Money & connectivity
Staying online
The full guide and its references are available below.
eSIMs, roaming, and which of your usual apps will and won't work once you land.
What is blocked
Google (search, Maps, Gmail, Drive), Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, X, YouTube, Wikipedia and most Western news sites are not reachable from a Chinese network. This is the single thing that surprises visitors most, and it matters because so many travel habits run through Google.
Two things change the picture:
- ✓Roaming data is routed through your home carrier , so a foreign SIM or roaming eSIM reaches everything you normally use. This is the simplest fix for a short trip.
- ✓A VPN on a local connection also works, but reliability varies and you must install it before you arrive; the app stores inside China do not carry them.
Data options
Before you fly, 5 min
A travel eSIM that roams onto a Chinese network is the answer for most people: install it at home, activate on landing, and your usual apps keep working. Buy enough data; maps and translation use more than you expect. Saily, Airalo, Holafly and Trip.com all sell China eSIMs; check the plan says the blocked apps work, which is what “supports Google Maps” or “with VPN” means in the listing. The Trip.com link is an affiliate link: a purchase through it earns us a small commission at no cost to you (how this works).
US$5 off your first Saily plan. Saily is the travel eSIM from Nord Security. Enter the code below when you create the account, before you buy: it comes off the first plan, standard or unlimited.
CHINA See China plans
The same code pays us US$5 in Saily credits, which can only be spent on data plans. It costs you nothing extra and does not change what we recommend (how that works).
Saily’s China plans run from US$4.49 for 1 GB over seven days to US$39.99 for 20 GB over thirty, with an unlimited plan at US$49.99 (checked September 2026). Whichever provider you choose, buy the plan and install the eSIM before you fly: Saily says access to its app may be limited inside China, and an eSIM you cannot install is no use at the airport.
Do you need a Chinese number?
Alipay, WeChat, Didi and train booking all work with a foreign phone number. A local number is only useful if you will be in China for a long time or need to receive calls from Chinese businesses.
The apps that replace yours
Download offline maps and translation packs before you land, regardless of your data plan.
Wi‑Fi
Hotels have it and it is fine. Cafés usually require a Chinese phone number to log in, so don’t count on them. Public Wi‑Fi at airports and stations often needs a number too. With a good eSIM you will rarely care.
Practical setup checklist
- ✓Install Alipay and set it up (see [Paying in China](/guides/paying-in-china)).
- ✓Install Amap or make sure Apple Maps is ready.
- ✓Download offline translation languages.
- ✓Buy and install a travel eSIM; keep your home SIM active for verification texts.
- ✓If you rely on a VPN, install and test it before departure.
Rules and apps change. Get one email when this guide is re-checked or updated, nothing else.
- ✓2026-09 — First published. Added where to buy an eSIM; the Trip.com link is an affiliate link.
- ✓2026-09 — Added Saily, its China plan prices, and the reader discount on a first plan.