China daily survival checklist for foreign travelers

A simple first-72-hours checklist for China: internet, payment backup, tissues, plugs, cash, medicine notes, hotel proof, and train-station time.

Start here

The first three days in China are usually not scary. They are just full of small things. Your phone may lose data. A QR payment may fail. A toilet may have no paper. Your hotel may ask for your passport again.

Do this first: carry a few simple backups. Before you land, save screenshots, pack tissues, keep your phone charged, and make sure you have one way to pay if your app fails.

First 72 hours pocket kitSmall things first

PhoneData + VPN

Your phone is your map, translator, wallet, and hotel note.

MoneyQR + cash

Use QR payment, but keep cash for one ride and one meal.

ToiletTissues

Do not expect every public toilet to have paper.

PowerAdapter

A dead phone makes many small problems bigger.

HealthMeds note

Write medicine, allergies, and health words before you need them.

ProofHotel address

Keep passport, first hotel, and onward ticket screenshots.

This is the short version. If one box fails, fix it early before it blocks the rest of your day.

Before you land

Need	Pack or save	Why
Internet	eSIM or roaming, VPN installed, hotel Wi-Fi backup	You need it for maps, payment, translation, and hotel messages.
Payment	Alipay or WeChat Pay, two cards, cash backup	A shop or card issuer can still say no.
Toilets	Tissues, sanitizer, small coins or QR wallet	Some public toilets do not give you paper.
Power	Universal adapter, power bank, USB-C cable	Your phone is doing too many jobs to die early.
Health	Prescription meds, translated condition note, travel insurance details	It is hard to explain health words when you are already sick.
Documents	Passport, hotel address, onward ticket, screenshots	Hotels and trains keep asking for the same facts.

If this happens: QR payment fails

Try the other wallet first. Then check your card issuer app. If both fail, use cash for the next small thing and solve the app later at the hotel. Do not make your first meal depend on one app.

For the app setup, use the China travel apps guide.

If this happens: the station feels harder than expected

Slow down. Stations can be big. Security lines, gates, passport checks, and crowds take time. Keep tissues and sanitizer in your day bag. Keep a mask if smoke bothers you. Do not book a tight train connection as your first China task.

If this happens: you need medicine

Bring your own prescription medicine in the original box. Save a short Chinese note for allergies, health conditions, and medicine names. Save your insurance help number offline.

For serious symptoms, use a hospital or emergency channel. A pharmacy is not a hospital.

If this happens: the hotel asks for details again

Show your passport, booking name, Chinese address, and phone number. The first hotel is your base. If you arrive late, read the late-night arrival guide before choosing a complicated metro route.

If this happens: train booking is not smooth

Leave extra time. Bring your passport. Know the Chinese station name. Start with the foreign-passport train booking guide. Do not make an untested 12306 account your only plan for an important train.

Do this first: before you leave the airport

Confirm your phone has working data.
Open your hotel address in Chinese and screenshot it.
Check that one payment path works, or get a small cash backup.
Choose transport based on how tired you are and how much luggage you have.
Message the hotel if arrival will be late.

Next step

Finish the pre-flight essentials, then use the first-night hotel checklist to make the first address and passport registration boring.

Sources and last checked

Last checked: 2026-05-21. This is travel guidance, not medical, legal, or emergency advice. Confirm same-day hours, hotel rules, and train-station procedures before relying on them.