Its Holiday time again. This time its something that has been on myself and Daves bucket list for years but always filed away in the too difficult folder and occasional dusted off for another look only to be filed away again for another 12 months. This time though, the file stayed out and the planning commenced.
This trip consisted of visiting China, Japan & Hong Kong over 3 weeks, visiting the following parks :-
One initial hurdle to overcome was that I thought that a visa would be required for China, involving handing over £150 and going to Manchester to give biometrics during the short daily (Mon-Fri) window that the opportunity to do so arose. However upon more research, discovered that it was possible to has visa free transit, as long as you had a flight booked to a '3rd' country (IE You could not go back to where you started from). Indeed from late last year this transit free Visa was upped from 144 hours to 240 hours, and it was also permitted to be able to travel out of the initial arrival area to other regions (In our case, Beijing), where previously you were restricted to the particular region you arrived in to. Of course the didn't stop me getting absolutely paranoid a week or so before we were due to travel that I had messed something up and our itinerary of arriving in to Beijing and departing from Shanghai would fall foul of the rules.
Our final itinerary was born.. We would fly to Beijing, departing from Manchester Airport on Fri 18th July around lunch time, arriving in Beijing at 6AM on Saturday Morning. Then travel down to Shanghai on 21 July. Fly over to Osaka on 25th July, working our way up towards Tokyo. Another flight over to Hong Kong on 6th August before flying back to Heathrow on 9th August very very late at night, arriving at around 6AM on 10th August, then train back home towards the delightful leafy Cheshire. I would of liked to of gone to Tokyo for DisneySea last, but direct flight home was insanely priced and indirect to anything between 24-48 hours.
So finally after months of planning and lots of money spent, it was finally 18th July and time for the off. First port of call was a ride on a 777. Not of the plane variety, but of the rail variety. This would take us on the first leg of our trip to Liverpool (in the complete opposite direction of Manchester but such is the joys of public transport in the North West
After the 30 minute or so journey to Liverpool James Street, ascending to the rickety old lift to ground level, took the short walk to Liverpool One Bus Station to catch the National Express Coach to Manchester Airport, arriving 10 minutes early just before 09:00. We then had to go to the check in counter as we needed to inform them we were taking advantage of the Visa Free Transit and to show required documentation. It is worth noting we were taking hand luggage only, which was a Cabin Size case and a small (or probably Mega large in Daves case), back pack. All this went pretty smoothly and we passed through security and we airside within about 30 minutes of arriving at Terminal 2, and comfortably in time for our 12:15 flight over to Beijing.
Had initially planned to go the Espire lounge, having a voucher for it, and having confirmation that walk ins were available, only to be met with the rudest person possible manning the entry point who just barked 'No walk ins' before snorting and spitting something in to a bin and walking off. After the less than savoury welcome, we sauntered off the find a bar, which we did. We also got a free beer as someone had poured the wrong beers for an order so offered them to us for free. Ummm. Yes Please!!!
Finally time to board our flight, which was with Hainen Airways, a Chinese Airline. We had back row seats, but due to their location, we could not see out of any windows. Flight time was around 13 hours. Departing bang on time and arriving at Bejing PEK airport bang on time at around 06:00 on Saturday 19th. Flight was OK. The Cabin felt a little forlorn but nothing too bad but was reasonably comfortable and plenty of leg room. The mess left behind at the end of the flight though was really something else. I've travelled on a few long haul flights and never seen a cabin left in such a state as this was.
Then it was time for all the immigration visa free transit fun. Arriving at Immigration point, it was empty, probably about 10 people tops, and all of them in the Visa Free Transit line . After some confusion about what form to fill out, after initially being directed to the wrong one, then made our way to the immigration desk. Boy are they thorough here. Check every last minute detail on the passport. Of course then studying the exit flight details and also details of the planned itinerary whilst in China, giving finger prints, then being directed to a second person who double checked everything the first one did before issuing the 10 day transit visa. Finally we were through. They were very efficient though with all the checking. Took 10 minutes tops.
So, what does one do after arriving in to a new Country after a 13 hour flight, arriving at 6AM? Well of course only the crazy amongst us would head to a Theme Park straight away, and that is exactly what we did, head straight to the first park of the trip, which was to be Universal Beijing, and our accommodation for the next two nights Universal Grand Hotel. We took a Taxi, which took about 35 minutes and cost around £25. This saved us an in to Beijing and out again train ride, which would of took 90 minutes.
Anyway, next part will indeed be Universal Beijing, alas this will have to wait until tomorrow as I am still waiting for the rest of the photos to upload off my phone and Icloud is being an *** and appears to of gone on strike....
