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anonymous
Q: Best places to go for a visa run
I have to go on a visa run soon. Not to get a new one, but just to get out of the country and then come back in on the second half of my tourist one.
Any one done this?
I need to be able to do it in a weekend, so basically I'm looking for the cheapest option and a not awful place to spend a night.
10 years 30 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
It would help us to calculate your closest/cheapest possibility, if you would tell us where your 'run' will start off?
Go to Hong Kong. That's where most people go. If you want to spend the night I'd recommend Chung King Mansions at the bottom end of Nathan Road. They have touts outside and you can get a good deal if you get there early, expect to pay around 200-300 a night. If you decide to go out don't leave anything valuable in your rooms as it's not well-known for being super safe, but it is frequented by many many backpackers.
Your other option is to spend the night clubbing and crash in a McDonalds for the night. I did that on my first visa run to China 3 years ago! Very memorable!
NiceBrice:
I don't recommend Chunk King Mansions unless you like sharing your bed with giant cockroaches. I found a tiny hotel room for the same price near Times Square area via hostelbookers. It was clean and centrally located.
nicholasba:
went always to wang fat hostel which is in a perfect location and rather cheap
expatlife26:
Chungking mansions is one of those places that cheap westerners stay in to brag about how "tough" and "local" they are. Place is a dump, it's where 3rd world traders bring their cheap whores to pile into roach infested closets. You can find a respectable, clean, safe hotel room in the 4-500HKD range where you can check in, leave your belongings in safety and go out and enjoy hong kong like a western person should. The difference in price is worth it.
hiddenjelly:
I agree that it's not the most ideal place but if you're on a serious budget and you're in town for one night it's alirght.
I wouldn't stay there for more than a single night though.
expatlife26:
I get that not everyone is here with a company that will expense their travel & accomodation...but honestly it's only about 450HKD for a respectable room (small but clean/safe) in a normal building hotel. I spend about 2 nights a week in HK on business these days so I can tell you it's not that expensive to find a decent room, you just have to book in advance which requires a credit card. Chungking Mansion is a ripoff, it's the cheapest place so it's gonna be a shitty value because there is no need to provide quality to the people who are shopping only for the lowest price. You spend about 50% more and you get a 200% better experience because they aren't simply competing on having the lowest price possible. I guess if you're 22 and backpacking around it's not like you're going to get stabbed in there, it's gross but not generally violent. And yes...I stayed there when I was a 22 year old backpacker. :-) It's an experience, but honestly if you can do better it's worth it. Contrary to what a lot of hipsters and ESL teachers will tell you, being poor isn't cool. I'm proud to have left that stage of my life behind.
What is the deal with Visa-runs? I've never had to do one. Is that because you're working on the wrong visa?
TedDBayer:
Not everybody works in China.
http://answers.echinacities.com/question/sex-china-30-day-visamikael84:
I am here on a one year multi entry F visa, which means I have to leave every month (I go to Hong Kong). I don't work in China, so nothing illegal going on.
When this visa expires I will apply for a visa through my wife, but that will still require me to leave every 3 months.
I've been to Hong Kong and Thailand. It's a good excuse to get out of China for awhile.
due to high-speed rail, there is almost no logistically better alternative than hong kong. for some, but this is very few, mongolia or taiwan are better situated. for foreigners in xinjiang province, it is still hong kong due to the chinese military sending you on a 180 turn without pre-arranged Kazakhstan visa.
I'm off to Thailand this week and flights are pretty cheap at the moment. Hong Kong was also very cheap and Japan a bit more so. I hear to fly to Perth is cheap too because we're on the same time zone as them (well depending where you are in China), but either way it's not too expensive (compared to a flight from my home country to Oz). Depends how much you have to spare and if you just want to leave to anywhere or have a bit of fun with it, and go somewhere cool. Spring airlines is one of the best I have found so far.
You did not mention where in China you are.
However, if you are in or around Beijing and just need to exit China and return (meaning no need to go to a Chinese Embassy/Consulate), then the cheapest and less time choice is: Erlian (Erlianhaote).
You can take a train or a sleeper bus from Beijing to Erlian. The bus tends to arrive around 2-3 AM, but many taxi's will be around and give them 10-20 rmb to take you to a hotel for a few hours of rest. I say this because you will need to be up and out by around 7:00 to go to Erlian's border gate (国门-guomen). You will not be able to walk across. Why? Because that would be too easy and less money made for border guards. You will have to arrange a deal with a Mongolian jeep driver (there will be many) for a drive to the gate and wait for you outside to take you to the Mongolian side. The cost should be around 50-80 RMB round trip. You will be with others likely ad sitting on clothes/vegetables. Once you enter the Chinese border center and leave the other side the Mongolian jeep will be waiting for you and take you to the Mongolian border. Before you get out, ask them if they arrange for you to get back to China once you process in and out of the Mongolian border center.
The Mongolian border officers do not speak Chinese or English, only Mongolian or Russian. You will have a nice story to tell later on. Fill out the forms, wait in line, pay the processing fee, leave the center and get a jeep and do the reverse back in to China.
Once you get back to the Chinese border center the officer might ask why you are there. Just make sure you say you are sightseeing. Do not mention anything about studying, working, visiting people, just sightseeing.
Here are more detailed sites.
http://www.smartbeijing.com/articles/activities/offbeat-the-mongolia-vis...
http://thebjreviewer.com/blog/2012/1/6/visa-run-to-erlian-inner-mongolia...
http://www.abandonthecube.com/blog/the-beijing-erlian-visa-run/
http://thatstrovewithgods.blogspot.com/2011/02/to-mongolia-and-back-agai...
http://wikitravel.org/en/Erlian
I've done the Erlian visa run in the past (sleeper bus) to/from Beijing. Took less than 24 hours in total. Cost less than 1000 RMB (bus tickets, hotel, visa).
Go for visa run to Philippines, tickets from Shanghai starting from 170 GBP. Holiday on a white sand for free!
Actually its depend on your location in China. Please choose from the following alternative: 1) From Jiangxi you can go to Vietnam through the border Dong Xing. 2) From Yunnan you can go to Myanmar by the Mekong River. 3) From Fujian (Xiamen) you can take a cruise to Hong Kong (only have 1 trip monthly). 4) From Fujian (Fuzhou) you can go to Taiwan by sea from PingTan. 5) From the Northen part of China you can go to Mongolia by train. 6) From Xinjiang you can got to Kazakstan. 7) From Northeastern you can go to Korea through QiZhou island.
