Oct 18, 2007
For $529, you can fly round-trip to Beijing from 15 widely-scattered U.S. cities throughout all of November
Here's an interesting travel opportunity from DFW Tours (tel. 800/780-5733; www.dfwtours.com), a 29-year-old airfare consolidator (discounter) that seems, from all indications, to be utterly reliable and well-financed (it's the subsidiary of a major British firm). Throughout the entire month of November, DFW will fly you round-trip to Beijing for $529 per person, midweek, from Newark, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Raleigh-Durham, and for about $100-or-so more from Dallas, Tulsa, Atlanta, Oklahoma City, and elsewhere. Since most of these cities lack direct service to Beijing, it's obvious that you'll making a stop in an intermediate U.S. city on the way. DFW does not reveal the airlines it will be using. Bookings must be made by October 30.
Once in Beijing, you'll find that hotel and meal costs are so cheap, especially in November, that another $400 or so is sufficient for a week's worth of your local costs. And so, if you have up to $1,000 in the bank, you can enjoy a week in Beijing viewing the rather unusual life and commerce in China's capital. And you should give that prospect serious consideration.
I'd suggest a totally independent stay, wandering on your own, eating where you choose, paying admission to various attractions on the spot. Take a look at the various internet services for booking hotels in Asia, and you'll find that a stay in Beijing can today be approached as you would a visit to Europe. But, of course, you'll want to start the application process for a Chinese visa right away.
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Once in Beijing, you'll find that hotel and meal costs are so cheap, especially in November, that another $400 or so is sufficient for a week's worth of your local costs. And so, if you have up to $1,000 in the bank, you can enjoy a week in Beijing viewing the rather unusual life and commerce in China's capital. And you should give that prospect serious consideration.
I'd suggest a totally independent stay, wandering on your own, eating where you choose, paying admission to various attractions on the spot. Take a look at the various internet services for booking hotels in Asia, and you'll find that a stay in Beijing can today be approached as you would a visit to Europe. But, of course, you'll want to start the application process for a Chinese visa right away.
Write and read comments about this post.
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
