai gui le" means too expensive. "yao" means want/need, and "bu yao" means not want or don't need. These phrases are important. Also, there are a couple of good bargaining tips. It is highly helpful to have a friend shop with you, who can act disinterested and try and pull you away. This works extremely well. You can also try and explain that you only have a certain amount... and stick to that amount. If you can't get the price you want, someone else will have it, and you can always go back.For example, I was able to bargain down a pair of chopsticks from 600RMB (close to $100USD) to 30RMB (less than $6USD)

3. Watch how much money you spend. Prices in China can be much lower in the US, and can be bargained down to even lower. It is very easy to purchase items you simply don't need or use. It is important to know the exchange rate of RMB (or kuai) to your country's money. A budget is also useful when traveling.

4. Chinese airlines only allow one take on bag, a purse, and one checked bag. My group packed light enough to pack our second travel bag into our first, and fly that way. Checked bags can only weigh 20kg and carry ons can only weigh 10kg (though these are usually not weighed unless they look heavy). Otherwise, you will be expected to pay a fee per extra kg.

5. Hotels will charge you for anything that is taken or used. Make sure you have an understanding of what is complimentary and what is not. If they can't find something in your room, they will charge it. Also expect cleaning people to come into your room to clean even if you have the "DO NOT ENTER" sign on the door.

These are just a few tips... I hope they help!