Hi guys! I am in the process of planning a 2 week trip for me and my husband, going in mid-November. The plan is 3 nights Shanghai, 4 nights Zhangjiajie and 7 nights Hong Kong (with daytrips to Lantau, Macao, 1-2 hikes). Questions:
From Shanghai to Zhangjiajie is it better to take the high speed train or a flight? Looking at prices, it seems like the flight is slightly more expensive. Is it true that they also often get delayed/cancelled? Train obviously takes longer, but I would hate to lose a day in Zhangjiajie if the flights are not as reliable.
If taking a flight, how long in advance should I book the tickets? Is it ok to wait until a month out, or will it be more expensive/more likely to be sold out then? Alternatively, if taking the train, is it worth upgrading to 1st class since the trip is like 7-8 hours?
From Zhangjiajie we will take the high-speed train to HK since I saw there are no direct flights on the day we’re planning to leave. How likely is it to sell out fast once the tickets are available to book? I saw that there is only one direct high-speed train per day, departing at about 3PM.
In Zhangjiajie I booked a stay at Yuxi Homestay and for HK, Nina Hotel Causeway Bay. If anyone stayed here before, do you have any impressions? Also, I would appreciate some recommendations for nice hotels you liked in Shanghai if you’ve visited, max 100 EUR a night.
Would approximately 1200 EUR be enough for 2 people, 2 weeks with this itinerary? Excluding flights to/from China, domestic flights/high speed trains and accommodations. Just for food, entry to attractions, Didi on the mainland/metro in HK, maybe some small souvenirs here and there.