5 Best Apps for Travel to China
China is a simply massive destination. Unlike most large countries like Russia, Australia and Canada, China is incredibly densely populated, meaning travelers have a lot of amazing places to explore. Every major city in the world seems to have it’s local Chinatown and yet the idea of visiting the land in the far east is often overwhelming due to the language barrier and lack of tourism infrastructure.So having a handful of apps on your phone can go a long way to making your trip to China easy and stress free.
China is at the forefront of the digital economy. Luckily for those of us who don’t speak Mandarin or Cantonese, some apps have been developed to help us out on our travels in China. These include train & flight booking apps, subway guides, camera translators and social messaging. This is important because your traditional Facebook, Google, Twitter and Instagram will be blocked once you enter China. So say goodbye to google maps, translator and WhatsApp unless you use a VPN. In addition to this list, check out our 15 Essential Travel Apps which includes Uber, Maps.me and Currency Exchange.
1. CTrip Train Booking App
CTrip was recently re-branded as “Trip.com” in order to reach a global audience of travelers. CTrip is the English version of the Chinese App for all train lines in China. You can also book hotels and flights through the App too!
For backpackers, trains are the cheapest and best option for traveling within China, assuming you have the time. But getting a ticket can be a challenge that often requires waiting in line at the station for hours. CTrip helps you research train options and book a ticket. It was by far the most important app we used while in China.
Warning: Tickets can be extremely difficult to get on short notice and even sell out while paying through the App!
- Price: In App Purchases for Train Bookings
- Alternatives: China Train Booking
2. WAYGO Translator
Waygo is one of many Camera Translators Apps available in the App Store. Google Translator even has a similar feature but Google Apps in general don’t work in China.
Waygo allows you to hover your phone camera over Chinese text and it will automatically translate it into English. No need to try and type out the text using a Chinese keyboard. This is extremely useful for Menus, shop signs and directions.
- Price: 10 Translations/Day for Free, or $9.99 US for Unlimited Chinese Translations
- Alternatives: Microsoft Translator
3. WeChat
- Price: Free
- Alternatives: None
4. Pleco Chinese Dictionary
Travelers familiar with Pinyin, the alphabet spelling of Chinese, will find Pleco very useful. Pleco is a more complicated dictionary and translator than something like Waygo or Google Translate. Pleco breaks down a sentence in Chinese into the characters and grammar: Nouns, verbs, adjectives etc…
It’s not an essential App for China, but for those who are taking a deeper dive into the Chinese language, it’s very good! It’s very similar to “Imiwa” for Japanese.
- Price: Free
- Alternatives: Dictionary & Translator
5. Chinese Skill (mandarin)
Since arriving back in China in 2019, I’ve been making a real effort to learn Mandarin. Learning languages is one of the most joyful experiences while I travel, it’s instantly rewarding when a local understands what you are trying to say.
Mandarin is one of the hardest languages to learn as an English Speaker. It’s not the grammar, and not even the characters even though you need to know 1,000 to be considered just conversationally fluent. No, that is easy. The hardest part is the pronunciation and tones. Each part of China has it’s own unique dialect, so listening can be a real challenge.
Chinese Skill is a wonderful learning app I’ve been using for 3 months now, poking away at the lessons daily. The app includes lessons organized by topic, making it easy to choose what you want to learn as a traveller. The best part is the audio recordings included in the lessons. Trust me, listening to each phrase, slowing it down, then repeating it out loud is a fast-track method of learning Mandarin. I’m really enjoying it so far.
- Price: Free
- Alternatives: Dictionary & Translator
6. Express VPN
- Data Available: Unlimited
- Number of Servers Worldwide: 148 Locations in 94 countries
- Number of Devices: 3
- Available Platforms: iOS, Android, Mac, Windows & Linus
- Mobile Apps: Yes
- Netflix and Youtube: Yes.
- User-Friendly: Easy
- Subscription: Yes, automatic monthly charge until cancellation
- 30 Day Money back Guarantee
Express VPN Price
- $12.95 USD Monthly
- $59.95 USD for 6 Months
<li”>$99.95 USD for 1 Year </li”>
Disclaimer: Amazon, Express VPN and Trip.com are affiliate partners, we make a small commission on any purchases at no cost to you.
More Info on China
Traveling through China can be anything from easy-breezy to a nightmare depending on how well prepared you are, if you are stuck to a strict schedule or unfamiliar with Chinese languages.
Luckily technology is here to help! Whether it’s to take a train between destinations, get around on a complicated local subway system, or translate the word “Beef” or “Pork” on a menu instantly. Traveling in the 21st century is easy! Get everything you need with a simple app, let it do the work for you!
Interested in more apps for traveling, check out our Top 5 Recommended Map Apps. Or need to pick out the best SIM Card compatible with your phone to have all these apps on the go? Check out the Best SIM Cards in China. Of course, you can find all our articles on Destinations in China on the Blog or see our China Article Master List
Tallyon!
