Transport

Beijing has the best, most accessible transport network in China. All levels of public transportation are readily available in the city, but driving in Beijing requires great skill, especially at road intersections, because of bicycle and pedestrian traffic. There are more than 10 million bicycles operating on Beijing roads. Care should also be taken with taxis. It's best to use regular taxis with meters, and be sure to check to the front and to the rear of the taxi before opening a door and getting out of it.

By Air

Beijing Capital International Airport is the largest of China's airports and is about 25 kilometres (km) or 16 miles northeast of the city centre. More than 1,000 flights arrived and departed daily in 2004.

A departure tax is levied for international (90 yuan) and domestic flights (50 yuan).

Tips for Capital International Airport

(1)   Changing money is easy at the Bank of China counter near the Arrival Hall Exit upon arrival. Use automatic money-changing machines in the baggage collection hall for quick and convenient foreign exchange; they accept most foreign notes.. The rate of exchange is the same everywhere so there's no risk of being "ripped off."

(2)   Never accept a ride into the city from a tout: it will be troublesome and expensive. Always take a taxi from the rank for a trouble-free transfer to your hotel or office.

(3)   Visit the Tourist Information Kiosk on the main arrivals floor – you can pick up the latest copy of Business Beijing, Beijing This Month or a BTM Map of Beijing there – and get a wide range of helpful information from the English-speaking staff.

(4)   At departures, young men in bright yellow-and-pink vests may follow you. These are not touts but airport valets who provide good value for money. For 10 yuan, the valet will load your bags onto a trolley, guide you first to the departure tax window, then through customs and finally accompany you and your luggage to the correct check-in counter, where he will leave you ready to check-in. For business travellers, this is possibly the best shi kuai (10 yuan) value in Beijing!

Customer Complaints: +86 10 6457 1666

Air China Inquiries: +86 10 6459 9567

Lost and Found: +86 10 6456 4119, 6459 8333

Medical Service: +86 10 6459 1919

WWW: http://www.bcia.com.cn

Airport Shuttle (16 yuan)

Starting	Stops	Destination	Interval	Price
Xidan	Sanyuan Bridge	Capital Intl. Airport	Every 30 minutes, 6 a.m.–7:30 p.m.	RMB16
Zhongguancun	Wangjing, Xiaoying		Every 30 minutes, 7 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
Beijing Railway Station	Dongzhimen, Sanyuan Bridge		Every 30 minutes, 6 a.m.–7 p.m.
Gongzhufen	Anzhenli, Bei Taipingzhuang		Every 15 minutes, 6 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
Fangzhuang	Liangma Bridge, International Trade Center		Every 30 minutes, 6:30 a.m.–7 p.m.
Capital Intl. Airport	Sanyuan Bridge, Yuyang Hotel, Hotel Kunlun, Dongzhimen, Dongsi Shitiao, Chaoyangmen	International Hotel	Every 30 minutes, 6 a.m.–7 p.m.

Tel: +86 10 6459 4375

Train

Rail is the most commonly used transport for the Chinese to make domestic long-distance tours. There are four railway stations in Beijing: Beijing Railway Station (East Beijing), Beijing West Railway Station (southwest), Yongdingmen Station (south) and Xizhimen Station (north). Many bus routes serve these stations.

Subway/Light Rail

Although sometimes crowded, subways and light rail are often the fastest way to get around the city area. The Beijing subway system (ditie) currently consists of two underground rail lines and two light-rail lines. The two most used lines, Line 1 (the east-west line) and Line 2 (the loop line), have recently been joined to the Batong Light Rail Line (extending the old eastern terminus of Sihui Dong to the new residential districts of Tongzhou District) and Line 13 that primarily serves the Wangjing and Changping areas of northern Beijing. Anticipating the traffic, the subway can often beat a taxi across town.

