China has several international air gateways, the most important being Beijing and Hong Kong. At least four airlines fly from London non-stop into these two cities, and to Hong Kong alone there are four or five flights daily. Additionally a whole host of other airlines offer indirect services requiring a change of plane en route. Although no other Chinese cities are served directly from the UK, it is possible to reach Shanghai, Macau, Guangzhou, Xiamen and Ürümqi by air via other European or Asian cities. The non-stop flying time from London to Beijing is just ten hours, and twelve to Hong Kong.

One of Cathay Pacific's daily flights to Hong Kong originates in Manchester. Otherwise, if you are using a European airline, you should be able to fly direct to the European hub from the major regional airports rather than trekking down to London first. From Ireland, there are no direct connections to China and you will need to stopover in Europe en route. For the cheapest deal this will probably involve coming to England to pick up a flight.

There are a number of possible routes to China from the US and Canada, with the most options being through Hong Kong. Check the ads in newspaper travel sections, and shop around. In particular, the recent influx of Hong Kong Chinese into Vancouver has prompted a surge in competition and discounted fares from Canada. Chinese-owned agencies, who deal with consolidators (wholesalers), can usually quote you a fare $200-250 lower than the airlines' discounted rates.

The closest entry point into China from Australia and New Zealand is Hong Kong, though it's also possible to fly direct to Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing without having to change planes, and to elsewhere in China if you're prepared to make a stopover.

From eastern Australia, by far the best deal is with Royal Brunei Airlines, who offer low-season returns from Brisbane, Perth or Darwin to Hong Kong for just A$850, with high-season rates about ten percent more. There are frequent discount deals for flights to Hong Kong in the shoulder seasons or for travellers with some date flexibility. Mid-range operators such as Garuda charge A$1200 low season/A$1600 high season to Hong Kong from east coast departure points. Upmarket carriers such as Qantas and Air New Zealand have good low-season rates - about A$1200 to Hong Kong, or A$1600 to Shanghai, for instance - but their high-season fares can top A$1800/A$2100 for the same trips.

Where available, fares from Perth are about five percent cheaper as you're that much closer to China there. Due to lack of competition and extra distance, prices from New Zealand are relatively expensive; here you're looking at low-season minimums of NZ$1600 to Hong Kong.

China now has a number of land borders open to foreign travellers. When planning your route, think carefully about where you buy your Chinese visa - remember that Chinese visas must be used within three months of their date of issue, which may not be very useful if you are planning a long overland trip before arriving in China. Visas are obtainable in the capitals of virtually all European and Asian countries, though you may have to wait a few days for them to be issued.