question about traveling to china..?

I'm going to china for like 45 for work/pleasure..i already have my visa and everything and heard that i need to take some toilet paper, and pepto bismal to get use to the food but what else to I need to prepare for my trip?? is it worth taking my laptop? will i have internet access at most hotels? does verizon wireless work haha?

it depends on what kind of hotel you chose, most of the upscales( four star above) have free internet access. wireless access also available but you may can't be use it due to your equipment's specifications

You do not need to take toilet paper!!! It is sold everywhere in China----you have have to carry a small amount with you because it will not be in any restroom. Same idea with napkins, most places will not have a napkin, or they charge you for them. Pepto Bismal is a good idea! I doubt that you will need it, but if you do, you will have it. It's not available here.
Your laptop will work fine and the good hotels have internet access, but usually charge for it. I doubt that your wireless will work.

Not sure what part of China you will be going to but if it is a developed city you will be able to find many of the items you are accustomed to finding in U.S. if that is where you are from.

You do not need to take toilet paper but you should carry on your person Kleenex, easily available in small shops. Most restaurants offer tissue but you often have to ask for it.

Taking Tums along might be a good idea because it is hard to find in the form you are used to. I found some type of ant-acid and was able to purchase because I rubbed my tummy to demonstrate what I was looking for in the medicine shop.

A good razor is nice to have and the disposables in America are made in China but not able to be purchased here. Also, deodorant is good to bring along too.

Shoes are mostly up to size 45 and if you have 46 or bigger you will not find with ease.

You will have much help with meeting friends here who wish to practise their English but also there are many who just like foreigners and wish to be your friend. You must be discerning in the bigger cities as to the intentions but I have had many good experiences with the people of China. If I am lost or in need of help I have heard, "Hello, may I help you?" and this is a clue that the person saying this to you speaks English. Just remember to speak very slowly. Also if you have difficulty with being understood, you can write it out, and most Chinese understand written English. They are schooled well in English with a serious lack of the spoken part of studying English.

Signs are often not in English so you may have some difficulty with the travelling. Airports are OK for many speak English there but in the bus and train stations it is most likely you will have a language barrier. Just look for a young person who as a student probably knows English. Ask them for help. They may be shy and not help you but keep trying. Soon you will find someone who can help you.

Bringing your laptop is a good idea and most hotels do have Internet access. You can also use the computer as a translator going to Babel fish.com which will translate English to Chinese. Not sure about the wireless access because I do not have a laptop so don't use it. I know it is available in most of the bigger cities.

You might wish to purchase a phrase book to help you. They also have written Chinese which you can show someone when you have a specific need to help them understand you.

I do not know about the Verizon wireless but you can purchase a mobile phone very cheaply and the cost of the minutes is very low as well.

You will find that the cost of living is very low and often amazed at how cheap things will be. Electronics are about the same as U.S. but food, clothing, etc., items are very cheap.

Enjoy your visit and I hope this helps. Oh yeah, if you like cereal you might want to bring that along as well. It is very hard to find here. Part of the fun for me is finding these things even after searching for a long time.

Another area that you might want to consider is if you do not find something you really want, you may be able to go on-line and purchase. Shipping is cheap and many items you do not readily find in China can be purchased there. You may need a Chinese person to help you with this. The site is called Taobao.

You can bargain for things here. Horse trading is still much of the culture and whatever you wish to purchase you can offer 50% of the asking price and usually get it. If they do not give in right away, begin to walk away and they may meet your demands. You can even offer less than half and still may make the deal. It is because you are a foreigner that they jack up the price so remember this. Not trying to cheat you but just know you have more money than they do for the most part.

Hope this helps. Just remember, relax, go with the flow, and be friendly. You will hear "Hello." a lot and I just smile and say, "Hello." Chinese love this for the most part. You will hear giggles as you walk away.

Have a great trip.

Bring your credit card and pin. Everything else you can buy in China.

Near all hotels have broadband internet, even many cheap ones. There is no lack of loo paper in China too.

The food is OK. In the beginning during the "getting used to" time avoid very oily and very spicy stuff. It can upset the internals. You can also survive on plain rice for a few days, or when sh*t happened.

Welcome to China - my home country!

Taking toilet paper to China is over-rated! Most of the bathrooms have supplies, however even if not, you can always take some for the day trip from your hotel. No need to carry toilet paper all the way to China.

Regarding food, try to eat in the nicer restaurants, normally there shouldn't be any problem. However you can bring some medicine just in case.

If you are going for a working/leisure trip, then I would say take your lap-top. Most of the hotels have Internet access, some of the hotels may charge a daily fee for that.

If you just need to call within China, then get a phone card in China, it is pretty reasonable priced; use your cell phone to call outside China is quite expensive.

We have a Travel Tip page preparing our clients for their trip to China, you can get some idea for your trip: http://jiasdreamtours.com/travel_tips.html

If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me through our website: http://jiasdreamtours.com/index.html

you can find something useful on www.networkesl.com

The above answers are good, I won't repeat them but I'll just add bring batteries if you need them. I was in Beijing and saw people being sold used batteries. Also the battery life isn't very long if they are brand new. If you must buy batteries there, buy Nanfu brand (made by Energizer) and make sure they are in the original sealing/packaging.