TRANSPORTATION
TO AND WITHIN BEIJING
By plane:
Most major international airlines have regular flights in
and out of Beijing to cities throughout the world. Most cities
in China have regular flights to and from Beijing. Check our
flight reservation system for what you are looking for. The
airport here is 27km from the city center. From here there
are a few airport buses (RMB16) that will take you into town.
A taxi should cost approximately RMB100.
By train:
Travelling by train, one can reach almost anywhere in China
and even other destinations in Europe and Asia such as Moscow
and Ulanbator.
Some of the major domestic routes include:
Shanghai to Beijing: normally about 14 hours overnight.
Guangzhou to Beijing: normally about 30 hours.
Harbin to Beijing: normally less than 20 hours.
Xi'an to Beijing: normally less than 10 hours.
There are two train stations in Beijing, the main station,
Xizhimen Station and the west station, although most trains
to major cities use the Beijing west station. The easiest
way to get to the station is to take the subway. A taxi from
the Forbidden City should cost approximately RMB20-40.
By bus:
There are four major long distance bus stations here: Biennia
in the north, Dongzhimen in the northeast, Majuan in the east
and Haihuhun in the south. The bus can be a convenient way
to reach cities close to Beijing such as Tianjin and it is
easier to get seats for the bus than the train. For longer
journeys though, it is worth taking the train.
City transport:
Compared with other Chinese cities, Beijing has one of the
best bus and subway systems. While we provide bus information
for travelers (in the descriptions of various sites), using
public transportation (with exception of the subway system)
may be more trouble than it is worth. The buses, although
very inexpensive, will not have English speaking staff, nor
are bus signs marked in English or pinyin Chinese spelling.
Nevertheless, if you are willing to brave the language barrier
and go prepared with the Chinese character names of where
you are going, then the bus system is a unique way to experience
Beijing life. Furthermore, there are also several travel buses
to some of the important sights such as Badaling Great Wall,
the Summer Palace, Fragrant Hills and the Ming Tombs. You
can get the ticket on 4 Qianmen Street.
Otherwise, take one of Beijing's approximate
70,000 taxis but go prepared with the Chinese name of your
destination to show the driver. If you have any problems with
taxi drivers in Beijing, be sure to take down your driver's
ID number that should be prominently displayed on the dashboard.
Then take this information to the Beijing Taxi Association
and the situation. Your hotel should be able to help you with
this. |
