Should I choose a travel eSIM, roaming or a local Chinese SIM? →
For a short trip, choose a travel eSIM or your home carrier’s roaming for data, then decide separately whether you need a mainland phone number.
Checked 26 Sept 2026Get your phone ready for China.
Choose your phone and what you need. Build a connection setup that works for your trip.
Not quite your case? Ask it.
The lists.
Full reference · rules and source lists
Pre-flight phone tests
If you land with no internet
Stop debugging. Move.
Your first-hour fallback is not a better app. It is an offline route card.
- Hotel name and address in Chinese characters.
- One transport plan: official taxi rank, airport counter, or metro line.
- Cash for the first ride and one physical card.
- Passport, booking screenshot, and emergency contacts saved offline.
If both data lanes fail → Show the Chinese address, use the official taxi rank or airport service counter, and fix phone setup after you reach the hotel.
5 things people get wrong
Phone setup changes. Keep an offline backup.
Get the offline arrival pack now, plus a short email when a verified change affects trip preparation.
Every update includes an unsubscribe link.
✓ Ready. Download the offline arrival pack or open the phone image.