This trip consisted of visiting China, Japan & Hong Kong over 3 weeks, visiting the following parks :-
- Universal Beijing (2 Days)
- Happy Valley Shanghai (1 Day)
- Disney Shanghai (2 Days)
- Universal Japan (1.5 Days)
- Nagashima Spaland (2 Days)
- Fuji Q (2 Days)
- Disneyland Tokyo (1 Day)
- DisneySea Tokyo (2 Days)
- Hong Kong Disneyland (2 Days)
One initial hurdle to overcome was that I thought that a visa would be required for China, involving handing over £150 and going to Manchester to give biometrics during the short daily (Mon-Fri) window that the opportunity to do so arose. However upon more research, discovered that it was possible to has visa free transit, as long as you had a flight booked to a '3rd' country (IE You could not go back to where you started from). Indeed from late last year this transit free Visa was upped from 144 hours to 240 hours, and it was also permitted to be able to travel out of the initial arrival area to other regions (In our case, Beijing), where previously you were restricted to the particular region you arrived in to. Of course the didn't stop me getting absolutely paranoid a week or so before we were due to travel that I had messed something up and our itinerary of arriving in to Beijing and departing from Shanghai would fall foul of the rules.
Our final itinerary was born.. We would fly to Beijing, departing from Manchester Airport on Fri 18th July around lunch time, arriving in Beijing at 6AM on Saturday Morning. Then travel down to Shanghai on 21 July. Fly over to Osaka on 25th July, working our way up towards Tokyo. Another flight over to Hong Kong on 6th August before flying back to Heathrow on 9th August very very late at night, arriving at around 6AM on 10th August, then train back home towards the delightful leafy Cheshire. I would of liked to of gone to Tokyo for DisneySea last, but direct flight home was insanely priced and indirect to anything between 24-48 hours.
So finally after months of planning and lots of money spent, it was finally 18th July and time for the off. First port of call was a ride on a 777. Not of the plane variety, but of the rail variety. This would take us on the first leg of our trip to Liverpool (in the complete opposite direction of Manchester but such is the joys of public transport in the North West
After the 30 minute or so journey to Liverpool James Street, ascending to the rickety old lift to ground level, took the short walk to Liverpool One Bus Station to catch the National Express Coach to Manchester Airport, arriving 10 minutes early just before 09:00. We then had to go to the check in counter as we needed to inform them we were taking advantage of the Visa Free Transit and to show required documentation. It is worth noting we were taking hand luggage only, which was a Cabin Size case and a small (or probably Mega large in Daves case), back pack. All this went pretty smoothly and we passed through security and we airside within about 30 minutes of arriving at Terminal 2, and comfortably in time for our 12:15 flight over to Beijing.
Had initially planned to go the Espire lounge, having a voucher for it, and having confirmation that walk ins were available, only to be met with the rudest person possible manning the entry point who just barked 'No walk ins' before snorting and spitting something in to a bin and walking off. After the less than savoury welcome, we sauntered off the find a bar, which we did. We also got a free beer as someone had poured the wrong beers for an order so offered them to us for free. Ummm. Yes Please!!!
Finally time to board our flight, which was with Hainen Airways, a Chinese Airline. We had back row seats, but due to their location, we could not see out of any windows. Flight time was around 13 hours. Departing bang on time and arriving at Bejing PEK airport bang on time at around 06:00 on Saturday 19th. Flight was OK. The Cabin felt a little forlorn but nothing too bad but was reasonably comfortable and plenty of leg room. The mess left behind at the end of the flight though was really something else. I've travelled on a few long haul flights and never seen a cabin left in such a state as this was.
Then it was time for all the immigration visa free transit fun. Arriving at Immigration point, it was empty, probably about 10 people tops, and all of them in the Visa Free Transit line
. After some confusion about what form to fill out, after initially being directed to the wrong one, then made our way to the immigration desk. Boy are they thorough here. Check every last minute detail on the passport. Of course then studying the exit flight details and also details of the planned itinerary whilst in China, giving finger prints, then being directed to a second person who double checked everything the first one did before issuing the 10 day transit visa. Finally we were through. They were very efficient though with all the checking. Took 10 minutes tops.So, what does one do after arriving in to a new Country after a 13 hour flight, arriving at 6AM? Well of course only the crazy amongst us would head to a Theme Park straight away, and that is exactly what we did, head straight to the first park of the trip, which was to be Universal Beijing, and our accommodation for the next two nights Universal Grand Hotel. We took a Taxi, which took about 35 minutes and cost around £25. This saved us an in to Beijing and out again train ride, which would of took 90 minutes.
Anyway, next part will indeed be Universal Beijing, alas this will have to wait until tomorrow as I am still waiting for the rest of the photos to upload off my phone and Icloud is being an *** and appears to of gone on strike....