Got any travel tips?

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I'm going to China for a few weeks. I almost didn't want to go. Not because I dislike China but because travelling gives me such anxiety.

I'm scared of flying. Not because I think the plane is going to crash. I'm scared of being with all those people. I'm scared of the airport.

Also the plane makes me feel a bit claustrophobic. Normally I like small spaces but not this one. Flying always makes me feel so thirsty because the air is so dry but they only give you these tiny little cups of coffee. I require large amounts of coffee to function. And why do they offer you wine but not beer? I'd rather have beer.

Because my coming with a late addition, the flight from Adelaide to Melbourne was booked out (from Melbourne we go to China). Well I could take another flight that would arrive in Melbourne at nearly midnight. But flying alone? Too scary. Not because I think flying is dangerous. It just gives me social anxiety.

Eventually we arrived at a compromise. I would take the train to Melbourne. Everything is better with trains.

Ok but there's travelling around China. Long periods of boredom interspersed with brief periods of frantic activity when we realise we're late for the plane or train. I hope we travel mostly by train. The train is so relaxing. The bullet train is an impressive piece of technology but I hope we take the slow train. More relaxing that way.

I think I'll be spending a lot of time in the hotel. Not because I'm scared to get out of the hotel room and look at things but because my partner has some admin things to do. Things that won't interest me. After she's done with that and visited her family (who are lovely but don't speak English) we can do fun things.

This trip Jane has promised me that we can visit Zhangjiajie and Jinan. I was particularly excited about seeing Zhangjiajie. The scenic mountains that are mentioned in Journy to the West. Also the historic city of Jinan. Jane knows that I love historic sites and get considerably more excited about Chinese history than she does. I think Jane would rather leave history in the past.

Got any travel tips?

I'm particularly worried about being bored without proper internet access. Getting a couple of SIM cards (one for my phone and one for my laptop (yes my laptop has a SIM card slot)) is cheap and easy but the Chinese internet is so limited. Last time I ended up just reading the Warhammer 40K wiki because it was one of the few sites that actually worked on my phone.

Maybe I can store some websites on my laptop as HTML. So I can access them locally.

I'm really worried about entertainment because while the sites are spectular, China has some wonderful scenery, getting around the country takes hours and hours. I guess I can at least watch TV while I'm in the hotel. One time when I was in a Chinese hotel I even found a show that had English subtitles. Usually they only have Chinese subtitles.

I'll take a lot of photos but my phone only holds 512GB. The 1TB version was too expensive.

Anything I should bring? I can make a list. I like making lists. So far I'm up to about 15 items including lipbalm. I think I would die without lipbalm. I hope I don't gain weight. Every time I see Jane's family they always want to stuff me with food. I hope we can find coffee in China. They seem to like tea more than coffee.

Any travel tips I should know about?

Given all that you mentioned and the fact that China is a communist country with humanitarian violations and censorship, my only advice would be don’t go to China.

Be careful. Whatever you do.

I wish you the best.

Yeah, my tip for going to China is... don't.

I read that when locals in China see white people they love to touch them and feel their hair and take photos without permission. They don't usually do this just to be creepy or rude, they're just really fascinated by white people. But it is pretty sensory unfriendly. But I also heard they can be nasty to other non-white people.

Also they spit everywhere in public, even in hospitals and nice restaurants. And they don't put diapers on toddlers who aren't potty-trained, instead they have slits cut in the backs of the kid's pants and just let them do their business everywhere, including public buses and places.

I really hate to say it, but I kind of get why disease outbreaks have been a thing in China.

Oh and of course there's all the censorship and oppression and how you'll be lucky you make it out alive if you criticize the government or are seen eating a banana. Okay, I'm not sure about that last one.

People I knew that traveled in China in the 1980s would not recommend it. You might find some toilet facilities much different than you are used to. Trains out in remote areas would stop and not travel at night.

Boredom is usually the biggest problem in travel. You might want to bring the book, "Roughing It" by Mark Twain. It might make the travel in China seem less difficult.

I've been to a lot of different countries but haven't any advice relevant to China.
Since it's a language I know nothing of, I'd practice sign translation on my phone. Google didn't have Thai language last time I was in Thailand, that would have made a lot of travel easier.
Also... Always treat it like an adventure... Things will go awry, plans will come unstuck. Your mission is to enjoy the experience....the differences, smells and tastes will all help you forget your expectations.
Savour the little mishaps that colour your story.

I know a bunch of people who went to China and didn't complain about any of that either, just humidity (in Shanghai) and some on tourist visas complained about their documents being checked all the time. Also, they complained about not being able to buy bread, since rice is served at all times. But other than that, they were fascinated with China. Even those who went to study there in the nineties. One artist was there for some years and imported a husband here.

If you haven't seen the museums, I heard they're all free, apart from the big ones, like Forbidden City - The Palace Museum.

As far as I could see/hear they pay for everything with their phones, with Allipay and WeChatpay being used a lot. I can't think of anything else useful.

For flying: Bring a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated (you can fill it after security). Also, instant coffee packets might be a lifesaver if you need more than what they offer on the plane