Austria to Foshan: 10–11 h nonstop to Shenzhen to Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN), 48 minutes by road to Lecong, 30 days visa-free.
- Flight
- 10–11 h nonstop to Shenzhen
- Entry
- 30 days visa-free
- Transfer
- 48 min from CAN
- Visit
- Four days
- Guide day
- USD 150 / day
- Pickup
- USD 149
Sourcing trip · Europe
Austria to Foshan: nonstop to Shenzhen, then the Foshan showrooms
Vienna flies nonstop to Shenzhen, which most Austrian buyers assume is impossible. That single route turns a connector trip into a three-day sourcing visit, and the market here rewards contract-grade specification over novelty.
- Flight
- 10–11 hNonstop
- Entry
- Visa-free30 days, no visa needed
- Allow
- Four daysin Foshan
- Airport pickup
- $149Credited back within 6 months
Austria to Foshan: 10–11 h nonstop to Shenzhen to Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN), 48 minutes by road to Lecong, 30 days visa-free.
- Flight
- 10–11 h nonstop to Shenzhen
- Entry
- 30 days visa-free
- Transfer
- 48 min
- Visit
- Four days
- Guide day
- USD 150 / day
- Pickup
- USD 149
Getting here
Schedules change with the season — confirm the operating carrier before booking. The airport code is the part that stays put.
Entry rules for Austrian travellers
30 days, visa-free. Ordinary passports enter visa-free for up to 30 days for business, tourism or transit. The waiver currently runs to 31 December 2026.
Austrian passports enter visa-free for 30 days, valid through 31 December 2026.
- Without a visa
- 30 days per entry
- On what basis
- Unilateral visa-free entry
- Current term runs to
- 31 December 2026
- Visa on arrival
- No — port visas only for urgent business, with an invitation
- Airside transit
- Under 24 h, no visa if you stay airside
CarryReturn ticket · Hotel booking · Invitation letter for business
Waivers were extended repeatedly through 2025–2026 and several expire on 31 December 2026. Confirm the current term with the Chinese embassy before paying for flights.
Airport pickup, $149 — refunded when you order
- Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Zhongshan
- Drop at your hotel — or straight to a showroom if you land early, with parking and tolls settled
10–11 h in the air, then about an hour of motorway. A 11:20 landing still leaves the afternoon.
Example vehicles; the exact car is confirmed the day before. Photos: Wikimedia Commons — Dinkun Chen CC BY-SA 4.0, CC0 — not our vehicles.
A paid service, not a free transfer: one arrival, one vehicle, one drop-off. Parking included; tolls at cost. The credit is valid for six months from your arrival date.
Landing, then the transfer
Three doors into the Pearl River Delta. Which one you use is a fare decision; the ground leg is what moves your first showroom.
Do not plan on the Hong Kong ferry. The Shunde Port passenger service was suspended on 16 July 2026 with no restart date announced. Older guides still recommend it.
The days on the ground
Four days is the working minimum for anything beyond a single category. Appointments are booked before you land, and each evening you get a written recap of what you saw and what is still open.
- Day 1
Land and calibrate
Land, transfer, rest — then a short walk through Lecong to calibrate prices
- Day 2
Lecong showrooms
Lecong showrooms against your list: two or three options per line, photographed and priced
- Day 3
Factories behind the malls
Today belongs to the workshops, in Longjiang or Nanzhuang
- Day 4
Samples and sign-off
Samples, custom pieces, then sign off and leave with a specification
Field noteStaying downtown instead of near the malls adds roughly two hours a day in the car.时久, Xiaohongshu
Field noteIn the malls, open about 40% below the ask and expect to close near 70%. Factory shops settle around 90%.老杨聊皮料, Xiaohongshu
Where the days are actually spent
Contract pieces come from factories that already build to a fire and wear standard. Hotel and resort briefs need the contract line and the factory behind it in the same day.
