Cheap flights from London to Haikou

The shoulder weeks around March are worth watching first, and March itself is the cheapest month on this route. Prices exist for November through May except June, and again in July and August, so the summer holiday window is covered. Avoid packing your dates around Christmas or Chinese New Year, when fares on routes into China harden. Weekday departures from London tend to leave you more choice at the cheaper airports.

Connections come first here: China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China, Xiamen Airlines, Hainan Airlines and Tianjin Airlines route through their home hubs in mainland China, while Cathay Pacific goes via Hong Kong, Finnair via Helsinki, and Etihad Airways via the Gulf. These are full-service carriers, so checked baggage and transfers are usually on one ticket — check the fare rules anyway. Direct flights from London exist on the route, and Shenzhen Airlines appears among the options as well.

Getting into town from Haikou airport is straightforward: it sits close enough to the city that a taxi or ride-hail ride is short, and buses link the terminal with the centre. Have your hotel address in Chinese characters to show the driver, as English is not widely spoken. SIM cards and payments by local apps are easier to arrange in the city, so keep some cash for the first hours. Allow buffer time if you land late in the evening.

Currency

CNY (¥)

Power sockets

Type A, C, I · 220 V

Language

Putonghua

Emergency number

110, 119, 120

Driving side

right

Calling code

+86

Internet domain

.cn, .中国

Population of Haikou

2.9 M (2020)

Time zone

UTC+08 (Asia/Shanghai)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Decide first which of London's five airports you depart from, since fares and journey times differ widely.
• Check the baggage allowance for your fare before booking, because what counts as included varies by carrier and ticket type.
• Confirm your Chinese visa or entry permit requirements well before you travel.
• If your ticket is split across separate bookings, make sure the connection time covers a possible delay.
• Compare dates in the cheaper months rather than fixing on school holidays.