Internet, eSIM & Roaming in China

This is the single most useful page on our site for anyone who has not been to China before. The short version: activate international roaming on your own phone before you fly, and almost nothing else needs solving — Google, WhatsApp, Instagram and Gmail keep working. Get it wrong, and you land with a phone that cannot open the apps you rely on.

Why roaming is our recommendation

When you roam on your home carrier, your data physically routes back through your home network. That means the services you normally use — Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, your banking app — behave exactly as they do at home. It also means it works from the moment you land, with no SIM swap, no eSIM profile to install and no configuration.

Activate a data package only. Calls are rarely the cost; data is.
Do it before you fly — some carriers need 24 to 48 hours for the change to take effect, and some require the phone to be switched off and on again.
Tell your carrier your exact dates. A package that ends mid-trip is worse than no package, and topping up from inside China can be awkward.

The three options, compared

Option	Cost	Works with Google/WhatsApp	Best for
International roaming on your home SIM	Carrier daily or trip rate	Yes	Almost everyone. Zero setup, works on landing.
International eSIM (Airalo, Nomad, Holafly and similar)	Moderate	Yes — travel eSIMs route outside mainland networks	Second phone, or a backup if your carrier does not roam well.
Local Chinese SIM	Cheapest (¥50–150/month)	No	Long stays and repeat travellers who have already solved the rest.

A local Chinese SIM gives you a Chinese number, which is genuinely useful for restaurant bookings and deliveries — but it does not give you access to Google or WhatsApp. Most of our guests end up on roaming and never use a local SIM at all.

About VPNs

China regulates VPN use, and the rules have tightened over the last few years. We do not provide, recommend or arrange VPN services, and we would rather be straight with you than sell you something that may not work: international roaming solves the problem without touching a VPN at all. That is why we lead with it.

Apps to install before you leave

App	What it is for	Before you fly?
WeChat	The main channel for your guide and driver. Daily meeting times and locations go into a group chat.	Essential
Alipay	Payments, plus mini-programs for trains, taxis and translations.	Essential
WeChat Pay	Second payment rail. Worth having if one card fails.	Recommended
DiDi	Taxis and private cars, English interface, transparent pricing.	Recommended
Amap or Apple Maps	Navigation. Google Maps data in China is unreliable.	Recommended
Umetrip (航旅纵横)	Domestic flight check-in, seat selection, gate changes, delay certificates.	Only if you fly domestically

Google Play and the App Store do not work normally in mainland China. Install everything, complete passport real-name verification, and test that you can log in — before you get on the plane. Doing it after arrival is genuinely difficult.

How we make sure you find your driver

This is the part travellers worry about most, and it is entirely solved by process. Before departure you receive a Pickup Card on WeChat and printed: the driver’s name, mobile number, licence plate, vehicle make, model and colour, and your hotel’s Chinese name and address.

The driver waits at the arrivals exit holding a sign with your name.
We track your flight in real time. If you are delayed the driver waits, at no extra charge.
The driver has your number too, and will call if you have not appeared within a reasonable time.
Even with no data package, roaming still gives you calls and SMS — switching the phone on is enough.
No signal at all? Connect to the airport’s free Wi-Fi, or show the Pickup Card at the information desk and ask them to dial the number.
If you have not connected within 20 minutes, stay at the arrivals exit and do not move. The driver will keep coming back to that spot.

Common questions

Will my phone work in China?

Any recent unlocked phone works on Chinese networks. The question is not coverage, it is access to the apps you use — which roaming solves and a local SIM does not.

Is airport Wi-Fi reliable enough to rely on?

For messaging, yes. For anything else, do not plan around it. Treat Wi-Fi as a backup channel to reach your driver, not as your data plan.

Can you arrange a SIM or eSIM for me?

We do not sell SIMs, and we would not want to — the right answer depends on your carrier and your phone. We will tell you exactly what to ask your carrier for.

What if my roaming fails on arrival?

You still have calls and SMS via roaming even without a data package, and the Pickup Card gives you the driver’s number. If all else fails, the information desk at arrivals will dial it for you.

Last verified 2026-10-31. Information on this page is checked against official sources and re-verified monthly. If you are booking, we confirm your specific case in writing before you pay anything.

Still not sure how this applies to you?

Tell us your nationality and rough dates. We will send a written answer, not a link.

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