In Pursuit of Pandas with Hong Kong City Stay

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-today itinerary as printed; however order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions

Please note lighters and aerosol cans are not allowed planes, trains or sights of special interest, such as Tiananmen square, Forbidden city, The Temple of Heaven, Terracotta Warriors, Three Gorges Dam, and the Wild Goose Pagoda.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of €324.50pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

A visa is required for entry into China. We work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa for you on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. All applicants who wish to apply for a China Tourist Visa must do so in person at the Chinese Visa Application Centre in London, Manchester, Belfast or Edinburgh where fingerprint information will be collected. Fingerprints are not required for children under the age of 14 and adults over the age of 70. The visas take around 10 working days to issue and are valid for unlimited trips to China for 2 years from the date of issue. We therefore recommend that you apply for your visa 8 weeks before travel, however please be aware that your passport will be required for the application so make sure that you will not need it during this time.

Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313.

Please note - spray cans of any form and lighters are not allowed on trains or planes.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

This tour is accessible to most people with a good level of fitness and able mobility. It involves climbing steep stairs and getting on and off coaches and boats. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.

The currency in China is the Renminbi, known as RMB or CNY. It is often referred to as the yuan. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK. US Dollars are widely accepted in China should you want alternative currency.

The currency in Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Dollar. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK, however ATM's are available throughout Hong Kong.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels.

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £300 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour.

Tipping

It is customary to tip your national guide, local guide and driver approximately £3.00 (CNY30.00) per person per day. For your convenience, this will be collected by your National Guide on the first day of your tour in Shanghai. Tips are collected in Chinese Yuan.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10 and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

This is a fully escorted tour, meaning that you will be met on arrival by your national guide who will remain with you for the duration of your trip. You will also be joined by a local guide in each of the cities which you visit, ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times.

Your add-on to Hong Kong is not escorted. Your time in Hong Kong will be at your leisure. Transfers are included.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to leisure hotels. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and China. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours. Unlike the western world, Chinese people do not normally pre-heat their plates and food can be presented at a variety of temperatures, which is a typical Chinese way of doing things.

Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. Bottled water will be available at shops and hotels.

If you are travelling within the below Chinese Public Holidays, please note that celebrations last for several days and during these times some businesses will be closed and coach, air and train travel may be affected. Tourist attractions will be open but may be crowded. Chinese New Year is sometime between January & February. Golden Week public holidays fall annually between 1st – 4th of May and 1st – 7th of October.

On your arrival in Shanghai you will be met by a representative from our local agent, China Travel Service, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/local representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries. China Travel Service: Address: 15F CTS (HK) Grand Metropark Hotel Beijing, No.338 Guang’an Men Nei Streeet, Xicheng District Beijing, China Office Telephone Number: 0086 10 85908336 / 0086 10 85908341

Hong Kong City Stay: On your arrival in Hong Kong you will be met by our driver/representative in the arrivals hall, holding a sign displaying “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays driver/representative will show you to your transfer. If you are unable to locate the driver/representative, please call 00852 6533 1890.

Hong Kong City Stay: For your departure transfer from the hotel to the Airport you need to be waiting in the hotel lobby at your designated pick up time as informed.

If you need to contact China Travel Service during your stay the details are: Emergency contact information During Office Hours: 0086 10 85228340 0086 10 85228725.
After Office Hours:Ms Linda Liu (Mobile):0086 61 3911043036. Ms Shine Cao (Mobile):0086 61 8284532334

Hong Kong City Stay: Please find below the emergency contact details for HK Target Travel: Mon-Fri: 09.00 - 17.30, Sat: 09.00 - 13.00 Closed Sunday and Hong Kong public holidays Office: 00852 2312 1812 Emergency: 00852 9432 5300

Email: queenie.c@targethkg.com

For your arrival transfer - Driver contact details (Mr Eric) - (852) 65331890