Lecong 乐从
Trading malls and room-set showrooms. A hundred sofas in a morning, priced retail-facing. The shortlist starts here.
Longjiang 龙江
Upholstery and sofa factories, plus the material markets behind them. Where a showroom price gets explained.
Chancheng 禅城
The city centre. A practical base, flagship showrooms, kitchen and bathroom.
Dongguan 东莞
Export-oriented OEM and ODM factories, about 90 minutes away.
Where to stay
Pick the base first; the room is the easy part.
InterContinental Foshan 佛山保利洲际酒店
The Guicheng business district, closest to Guangzhou. Sensible if the trip is stacked with supplier meetings on the Nanhai side.
Sofitel Foshan 佛山罗浮宫索菲特酒店
short trips · first-time buyers
Days Inn by Wyndham Foshan Shijilian 戴斯温德姆酒店(佛山世纪莲体育中心店)
2 km from the malls · parking
Straight-line distance from the Lecong furniture anchor. Ratings: Google Places and Amap, 31 Oct 2026.
Where to eat
Dinner is part of the itinerary, not an afterthought. Three places, with what they cost.
Ratings and average spend from Amap, retrieved 2026-10-31. Hours and closures change — confirm before booking a table for guests.
What Austrian buyers get caught on
- 01Austria is an EU market: CE where a directive applies, EUTR timber due diligence, 20% VAT on import. The importer holds the file, the factory only supplies documents.
- 02Landlocked: containers land at Koper or Hamburg and move by rail or road. The inland leg is quoted separately and is where cheap freight quotes hide their margin.
- 03220–240 V, Type C and F. Austrian contract buyers check fire performance for hotel work, and it is usually the buyer's own standard rather than a national one.
- 04German-language documentation is the norm for contract and public projects. Ask for the technical file in German if the goods are going into a hotel or a public building.
- 05Austrian buyers tend to buy fewer, better pieces. A sample that arrives with a described finish and a written spec is what closes the order.
Practical specification checks, not certification advice. Confirm current requirements with your importer or testing body.
Importing into Austria
Everything here happens after the container leaves Foshan — the part the showroom does not quote.
- Import VAT
- 20% standard rate on import
- Plug / voltage
- Type C / F · 230 V
- Main port
- Koper · Hamburg
- Ocean transit
- 32–40 days
- Currency
- EUR
- Working language
- German, English
Rates are indicative. Your forwarder will have the current numbers for your port.
Trip cost, before any furniture
| Line | Planning figure |
|---|---|
| Flights | EUR 700–1,150 return on the Vienna–Shenzhen nonstop |
| Hotel | Lecong or Chancheng, 4-star, EUR 60–110 per night |
| Airport pickup | USD 149 from Guangzhou or Shenzhen, credited against your fee if you order within six months |
| Inland freight | Koper or Hamburg to Austria is a separate line — ask for it before comparing suppliers |
Planning figures, not a quotation.
Questions Austrian buyers ask
How long is the flight from Austria to Foshan?
About ten to eleven hours nonstop from Vienna to Shenzhen, then roughly 80 minutes by road to Lecong.
Do Austrian passports need a visa for China?
No, up to 30 days. Austria is on China's unilateral visa-free list, currently valid to 31 December 2026.
Which port do Austrian importers use?
Koper for most, Hamburg for northern routes. Both need the inland leg quoted separately.
Do I need German documents?
For contract and public projects, usually yes. Ask the factory for the technical file in German before the order, not after.
How many days do I need?
Four: one in Lecong, one at the factories, one for samples and the technical file, one to sign.
Elsewhere in Europe
Buyers who come to Foshan rarely come alone: a household or a hotel brief often spans two markets.
Keep planning
Send your list before you book the flight
Share quantities, rooms, budget and your travel month. We come back with a route, a supplier shortlist and an honest answer on whether the trip is worth making.
Trade rules, duty rates and certification scope change without notice. Confirm the current requirements for your product and entry date with a licensed customs broker before committing to a deposit.