It's easy to use the subway; enter a nearby station, buy a ticket at a ticket window, check your direction on a map on the platform, then ride. Use the same easy-to-use map to choose the best exit from the station. A ticket between any two stations on Lines 1 or 2 costs a flat 3 yuan. Riding between any two stations on Line 13 also costs 3 yuan and the Batong line 2 yuan. It costs 5 yuan for a ticket involving a transfer from a subway line to light-rail line 13 and 4 yuan to Tongzhou on the Batong line (or vice versa). Simply ask for an appropriate ticket at a ticket counter—try to tell the ticket seller where you want to go, show them a map or get a friendly local to help you. A ticket taker will tear your ticket on entry on all but Line 13, where tokens are issued that must be surrendered upon arrival at your station. It’s not complicated; enjoy the ride.

Transfer stations or "interchange stations" are located at Jianguomen, Fuxingmen, Dongzhimen, and Xizhimen and at Sihui and Sihuidong stations on the Line 1 and Batong lines.

Subway/light rail trains arrive every few minutes from 5:15 a.m.–10:40 p.m. Route signs are bilingual and all stations are announced on the trains in English and Chinese.

Subway lines Nos. 4, 5, 9 and 10 are under construction and will be completed before 2008. During the 2008 Olympics, 80 percent of the gymnasiums will be accessible by subway.

 

Taxis

There are more than 70,000 taxis in use in Beijing. Taxi "flag-falls" begin at 10 yuan during the day and 11 yuan from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. The cost of a ride is 1.2 yuan (now being phased out), 1.6 yuan (most normal) and 2 yuan (luxury) per kilometre, based on the quality of service. You are within your rights to select any vehicle you wish at the taxi stand, unlike in many Western countries, where you might be compelled to take the taxi at the front.

About 30,000 new, colourful, more comfortable Beijing Hyundai Sonata and Elantra models are being added to the city's mid-sized taxi fleet in early 2005. Air-conditioned and capable of meeting Euro III international auto emission control standards, the new cars are a vast improvement of Beijing’s taxi culture.

Taxi Survival Skills

It would be very difficult to find a foreigner in Beijing who doesn't use the taxi system, so our top five survival skills for the non-Chinese speakers are:

(1)   Try to know where you're going­—a map or a card with your destination is extremely helpful to the driver.

(2)   Carry small change—your driver may not be able to change a 100-yuan note.

(3)   Sit in the front seat to make hand gestures more visible, being aware of the seat belt. Zuo guai is a left turn, you guai right.

(4)   Say ting xia to stop.

(5)   Ask for your receipt by saying fa piao.

Hotline: 96103

 

Bus

In Beijing, there are lots of buses and trolley buses, and also long-distance buses that serve all China. Spacious, environmentally friendly and energy-saving buses are widely used in Beijing, and more improvements are on the way in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Games.

Generally, the buses work from 5 a.m. or 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. or midnight. The frequency of departure varies with different routes: usually, every five or ten minutes there is a bus at your favourite bus stop. Buses also operate from midnight to 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. Charges vary from 1 yuan to 6 yuan depending how far you travel.

There are four major long-distance bus stations: Dongzhimen (in the northeast at Dongzhimenwai Xiejie), Muxiyuan (in the south at Haihutun, Fengtai District), Beijiao (in the north at Deshengmenwai) and Majuan or Guangqumen (in the east at Guangqumenwai).

 

Tour Buses

Beijing has tour buses that travel between major resorts, and begin with the word 'tour' or 'Y.'

 

 

Bicycles

China used to be called "the sea of bicycles" and in Beijing today the bicycle is still a convenient vehicle for most people. Renting a bike may be a better way to see the city at your own pace. You can rent a good bike from a hotel, paying 20-30 yuan for the day, usually requiring a deposit. You can also rent from bigger booths (for repairing bikes and pumping tires) where the charge is lower but the bikes are not as new. When you need to, put your bike in a bike park. They are easily identified by large amounts of bikes on the roadside and cost a very affordable 1 yuan.

