(Ecns.cn)—From much-anticipated cultural tours to exhausting shopping marathons, China provides plenty of reasons to travel this holiday season. Penny-pinchers should take a look at the 30 tips below and be open to some not-so-traditional ideas for stretching the budget, because after all, the European debt crisis is still unfolding. Best to tighten the purse strings.
1.Take the train, not the plane. It saves a lot, especially in China, to travel by train, and the high speed rail network is reaching more and more cities.
2. If you have to fly, book your flight on a group ticket and buy at least one month in advance.
3. Choose an affordable travel itinerary and skip some stops of lesser interest. Make sure you have run through all the ticket agency packages to find the best offer.
4. When renting a cab in certain remote areas, make it clear to the driver that s/he should charge less if any other passengers are picked up along the way.
5. Better look around to see if there are any other tourists heading to the same destination as you; this way you may share a taxi and share the fare.
6. Ask where the driver is heading before hopping in. If s/he intends to go where you are going anyway, bargaining will be really easy.
7. Choose buses over taxis when inside town limits.
8. Sometimes, it's even economical to change trains rather than take a non-stop bus; check out the map and routes before making any decision.
9. Browse online and compare fares among different forms of transport.
10. Climb aboard an evening train and spend the night in a sleeper; it saves you accommodation costs for a night.
11. Don't rush to the hotel with your luggage. Instead, deposit them in the train station and start your tour of the city in the neighborhood you land in.
12. Pay extra attention to those small, modest hotels and check in after 12 a.m. - any minute before that time costs an extra day's fee.
13. Better take a look at your room before going to the trouble of bringing up your luggage, then start your bargaining routine.
14. Don't trust the tour agency to book your hotels; they'll charge a commission for introducing you.
15. Consider sharing a standard room with another tourist; it lowers the price considerably.
