Hi, I will be traveling to china in April with husband and two teenagers 13 & 15. We do not speak or write any other language except for English. We were looking at doing tours, but many tours don't take kids and those that do are very expensive. I have been trying to plan a do it your self thing. We are arriving Beijing then train to Xian, train to Yichang, Yangske River cruise, Chongqing train Kunming then to Dali. From there we would like to travel Lijiang. I can't find any way of getting to Lijiang or any other places around there. We would like to spend about 5 days in this area. Then from there go to Hong Kong to fly home. All this looks good on paper and on the net.
I need help with
1. Are the prices and times the train run accurate. can I buy the tickets for the trains in china or is it best to buy before I leave. (We plan to use soft sleepers)
2. We need help with accommodation through out. Am I better off getting a Hotel or backpacker accom. How do prices compare? Anyone know any cheap low budget clean places.How much should I pay. can accom be booked as we travel.
3. I have 4-5 days to fill in any suggestions. or should we just stay longer in some of these places.
4. Will we need guides and how much do we pay them.
Family of four traveling to china needs help.
1) Yes, the trains in China are usually very punctual -- they leave right on the dot! Don't pre-buy using the online ticket agencies, they charge a hefty mark-up and personally I don't think they're worth THAT much money. Lijiang doesn't have a train station, you'll have to take a bus from Dali, about 3 hours.
2) I'd be happy to help you with accommodation recommendations and bookings if you like. If you could tell me your exact dates of stay as well as budget, that'd be very helpful. Feel free to drop me a private message. I've travelled extensively in China, have been to all the places that you're visiting except for the 3 Gorges cruise part.
3) How long are you already spending in each? What are your sightseeing interests and preferences?
Hi, I'm Chinese. Welcome to China. Maybe I can do something for you, such as hotel, tickets. I also leave a message to you, hoping to be a friend of you in China. 
thanks for your replies -We will be in china for 4 weeks.
We would like to see as much as we can. The kids are interested in History and experiencing life in china, agriculture and cultures. We reluctant to do a tour or pre-arrange to much in advance, that way we can stay longer in any place if need be. We are open to any ideas. At this stage we are only booking accom in Beijing 6 nights .. and then go from there.(as per first post) I have read Guangdong province is rich in history. Yunnan province.
China is a big country with a long history more than 5000 years. Besides Beijing, Xian is a good place to visit, the Terra Cotta Army was built in the Qin Dynasty. And Guangxi, the minority region, you can experience the real minority life there. I sure your children will like it.