Buying a Chinese SIM card is the first thing to do after you land — before you even pick up the car.

You need a Chinese phone number to register WeChat, Alipay, Amap and Baidu Maps. Google services are blocked in mainland China, so without a local SIM you cannot even get online. International roaming works but is expensive and slow, and many Chinese apps restrict features on roaming IPs.

Which carrier?

  • China Mobile (中国移动): Best coverage in remote areas (Tibet, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia). Most expensive. Choose this for western China roadtrips.
  • China Unicom (中国联通): Good in cities, weaker in the backcountry. Mid-range price.
  • China Telecom (中国电信): Good in Yunnan and Sichuan, cheaper. Solid middle option.

For a roadtrip focused on Yunnan, Sichuan, Xinjiang or Qinghai, we recommend China Mobile — its base station network is the densest off the beaten track.

How to buy

At Kunming Changshui Airport, Lijiang Sanyi Airport, Chengdu or Urumqi airports, find the carrier counter or vending machine in the arrivals hall. Bring your passport — SIM cards are real-name registered in China. A tourist plan with 20-40 GB data and 100 minutes calls costs 30-50 RMB/month. Put 100 RMB on it and you are set for 2-4 weeks.

We can also buy and activate a SIM card for you in advance, so it is ready when you pick up the car.

Does eSIM work?

Chinese carriers do not offer eSIM registration to foreign tourists. International eSIMs (like Airalo) work but route through international gateways — they let you access Google and WhatsApp but are slower, and WeChat/Alipay may flag your IP as overseas. We recommend a physical Chinese SIM for daily use, with an international eSIM as backup when you need Google services.

Signal coverage on the main routes

  • Yunnan (Kunming–Dali–Lijiang–Shangri-La): 5G in cities, 4G on G214, occasional dead spots in tunnels and high passes. No major worries.
  • Western Sichuan: 4G in towns like Kangding and Daocheng; high passes and Yading's backcountry trail have no signal. Download offline maps.
  • Xinjiang: 5G in cities like Urumqi and Kashgar; hundreds of kilometers between signals on remote highways. Plan ahead.
  • Tibet: 4G in Lhasa and Shigatse; long stretches on G318 with no signal; Ali Prefecture is basically off-grid.
  • Qinghai-Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Hainan, East and South China: Good coverage throughout.

What to do when there is no signal

  • Download offline maps in Amap or Baidu Maps before you leave. GPS positioning still works without signal; you just lose live traffic updates.
  • Share your itinerary with us or your family each morning. Tell us where you plan to overnight.
  • Do not run out of fuel or water in areas with no signal — you cannot call for help. Fill up in every county town.
  • Don't drive alone through uninhabited areas. If the car breaks down, stay with it and wait for passing traffic.

Other tips

  • If your phone has dual SIM, put the Chinese SIM in slot 1 for data and calls, keep your home SIM in slot 2 for bank verification texts.
  • Turn on Wi-Fi hotspot for your travel companions, but don't expect to stream video on 4G in remote areas.
  • Hotels and restaurants have free Wi-Fi — use it to update maps and contact family.

How we help

When you pick up your rental car, we hand you a pre-activated Chinese SIM card (you pay the actual airtime). We also teach you to use Amap navigation in 10 minutes. Our cars have phone mounts and car chargers. WeChat qxzj7557 / WhatsApp +86 13759155671.