Beijing is the largest transport hub in Northern China with convenient transportation links extending in all directions. The modern international airport and radiating road and rail network ensures ease of access whilst on your pleasant Beijing tour.
By Plane
As one of five major international airports in China, Capital International Airport (PEK) services the largest number of international and domestic airlines, about 200 in total. The main cities of every province and autonomous region within China (excluding Taiwan Province) and over 60 foreign cities throughout the world are accessible from this airport. Most foreign visitors choose Beijing as their first port of call, with over 50 foreign airlines having established offices here and in excess of 5,000 flights weekly, to every corner in the world.
On March 29th, 2007, United Airlines (UA) began a non-stop service between Beijing and Washington. Since then, passengers in Beijing can fly to Washington direct without changing planes in Germany or Japan. Now the planes (Boeing 747-400) fly between Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Washington Dulles International Airport every day, offering a great convenience to passengers. As well as Washington, flights to Chicago and San Francisco started at the same time.
Furthermore, United Airlines has connecting flights for passengers who are going to some other big cities in eastern United States. At Beijing Airport, passengers from the United States can get connecting flights to Xian, Guangzhou, Shenyang and other 13 Chinese cities on the same day.
The airport lies to the northeast of downtown Beijing in Shunyi District, some 25 km (16 miles) from city center, Tian'anmen Square. A convenient, comfortable and regular shuttle service operated by the civil aviation authority runs once every 30 minutes from the airport to downtown Beijing at a cost of 16 Yuan per person. Alternatively, taxis are available for approximately 120 Yuan to the city (not including suburbs). Though taxis in Beijing charge according to meters, experienced travelers can usually bargain with the driver for a lower price.
Important notice: The 10 Yuan airport expressway taxi toll is your responsibility.
Ticket Booking Office of CAAC is located at No. 15, Changan Xi Jie. There are special windows for foreign passengers (you must present valid documents when buying tickets).
Capital International Airport Consultation: (010) 64563604
NanYuan Airport
Located in the southern suburb of Beijing, NanYuan Airport is a new and smaller airport operated by China United Airlines. Although there are only three flights every day from the airport, comparatively, it is more convenient for tourists who plan to visit Harbin (departing at 08:00), Wuxi (departing at 12:40) and Dalian (departing at 17:10). Generally, it is essential for passengers to arrive at Capital International Airport at least one hour prior to departure so as to negotiate the boarding procedure, this is not necessary in NanYuan Airport. Tourists can buy flight tickets at NanYuan Airport at any time or in Xidan Civil Aviation Mansion prior to departure.
By Train
Beijing is the railway hub of the nation, with trains to most provincial capitals and all neighboring cities. There are six railway stations in Beijing, of which Beijing Railway Station and Beijing West Railway Station are the major ones. The former runs mainly long-haul journeys such as Beijing to Baotou and Beijing to Shanghai or international trains including the lines directly to Moscow, Pyongyang and Ulan Bator etc. While the latter is the largest railway station in Asia. Tourists can get to the capital cities of every province, most major and medium sized cities, autonomous regions (excluding Tibet, Hainan and Taiwan, the Beijing - Tibet railway will be operational from July, 2007) in China. The other two stations offer short-haul trains to neighboring provinces.
For both tourists and businessmen's convenience, intercity express trains run between Beijing and Tianjin departing Beijing Railway Station ten times daily. Cost for hard seat is about 35 Yuan and 45 Yuan for soft seat.
Train tickets can be bought at ticket offices in both Beijing and Beijing West Railway Stations. Tourists can buy tickets and reserve seats up to one week in advance (about 11 days prior during national holidays) and refund the ticket (less twenty percent cancellation fee). Passports or other regulated documents are required when buying or booking tickets.
Important notice: ticket demand always exceeds supply on national holidays, winter vacation and summer vacation and peak tourism season so TravelChinaGuide suggests tourists book tickets upon arrival in Beijing to avoid delaying your later itinerary.
There are ticket offices for foreign guests and overseas Chinese in the international soft-seat waiting room of Beijing Railway Station and Beijing West Railway Station. Today nearly all standard hotel receptions offer a convenient ticket booking service.
Beijing Railway Station Ticket Booking: 51016666 (tourists can book tickets for trains departing Beijing Railway Station, Beijing West Railway Station, Beijing South Railway Station and Beijing North Railway Station five or ten days ahead of your departure time on this line) 51019999
By Bus
Beijing is without a doubt the largest junction of major roads in China, with twelve national highways radiating to the northeast, southeast, southwest, and south, and eight main expressways surrounding the city, totaling twenty thousand kilometers.
Nineteen bus stations in Beijing operate thousands of buses every day, to neighboring cities such as Datong, Chengde, and Tianjin, some departing hourly. TravelChinaGuide suggests that long-distance travelers should not choose buses, but short bus journeys can be memorable experiences.
Bus tickets can be purchased 3 to 5 days prior to your departure, upon your arrival at the station, or even after you board the bus, if it is out of season.
