Travel costs vary, often unpredictably, so keep your budget planning flexible for this part of your adoption. Final costs depend on the time of year you travel, your routing, the number travelers in your party (including the mix of adults and children), and your destination in China, among other things.

   The two major costs are for your international round-trip tickets and your adoption travel inside China. You will make the international travel arrangements for your family and prices for this part of the trip are the most variable, ranging from zero (!) for frequent flyer tickets, to many thousands of dollars for first-class seats. Economy class roundtrip airfare from the U.S. to China, however, typically costs between $800 and $1400 per person. Your adopted child will need a one-way ticket from China to the U.S. at an average cost between ten and seventy percent of the adult fare. (Sorry, you cannot buy her a round-trip ticket and only use the return. If she does not board the plane for the U.S. departure flight, the airline will cancel the return leg.)