Q: How much does the Savvy City Kit cost?

A: We price the Savvy City Kit based on the length of time you’re here. That way we can put the right amount of calling credit on your phone and give you a pocket guide with enough venue recommendations to last your trip. A Savvy City Kit used for four days or less costs 980RMB; for a week or less costs 1,400RMB and for two weeks or less costs 2,400RMB. To request a Savvy City Kit for longer, please get in touch at info@bespoke-beijing.com.

Q: Where do I pick up and return my Bespoke Kit?

A: Well that’s the nice part: we do all the hard work so you don’t have to, because we’re nice like that. All you need to do is tell us which hotel you are staying at before you arrive so we can make sure your pocket guide and phone are waiting in your room on arrival. You get to keep your pocket guide, but your phone and charger must be returned to your hotel’s concierge. You’ll need to sign a slip to say that it has been returned. If your chosen accommodation doesn’t have a concierge, you can return your phone at the main reception desk or request a time for one of our team to come and prize it from your sweaty palms in person.

Q: How long do I have access to your bilingual City Experts for each day?

A: Between 8am and 10pm daily. You can also email or text us at any time.

Q: Do I get to keep my phone?

A: No. You are entitled to keep your personalised mini guide, The Knowledge, and even the silk pouch your phone comes in when you leave – just not the phone! You will be expected to return it to your hotel concierge and sign it out before leaving.

Q: What happens if I lose my phone or forget to leave it with the hotel concierge?

A: If you have a ‘doh!’ moment and find our phone in your suitcase back home, you have up to 3 weeks to post it back to us (after that they forget who we are you see). Unfortunately if you lose your phone you will be to required to pay 600RMB towards a new one.

Q: What happens if I run out of credit?

A: This is extremely unlikely because we make sure your phone has enough local calling credit on to last your trip (4 hours of local calling credit if you’re here for four days or less; 8 hours of local calling credit if you’re here for a week or less). However, if you choose to make lengthy international calls on your Bespoke Phone, your credit will run out more quickly. You can either ask us to add credit for you and you’ll be billed accordingly, or you can top up the money yourself. Top up cards can be bought easily from local newspaper stands in increments of either 50 or 100RMB.

Q: Can I call abroad?

A: All of our phones have the ability to call abroad by dialling a prefix number. This will be cheap in comparison to the roaming rates on your own mobile, but will eat up your prepaid Bespoke Beijing allowance more quickly. If this happens, you will need to top up the money on your phone if you intend to use it for the remainder of your trip. An alternative is to buy an IP card (international call card) from the local newspaper stands. The advertised cost will be 100RMB but you should never pay more than 35RMB (about 5 USD). This will get you around 25 minutes call time to an international landline.

Q: Can I really call about anything?

A: Yes! No matter how silly. Every member of our team was new to the city once and remembers what it's like to have a million and one seemingly trivial but important questions. Even if it's just to ask us how best to eat a dish like Peking duck or what the correct etiquette is when meeting Chinese people. Perhaps you're not sure how much that tea set should cost or where you can get some Western comfort food. No matter what the problem, we'll endeavour to help you solve it.

Q: Do I need a visa for China?

A: Yes sirree. Please, please, please don’t forget this. Unless you like being publicly humiliated at airport border controls.

Q: When’s the best time to visit your fair city?

A: Beijing is a city of extremes, with a very cold winter and a boiling hot summer. So we’ll let you in to a little secret: it’s at its very best in April, May, September and October when the temperature is just right, the sky is blue and taxi drivers seem mysteriously chirpy. November to March in Beijing is winter and temperatures can drop to -10 degrees centigrade. Summer in Beijing runs from May to September and can reach highs of 40 degrees centigrade.

Q: Which injections should I be getting for my trip?

A: Since our area of expertise is travel (and not medicine), it’s best that you visit your local international travel clinic for advice, or read the Center for Disease Control’s advice, here. But don’t panic, there’s no scary weird diseases lurking in Beijing, just take precautions and you’ll be fine.

Q: What the hell is a hutong and why do people keep banging on about them?

A: The word hutong literally means ‘water well’, but is used to describe Beijing’s traditional, labyrinthine alleyways. Hutongs were formed as traditional grey brick courtyard homes joined together over time in certain areas of the city. Unfortunately these days there are not many hutongs left, but large swathes of them still exist just north-east and west of the Forbidden City. The area near to Beijing’s Drum and Bell towers provides perhaps the best example.

Q: Does Bespoke offer services outside of Beijing? (Xian, Shanghai etc)

A: Right now we’re a humble start-up, so the answer is no. However we’ve partnered with the best in the business so if you’re off to Shanghai, Xi’an or somewhere more adventurous, just let us know what you’re after by emailing info@bespoke-beijing.com and we’ll put you in touch with the right people.

Q: Can I get a Spanish/ French/ German/ Russian speaking tour guide?

A: Yes you can, but please give us plenty of notice as good ones are few and far between. Please also bear in mind that if you use a foreign guide you will have to pay for their entrance tickets because non-Chinese guides are not permitted to have tour guide licenses in China (and therefore do not gain free entry to key sites).

Q: Do you have English-speaking drivers?

A: This is the question we get asked the most, however for a number of reasons (mainly historical) such a driver is virtually non-existent in China. Several of our drivers speak basic English and will always do their best to be helpful, but it’s for this very reason that we encourage visitors to use our Savvy City Kit, which comes with a phone that has direct access to our bilingual team to help you and your driver communicate more effectively.

Q: How much should I tip the guide/driver?

A: Tipping in China is not commonplace (in fact in restaurants it’s not done at all), however should you wish to tip your guide or driver, a tip of between 50 and 100RMB for a day-long service will be appreciated. This of course, is up to your discretion so only do what you feel comfortable with.

Q: Can Bespoke Beijing book tickets to performances? (Acrobatics/ Kung-fu etc)

A: If you are already making use of Bespoke Beijing’s other services, just tell us what you want to see and we’ll arrange the tickets for you. Of course it goes without saying that the more notice you can give us, the better chance you have of the tickets being available. Delivery and processing fees will be charged depending on the show.

Q: Do you help with booking flights inside China?

A: We are not a travel agent so do not book flights ourselves, however we are happy to recommend trusted English speaking local travel agents to our customers.

Q: What’s the deal with travel insurance or if something goes wrong?

A: You are expected to arrange your own travel insurance prior to arrival as Bespoke Beijing cannot do this for you. Make sure you have the right travel insurance to cover both medical emergencies and cancellation of your trip, and carry your insurance documents with you at all times. As a travel consultancy, all of Bespoke Beijing’s services are outsourced to third party suppliers and therefore we cannot not be held responsible for any accidents that occur during your trip. Of course it goes without saying that if for whatever reason you are unhappy with an aspect of the service offered by either us or our suppliers, we’ll do our utmost to sort it out super fast so you can go back to having a great time.