Zhaosongkou Long-Distance Bus Station
Location: 34, Nan Sanhuan Zhong Lu, Yongwai
Bus route: tourists can take bus Nos. 2, 17, 25, 43, 300, 368 and 927 to the station
Tourists can take busses departing this station to Zhengzhou, Anyang, Zhoukou, Shijiazhuang, Jinan, Weihai, Dongying, Hangzhou, Harbin, Shanhaiguan, Wuhan etc.
Dongzhimen Long-Distance Bus Station
Location: 45, Dongzhimenwai Xie Jie
Bus route: take bus Nos. 44, 117, 359, 401, 404, 915, 916, 24, 106, 107 etc. to Dongmen stop
There are busses to Chengde, Huairou and Miyun etc. at this station.
Liuliqiao Long-Distance Bus Station
Location: Jia 1, Nan Li, Liuliqiao, Fengtai District
Bus route: bus No. 6, 50, 323,and 300 to Liuliqiao Nanli stop
Coaches departing from this station can reach Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Shijiazhuang, Zhangjiakou,Qinhuangdao, Hohhot, Baotou,Tangshan,Shenyang, Dalian, Yinchuan, etc.
Muxiyuan Long-Distance Bus Station
Location: 199, Haihutun, Fengtai District
Bus route: bus Nos. 2, 7, 324, 341, 366 etc. to MuxiYuan stop
Tourists can take busses departing this station to Jinzhou, Huairou, Shijiazhuang, Nanjing, Jinan, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Zibo, Dezhou and Weifang etc.
Beijing is the capital of China and a world renowned tourist city. Before introducing the transportation in the city, we offer a map of downtown Beijing here for your convenience, aiding your Beijing tour and providing an impression of the city.
Taxi
Taking a taxi is the most convenient way for newcomers to travel around a metropolis like Beijing. There are over 67,000 taxis running in every corner of the city, including Santana, Jetta, Sonata and Fukang. The taxis are visible at the airport, railway station and bus stations. What's more, most of the taxi drivers in Beijing can speak some simple English, which offers western visitors the great convenience of being able to communicate with them.
The charge for the taxis in Beijing differs according to different times of day. In daytime, the flag-down rate of the taxis is CNY10 for the first three kilometers and CNY2 per kilometer for the remainder of the journey. If the journey is longer than 15 kilometers (8 miles), the charge rises to CNY3 per kilometer. At nighttime (from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am of the next day), the flag-down rate is CNY11 for the first three kilometers, and the charge for mileage over 3 kilometers is CNY2.4 per kilometer, and CNY3.4 per kilometer for a journey over 15 km (8 miles). Although taxis are somewhat expensive for many travelers, they are convenient, especially in the middle of the night or in early morning.
Due to the traffic situation in Beijing, taxis charge not only according to their meters, but also for waiting time in traffic, driving at night and mileage for driving without a passenger. For every accumulated five minutes of waiting time you will be charged an additional one-kilometer fee. It is recommended that tourists ask for a receipt when alighting from a taxi because the car number, company name, registered driver and complaint telephone number are listed in it.
Tourism Special Train
Special tourist trains run from the four railway stations to suburban special interest sites. Tickets can be booked from any ticket office or travel service; or may be purchased aboard the train. For convenience, the site admission fee can be included in the ticket.
Subway
Subway is the fastest transportation vehicle in Beijing. Presently there are four subway lines in Beijing connecting city center stops such as Tian'anmen Square, Qianmen, and the railway station with outlying areas and till 2008, there will be nine routes in Beijing.
The operating hours of the subway are from 5:00 a.m. until 23:00 p.m., Line 13 is from 06:00 a.m. to 09:00 p.m. and the price ranges from 2 to 6 Yuan, commuter tickets accepted. Passengers can inquire of the subway staff if you have queries in order to avoid taking the wrong direction and wasting time. While Beijing subways are not as good as those in Shanghai and Guangzhou, compared with the congested road network; they are a far better choice for getting around the city.
Public Bus
Public buses in Beijing play an important role in the common people's daily lives. Bus numbers beginning with '8' are air-conditioned; other numbers indicate double-decker, special tour lines, night buses, and so on. The ticket price is 1 Yuan for city routes, while ticket prices for bus with air conditioning is 2 Yuan.If there is no conductor on the bus, passengers should board the bus at the front, drop ticket fee into the box and exit at the rear.
Tip: Since some buses are self-service, please prepare small bills before boarding.
Rickshaw
Rickshaw travel is an excellent way to experience old Beijing culture and the hutong (alleyways). To save time, locals sometimes hire rickshaws to navigate the narrow lanes. Travelers may get a fresh perspective of local life. Rickshaws are found around some communication centers and travel hotspots. Rickshaw rates are often higher than taxi rates especially during holidays for the busy traffic of automobile cars; bargain for an exact price prior to climbing aboard.
Bicycle
Many hotels in Beijing offer bicycle rental services, the cost of which is 20 to 30 Yuan per day. If you are of a vigorous disposition, riding a bicycle through the Hutongs in Beijing is a wise choice for exploring the city thoroughly.
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