Beijing Holiday Season Travel Notes; Koryo Announces New Tours

It's a time of the year when a lot of traveling is taking place but not much is happening in terms of announcements, like new routes and new destinations. Still, there are some things worth noting that may make the outward journey for any of you heading outbound easier.

When I bounced to Guangzhou recently, I needed to arrive at Beijing Capital International Airport at 8pm for a 9pm flight. I had a class at Capital Training Center prior to that. Needing to reach the airport rather rapidly, I chose the Beijing Subway/Airport Express method. I stepped into the shower at 6.42pm, and stepped off the Airport Express at Terminal 3 at 7.40pm. I was stunned that the distance from Chaowai SOHO on foot to the Hujialou station on Line 10, followed by a switch to the Airport Express, could be completed so quickly. If you're going to the airport from a destination close to the Subway have an amount of luggage you can handle, the Airport Express is the way to go, and still only RMB 28 plus the cost of a ride from your station of embarkation. The expansion of Line 14 may make it even easier to get you on your way.

Don't forget to check in for your flight online and select your seats as early as possible. Thirteen hours in a middle seat is no fun, and that's an understatement. Take advantage of the sad fact that Chinese passport holders are not permitted to check in online for many international flights and confirm your seats and baggage, usually 24 hours before departure.

Koryo Tours, the DPRK travel folks, have some non-North Korea trips coming up. Land of the Winter Horse goes to Mongolia, for what will be an unquestionably cold but exhilarating trip over Spring Festival/Chinese New Year. They're offering two versions of a trip to Tajikistan, called the short tour and the long tour, from March 24-29 and March 24-April 2, respectively; and they're heading to Turkmenistan May 7-14 and October 1-7. See their website for more information.

More Thursday. One road flat safe.

More stories by this author here.

Email: robynnetindall@thebeijinger.com
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Photo: Koryo Tours