Beijing
 

Hi RS,

So I got a 22 hr layover in Beijing, and am planning to do the Forbidden City.

Any tips on what to do for mobile data in Beijing?

I hear that 24 hr tourist visas are available now, so since I got a layover, I can enter the country for 24 hours. So I've read on the Vancouver Chinese Embassy website.

Seems like buying a sim card is the cheapest way right now.

Where are you heading afterwards?

Do you really need data for [half] a day?

I have two, 20ish hour lay overs in Beijing. Final destinations are Tokyo, and Vancouver.

I would like to have data to use Google Maps, since those are were I'm saving my points of interest.

I also read up that I can rent a pocket wifi at the airport and store my luggage there too. That's probably what I'll do.

PEK is under one of the worst smog in its history. I'd make sure I pack some N95 masks. (assuming you actually land, a friend of mine was flying HKG-PEK, they circled for a few hours, and ended up returning to HKG)

My flights aren't until March/April. FML though, didn't expect pollution to be that bad.