Oneworld member Qatar Airways currently offers flights to four Chinese cities from Prague for just around €400. With a layover in Doha, you can reach Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu or Chongqing. This fare includes Qatar Airways awarded board service and a checked bag up to 30 kg.
Worldwide travel restrictions are in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. We strongly recommend gathering detailed information about the travel and quarantine restrictions that apply to your desired origin and destination.
A good start is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website. It provides current updates on a country’s immigration policies. Even better, the Covid-19 Travel Regulations Map is one of the most useful tools you can find.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, this offer comes with some hefty restrictions, like a minimum stay of one week between out- and inbound flight. A maximum stay of two months applies, as well. The sales period ends on August 31, 2020, while the travel period is wide open except for two block outs between February 10 through 19, and March 31 through April 12, 2021. Overall availability is pretty good.
You may find suiting flight dates on Google Flights, though the displayed price might vary by €20 from the actual price, a problem more and more common with Qatar Airways fares over the last couple of months. We recommend booking directly with Qatar Airways. You can fire up our flight search to see what OTAs have to offer, though the price difference is usually less than €20.
Information & Tips for China
China is the most populous and the third largest country in the world, so naturally, there is a lot to see. The most touristically important cities are the capital of China, Beijing and the financial and trade center Shanghai.
Best Time to Travel
Since the country is vast and extends over several climate zones, there is no best travel time for China. China is connected to Europe through numerous direct flights and the travel time is about 11-13 hours. Flights to China can be found for less than 400€ throughout the year, and there are also often excellent Business Class fares.
A general advice is that travel should be avoided during the Chinese national holidays, which span over the first two weeks of October. During these time tourist destinations are overcrowded with Chinese tourists on their domestic vacation.
Visa for China
Most European citizens will need a visa to enter China.
You can apply for a tourist visa at a Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) in your country. There you’ll hand in your visa application personally and can pick it up again after a few days. There is no faster and cheaper way.
Alternatively, you can apply for a visa by mail. The processing time will be up to two weeks, and you’ll have to pay for extra for shipping.
There are also so-called Visa services available that sometimes offer a faster (and maybe even cheaper) way to get your Visa. Check local sites to find out more.
→ All Dealz for China
Information & Tips for Chengdu
Chengdu is the capital of China’s Sichuan province. It is one of the three most populous cities in Western China. Around 8 million poeple live within the city. Being a place of historical importance throughout China’s history, Chengdu has become an important economical and cultural center of modern day China. Like the sorrounding Sichuan province, Chengdu has a proud cultural heritage. City and province are famous for their spicy cuisine. Further, the province is home to the last surviving Giant Pandas. A lot of the city’s tourism infracstructure is centered around them.
Best time to travel
Chengdu is located in a subtropical climate zone, with a monsoon season stretching from june through mid-september. The city is hot and humid and should be avoided then. Temperatures are modest the rest of the year, making Chengdu an attractive place to visit. The coldest month is January, with a daily mean temperature of 5 degrees.
From the Airport to the City
Chengdu Shuangliu Int’l Airport is a hub for Chinese Carriers Sichuan Airlines and Air China. It is very well connected to the city by several means of transportation. A highspeed railway line takes you to Chengdu East Railway station in about 10 minutes, charging less than €2 for a one-way ticket. The subway is the cheaper alternative, but takes a bit longer. If you prefer roads over tracks, there are a number of bus services to different places in Chengdu, starting at RMB 10 (approx. €1.30). Of course, taxis are available as well. A ride to the city center should take 45 minutes at max and cost around RMB 70 (€9).
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Information & Tips for Chongqing
Thanks to a bit of trickery of the Chinese government, Chongqing is the world's largest city in population as well as size. Officially counting more than 30 million inhabitants, this huge number was artificially inflated by redefining Chongqing's city limits. The city now contains a space roughly the size of Austria. Still, the metropolis in the midst of a mountain range at the banks of the famous Yangzi River is one of China's most important industrial and economical hotspots. As a result, it shares a special administrative status with only Beijing, Shanghai & Tianjin.
Best Time to Visit
Chongqing is part of the subtropical climate zone. This results in hot, humid summers and mild winters, in which temperatures rarely drop below 0 degrees. March and April are great times to visit the city, just before a conflux of heat and daily monsoons make it an unpleasant place to visit.
From the airport to the city
Chongqing Jiangbei Int'l airport is extremely well connected to the city center. Two subway lines (taking about 50 minutes, costing approx. 1€) and a shuttle bus (60 minutes, 2€) take you to downtown Chongqing all day long. Taxi drivers will charge you 7-10€ for the 50-60 minute long ride down to the Yangzi River.
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Information & Tips for Hangzhou
With its iconic West Lake and famous buddhist monasteries, Hangzhou is one of China’s premier cultural destinations. Large recreational areas and a rebuilt historic center make up a huge part of the city center. Excellent train connections to Shanghai (taking less than an hour) make Hangzhou a great alternative when travelling to China’s mega boomtown. But with more than six million inhabitants itself, Hangzhou is a buzzing city worth a visit.
Best Time to Visit
Since Hangzhou is located in a subtropical climate zone, spring and autumn are the best travel times thanks to moderate temperatures and a few rainy days. April, May and September particularly suitable for a visit to the Chinese city thanks to the low rainfall and humidity.
From the airport to the city
Hangzhou Xiaoshan Int’l Aiport enjoys a growing reputation and attracts more international airlines each year. It is approx. 30 kilometers away from downtown Hangzhou and connected through bus and taxi services. Bus services are offered to many points of interest like the East Railway Station (30 Minutes) where bullet trains to Shanghai depart, or the West Lake in the very heart of the city (50 Minutes). Buses cost around 3-5€ while a taxi to downtown Hangzhou takes about an hour, costing 12-15€.
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Information & Tips for Shanghai
Shanghai is the most important financial and commercial center of China. But not only business travelers are welcome here. Also, regular tourists can get there money’s worth. And this is great because the city is connected to many major airports and therfor we’ll often present you with good deals for flights to Shanghai.
Best Time to Visit
Since Shanghai is located in a subtropical climate zone, spring and autumn are the best travel times thanks to moderate temperatures and a few rainy days. April, May, September, and October are particularly suitable for a visit to the Chinese city thanks to the low rainfall and humidity.
From the airport to the city
Shanghai Pudong Airport is located 40km east of the city center. Probably the fastest and most exciting method is the Maglev. The magnetic levitation train takes only 7 minutes, and with costs of around 5€ it is also a rather inexpensive (and of course faster!) alternative to a taxi, which would cost about 20€.
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