Sichuan is straightforward to travel in if three things are sorted on the first day: how you pay, how you get around, and how you communicate. All three are manageable, and all three are much easier to fix at the start than in the middle of a journey.
This guide covers the practical basics that make everything else work.
From metro fares to street food, mobile payment is how people pay. Set it up before you start sightseeing – the verification step can take time and is easier sitting down than standing at a till.
Carry some, particularly if you are going into the highlands where connectivity is unreliable and card acceptance is rare. Small notes are more useful than large ones.
Widely available in cities and county towns, much less so in remote areas. Withdraw in Chengdu before heading west.
| Situation | Best option |
|---|---|
| Within Chengdu | Metro, plus taxis for gaps |
| Major nearby sights | High-speed rail |
| The western highlands | Hired vehicle with driver |
| Short hops in towns | Walking, or a taxi |
English is common in Chengdu’s tourist areas and at the major sights, and much rarer off the main routes. In the highlands, assume no English and plan accordingly.
A translation app, and having your destination and hotel address saved in Chinese characters. Pointing at things works more often than visitors expect.
Hotel staff are the most reliable source of practical help – asking at reception is faster than working things out alone.
Sort an eSIM or a local SIM on arrival. Public Wi-Fi exists but is not reliable enough to navigate with, and connectivity in the highlands is patchy regardless.
If you depend on any services that are not reachable locally, arrange that before you travel rather than after arriving.
Public toilets are common in cities and at major sights, less so on the road, and they are not always stocked. Carry tissues.
Tipping is not generally expected. Bargaining belongs in markets, not in shops with marked prices.
Keep identification with you. It is needed for train tickets, museum entry and, in the west, at checkpoints.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Day one | Payment, SIM, transport card |
| Carry | Cash, identification, tissues |
| Language | Translation app and addresses in characters |
| Connectivity | Sort before leaving the city |
Increasingly awkward. Set up mobile payment.
In tourist areas of the cities, reasonably. Off the main routes, no.
Yes, by the standards of any large region. Normal precautions apply.
No, it is not generally expected.
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