Beijing Olympics Travel: Book Now and Check the Rules

With the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games drawing ever nearer - and with the Olympic torch already making it into China - the half a million foreign tourists expected to head into China to watch Olympic events should be making their final travel arrangements. With another two million domestic tourists expected t be flooding into Beijing and other Olympic venues like Qingdao, anybody who isn’t well-organized could find themselves in some chaotic situations.

But come August, who knows exactly what the rules for travelers might be. China is making all sorts of changes with the aim of handling this influx of visitors more smoothly, but whether it works out that way remains to be seen. This week the Chinese authorities announced new restrictions for carry on luggage on domestic flights, a ruling that will affect a lot of foreign tourists who will be making internal flights either to get to the Olympic venues or to go sightseeing before or after the games. The new rules are that you can now take strictly only one piece of baggage on board, and it must way less than 5 kilograms (11 pounds). Last month, the Chinese government banned matches and lighters on flights, and back in March, they introduced restrictions for carrying liquids on board. All of these are the kinds of restrictions travelers have already become familiar with, but with the rules changing so often things could get tricky when the Olympics really get close.

If you haven’t yet booked accommodation for your Olympic stay in Beijing, this will only be a problem if you’re hoping to do it on a budget. Cheaper rooms have long since been booked out, but in the area of high-end accommodation, a huge number of new hotel openings have kept the luxury end of the market from being fully booked out. Many hotels have been able to increase their regular rates by a factor of up to ten times, so you’ll need to dig deep to get a bed for the night in Beijing in August. Most hotels also have restrictions on short stays, insisting on a minimum of five nights per booking.

For travelers who want to add a guided tour on to the start or end of the Olympics, it would also pay to finalize your bookings quickly. Although there has been a huge increase in the tours being offered, places are limited because everybody wants to arrive in Beijing just before the games or depart immediately after. With 90 days to go until the opening ceremony, it probably won’t be long before all the best tours are taken.