Pedicab

Pedicabs are three-wheeled part-covered bicycles that are a good choice for sightseeing, especially through the hutongs, (traditional laneways) on your own. They are available everywhere and are a good value. Be warned: you should bargain with the driver first, asking how much it will cost, giving clear directions to avoid disputes. A legally registered pedicab has a certificate, and the driver should have a card hanging around his neck.

Boat

Tired of traffic jams? For a change, you can travel around Beijing by boat. There are four waterway tours developed by the Beijing Municipal Government: the Changhe, Kunyuhe, Nanhu, Zhuanhe courses. In addition, there are tourist boats available in some scenic places. Feel the cool breeze in a boat, while seeing "another side" of Beijing.

Course	Departing Time	Departing Place	Destination	Price (yuan)
				One way	Round trip
Kunyu Course (Yuyuantan Lake — Kunming Lake)	9:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.	Bayi Lake	Summer Palace	60	80
		Summer Palace	Bayi Lake
	10 a.m.–4 p.m.	China Millennium Monument	Summer Palace	60	80
		Summer Palace	China Millennium Monument
Changhe course (Beijing Exhibition Hall — Summer Palace)	9–10 a.m. 1–2 p.m.	Zizhuyuan	Summer Palace	30
		Beizhanmatou	Summer Palace	40
		Beijing Exhibition Hall	Beijing Exhibition Hall		70
		Zoo	Summer Palace	50	80
		Zizhuyuan	Zizhuyuan		60
Nanhu Course (Yuyuantan Lake–Grand View Garden )	8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.	Yuyuantan Lake	Grand View Garden	50
		Yuyuantan Lake	Longtan Hu	90
Zhuanhe Course	8 a.m.–9 p.m.	Qihongtang Wharf	Jishuitan Pond		50

Main Watercourses

 

Other Recommended Places for Boat Tours

Shichahai /Houhai

Apart from the Hutong Tour, here, you can also enjoy boating on a long scull. Starting from the Lotus Market, passing through Yinding Bridge, the boat arrives at Houhai where local residences live. At night, you can also light up floating candles and put them into the water. In addition to these colourful lights, neon lights are highlighted on the shimmering lake making Shichahai even more beautiful.

Jiangnan Yuloh No. 1

(Bayi Lake Wharf–Bingjiaoyuan Wharf)

If you have no time to visit Jiangnan (South China), you should still not miss spending some time on a yuloh, where you can get a taste of the Jiangnan flavour. A yuloh is a traditional wooden boat widely used in southern China. While enjoying soft music, you can also have a delicious dinner on the boat.

Tel: +86 10 6852 9428, 9

 

Yuxihe River (Xibianmen–Muxidi)

This tour provides visitors with insights into the customs of some of China's minority ethnic groups—the Miao and Dong of Guizhou Province. The tour price includes special foods such as mijiu (rice wine), bobo tang (sweets), spicy meats and other delicacies. Young girls entertain with songs and dance.

Tel: +86 10 6336 1210, 6336 1310, 6336 8448

 

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Car Rental

If you don't want to drive in Beijing, you can rent a car and driver for a very reasonable fee. On the other hand, if you possess the necessary documents, you can rent and drive yourself. The flexible business environment of Beijing offers affordable and convenient car rentals complete with skilled and bilingual drivers. What better way to attend a punishing string of meetings around town, or to show a visiting colleague the wonders of the Great Wall?

Most reputable car hire companies offer a range of vehicles with drivers, from budget micros to luxury limousines. Be aware that not all speak English. Business Beijing has confirmed that the following companies offer car rentals with drivers that speak English: Hertz (800 810 8883), cars with driver available; Beijing Liantuo Car Rentals (+86 10 6778 3599), cars with driver available from 400–1,200 yuan per day; Beijing Zhongyuan Car Rentals (+86 10 8448 3366) cars with driver available from 400–1,300 yuan per day. For long-term rentals with a driver, try the local English-speaking specialist, Beijing Anji Station Car Rentals, who will even buy a new vehicle if your requirements are for two years or more. You can also visit www.taxi-beijing.com for more information.