Star Alliance members Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Air China team up to bring you to Chinese mega cities Shanghai and Beijing at a reduced costs. Roundtrips from Amsterdam start at €376, a fare that includes board service and a checked bag tp to 23kg. All itineraries include a layover in either Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna or Zurich.
Lufthansa Group Airlines (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian) operate inner European flights. On long haul routes, Air China gets added to the mix of possible carriers.
Search & Book
According to fare rules, this offer expires on July 24, 2019, but may run out of availability earlier. It is valid for flights leaving Amsterdam until January 31, 2020 or earlier. Minimum stay is at least six days or a night from Saturday to Sunday. Further, your stay may not exceed three months.
You can find suiting traveldates on Google Flights (instructions). This is the easiest way to see when low fares are available. Usually, prices drop up to €50 from the lowest fare on Google when booking through an online travel agency – the best way to find one is using our flight search. You can purchase your tickets on lufthansa.com as well. While this enables you to communicate with the airline directly, prices are around €400.
These fares already show scattered availability. It is very probable that they are sold out before the offer expires.
Mileage
Since ticket issuing and operating carriers vary wildly, sometimes within the same itinerary, we cannot make a solid statement about the mileage you can expect. We recommend to enter possible itineraries on wheretocredit.com’s calculator. However, most tickets are issued in low yielding booking classes, like Swiss’ K.
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 Beijing
China’s capital Beijing is full of historically and contemporary important buildings. Most of them concentrate arround Tian’anmen square – which is sorrounded by government buildings and the entrance to the Forbidden City, the palace that hosted China’s emperors for more than 500 years. Beijing itself is full of attraction that take weeks to discover, but the fun doesn’t end there. Just a 90-minute bus ride away is The Great Wall at Badaling, the best known section of the Great Wall of China.
The Best Time to Visit
Beijing is located in a continental climate zone and is known for its hot, humid summers and its harsh, cold winters. Therefore, the best times to visit are from late March through May and late August through November.
Please be aware that during the Chinese National holidays, usually two weeks after October 1st, the city is overcrowded with Chinese tourists and should be avoided.
From the airport to the city
Beijing Capital Airport, the second busiest worldwide, is very well-connected by public transport. It is served by a regular subway line and an express rail way to the edge of the city centre, which takes 20 Minutes and costs about €3 one way. Further, there are 18 bus lines to different parts of the city (costing €3-5). Of course, taxis are an option as well. A trip to the city centre costs around €12-15, but often take over an hour.
It is not possible to rent a car in China without a Chinese drivers licence.
→ All Dealz for Beijing
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€.
→ All Dealz for Shanghai
Cover Picture: © Fotolia.com / aphotostory