Entry scenario
A US passport holder planning a 10-day Shanghai-focused China trip should treat a normal China-only itinerary as visa-required unless the route genuinely qualifies for transit visa-free entry.
Scenario input
Change any one of these details and the answer may change. This is why the page gives a boundary instead of pretending one passport rule fits everyone.
Result card
Use this as a decision filter, then let the official source make the final call before booking or traveling.
Direct answer
For a 10-day Shanghai trip where China is the destination, start from the visa path. A 240-hour transit route may be possible only when the itinerary uses China as a true transit point with a qualifying onward ticket.
Primary path: Decide whether this is a China-only trip or a qualifying transit route before booking non-refundable flights or hotels.
Boundary
The common mistake is treating a long Shanghai stay as transit when the route is really a China destination trip.
Open source: 240-hour transit policy baselineNext steps
Once the entry path is clear, the next risk is usually data, payment, airport transfer, tickets, or the first night.
Next move
Read enough to make the decision smaller, then open the checklist, search a specific question, choose a setup tool, or share the page with the person planning with you.
Use the checklist when the question has shifted from research to preparation.
Search by the actual problem: Alipay, eSIM, transit visa, first transfer, vegetarian food, or a city name.
Open recommendations when the task is clear enough for a short list to be useful.