China Ski and Sightsee

How to book your skiing holiday in China

How to book

Press the contact agents button and your e-mail request will be directed on to the travel agents we use in China. This speeds up the information pipeline as the information you require comes back to you directly. Once your itinerary has been approved by you, payment can be made to the travel agents, prior to your departure, by direct bank transfer only. Full payment must be received 20 days before departure. This is to ensure that hotels, vehicles, taxis and guides booked up for your itinerary are not then rebooked by another party.

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About the travel agents we use

The travel agents we pass you onto in China are fully approved by the China Central Government and receive help from the Government to promote China both locally and internationally. They are licensed by the China National Tourism Administration and based in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. They organise tours throughout China and have been established since 1984, specialising in sought after locations, amongst which the ski slopes of North East China feature highly.

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About us and the booking of flights and Airport Tax

We are a travel consultancy company here in UK whose purpose is to assist you with your travel options in China. We are not a travel agency so you will need to book your own flights out to Beijing.

Direct flights from UK to Beijing take approximately 10 - 12 hours and you can book either directly with the airlines or through a Travel Agent.

Please bear in mind that whichever airline you choose to fly with, flight only bookings with the airlines will not be covered by the ATOL scheme (which comes into play when booking and paying for a whole trip - flights and holiday - from UK). Paying the airlines by credit cards gives you some protection when the fares are over �100, but only covers you for loss of the fare and not for indirect financial loss as a consequence of insolvancy.

The advice we give is to take out suitable travel insurance that includes airline insolvency and any possible indirect loss as a consequence. If you book through a Travel Agency some of them cover airline insolvency - Trailfinders in London (www.trailfinders.com) being one of them who have entered into a special arrangement with the CAA to protect clients booking flights only.

You are getting a less expensive holiday by paying directly to China for your holiday and separately for your flights, but it is better to be clear about the level of insurance required so that you can take advantage of the gains.

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About us and your holiday Insurance

Holiday insurance is obligatory. Again Trailfinders have a policy that covers you for casualty evacuation and winter sports. It must be stressed again that we are not travel agents which primarily means that we have no company liability insurance. The onus is very much upon yourself to book your own international flight and to have your own comprehensive holiday travel insurance that includes airline insolvency and any possible indirect loss as a consequence.

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Visas and Inoculations

Yes you will need a visa. There are no required vaccinations to enter China.

Currently a single entry visa from UK costs �30.00 GBP, but you will need to check with the Chinese Embassy in the country you are traveling from.

The following information is useful if you are traveling from UK:
The Chinese Visa Application service website is www.visaforchina.org.uk. This is based in London at Morley House, 26 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2AT. They are open between 9.00am and 12.00am mid-day and can be telephoned on 0207 631 1430. If you need to fax it is 0207 436 9718.

If you are nearer to Manchester or Edinburgh the following websites are useful as you can apply and collect your visa from these offices. http://manchester.chineseconsulate.org/eng/visa or http://edinburgh.china-consulate.org/eng/ Basically you download a visa form, then drop it off at their offices and collect it either 3 or 4 days afterwards. This can be done by a nominated person, but this needs to go on your application form. Please note that your passport must be valid for 6 months with 1 full blank page in it.

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Group size

If you are a group of ten or more this will considerably reduce the cost of your holiday. The travel agents we use do not mix groups as the object of the holidays is that you enjoy the fun of being in a party of your own making, get to ski, and/or explore and see a magnificent part of the world at an affordable price.

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What is included in the price in China

Note: The quotation is based on double occupancy. The quotation includes: 1. Domestic train tickets, ground transportation and transfers. 2. Sightseeing as listed in the itinerary. 3. Local English-speaking tour guide in each city. 4. Chinese meals as specified in the itinerary. 5. Hotels with daily buffet breakfast.

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What is not included in the price in China

Note: The quotation excludes the International air fares. 1. Tips to guides, drivers and hotel porters. 2. Any items of personal expense for example, excess baggage charges, drinks, laundry, phone calls. 3. Expense of skiing inside the resort, for example ski pass, ski rentals, hire of extras such as ski doos, heliskiing.

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Cancellation policy

Should it be necessary for you to have to cancel your holiday at the last minute, please note if you cancel your trip 10 to 15 days before your departure date a 70% refund is available. If you have to cancel your trip 5 to 10 days before departure, only 50% of your holiday cost can be refunded. If you have to cancel 1 to 5 days ahead of the departure date, only 20% can be refunded. .

Your Responsibilities

Please ensure you have travel insurance and your passport is valid until up to 6 months after your holiday commences. If during your holiday you have any difficulties, or complaints the onus is on you to take it up with the agents at the time, so that they have the opportunity to remedy it.

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Our responsibilities

We, by forwarding you on directly to agents in China, cut out the UK office administration costs which many travel based companies have to pass on to the clients. As we have every confidence in the agents in China by passing you on directly we can speed up and streamline the information pipeline. We are still here though if you need to speak to us here in UK about anything. Telephone 01307 820 421, or e-mail administrator@skiandsightsee.co.uk and we will endeavour to sort out any query that you might have.

Legalities you must be aware of.

As explained above we are not travel agents, but travel consultants to assist you in your travel options in China. Skiing in China it must be stressed is a pioneering destination that is now beginning to increase in its popularity. We have a link to the Foreign Office Website which you should check prior to travel. Should conditions be viewed in your eyes as unsuitable to travel for whatever the reason, be aware that if a blanket ban is not placed over all of China by the FCO www.fco.gov.uk, it is unlikely that your holiday insurance, who ever you have it with, will pay up for you deciding not to travel. As previously pointed out, we have no liability insurance here in UK and take no responsibility for your decision not to travel, or for anything that should happen to you while you are travelling in China.

If for whatever reason you decide not to travel please note that we, not being travel agents, are in no position to help you recoup the cost of your international flights. However, regarding your holiday costs the agents used in China have a very reasonable Cancellation policy outlined above. Your holiday contract is with the agents in China and their Cancellation policy will be forwarded to you when supplying you with payment details.

As with any pioneering destination these things need to be made clear so everyone knows where they stand, but hopefully this hasn't put you off travelling to China!