Getting There

As the largest communication hub in North China, with the Asian first largest international airport, many high-tech subways, modern light rails and radiating railways, Beijing is capable of offering you a very convenient and comfortable trip.



By Plane
Beijing possesses the Asian and national first largest international airport—Beijing Capital International Airport. Situating in northeast of the city, this airport is just 25km from the Tian’anmen Square, the very center of Beijing city. It has a very important location in Beijing for being both an aviation gateway of Beijing and a window for international communication. As a radial center for China civil aviation network, the Beijing Capital International Airport features in a large-scale international airport, with the biggest scale, fullest facilities and busiest transportation in China.

Beijing Capital International Airport is one of the major three international airports in China, which officially put into used on March 2nd 1958. Because of its excellent geographic location and service facilities, Beijing Capital International Airport successfully took the place of Tokyo Narita International Airport to become the busiest airport according to the frequency of the taking off and landing of the planes in 2004. Owing to the advancement of civil aviation business and the increasing volume of passenger and cargo transportation, it was expanded in large scale. Nowadays there are 11 domestic companies and 55 foreign companies participating in the operational business. There are more than 5,000 scheduled flights available to 88 cities home and 69 cities abroad. Just once every 15 minutes, from the airport to downtown Beijing, runs a convenient, comfortable and regular shuttle service operated by the civil aviation authority which costs one person 16 Yuan. In addition, taxis are available for about 120-150 Yuan to the city (including the taxi toll of 10 Yuan). In Beijing taxis charge according to meters, but if you are an experienced traveler, you can usually bargain with the driver for a lower price.

Airport Shuttle Bus Routes:
Route 1: Xidan CAAC Building—Dongzhimenqiao—Capital Airport
Route 2: Gongzhufeng—Friendship Hotel—Beitaipingzhuang—Anzhen Building—Capital Airport
Route 3: International Hotel—Jingxin Hotel—Capital Airport
Route 4: Zhongguancun—Capital Airport
Route 5: Fangzhuang—Capital Airport

CAAC Building ticket office: 010-66569988

By Train
With a railway system linking to almost all directions to most provincial capitals and all neighboring cities, Beijing is the railway hub of the China. Here we have two railway stations--Beijing Railway Station and Beijing West Railway Station. The first one not only runs long-haul journeys to North-east China and East China, such as Beijing to Harbin and Beijing to Shanghai, but also runs international trains, including the lines directly to Moscow, Pyongyang and Ulan Bator etc. The second one is regarded as the largest railway station in Asia. From here, you can get to every province, most major and medium sized cities, and autonomous regions (excluding Hainan and Taiwan) in China. For the convenience of tourists and businessmen, there are intercity express trains running between Beijing and Tianjin departing Beijing Railway Station 10 times a day. Costs for hard seat and soft seat are respectively about 35 Yuan and 45 Yuan. You can buy train tickets at ticket offices in both Beijing and Beijing West Railway Stations. Tickets can be bought up to one week in advance (about 11 days prior during national holidays), so are the reservation of seats and the refund of tickets (less twenty percent cancellation fee). When you’re buying or booking tickets, passports or other regulated documents are required.

Note: On national holidays, summer and winter vacation, and peak tourism season, ticket demand always exceeds supply, so you should book your tickets upon arrival in Beijing so as to avoid delaying your later schedule. Nowadays a convenient train ticket booking service is offered in nearly all standard hotel receptions. Beijing Railway Station Ticket Booking: 51016666.Trains departs from Beijing Railway Station (serving the east), Beijing West Railway Station, Beijing South Railway Station (also called Yongdingmen Station,not to be confused with Yongdingmen Long-Distance Bus Station) and Beijing North Railway Station (also called Xizhimen Station).The train tickets can be booked five or fifteen days ahead of your departure time on this line: 51019999.)

By Bus
There is no doubt that Beijing is the largest junction of major roads in China. It has twelve national highways which radiate to the northeast, southeast, southwest, and south, and eight main expressways surrounding the city, amounting to twenty thousand kilometers. Every day there are nineteen bus stations in Beijing operating thousands of buses, to neighboring cities such as Datong, Chengde, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang and Zhengzhou, among which some are departing hourly. China Expedition Tour suggests that long-distance travelers should not choose buses, while 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.

Liuliqiao Long-Distance Bus Station Location: Jia 1, Nan Li, Liuliqiao, Fengtai District. Tel: 010-83831717 83831720.  Bus route: bus No. 6, 50, 323, 324 and 300 to Liuliqiao Nanli stop Coaches departing from this station can reach Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Shijiazhuang, Zhangjiakou, Qinhuangdao, Hohehot, Baotou,Tangshan, Shenyang, Dalian, Yinchuan, etc.
Zhaogongkou Long-Distance Bus Station Location: 34, Nan Sanhuan Zhong Lu, Yongwai. Tel: 010-67229494 67237328. Bus route: tourists can take bus No. 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. Tel: 010-64671346 67237328. Bus route: take bus Nos. 18, 22, 44, 117, 359, 401, 404, 413, 418, 915, 916, 24, 106, 107 etc. to Dongmen stop There are busses to Chengde, Huairou and Miyun etc. at this station.
Muxiyuan Long-Distance Bus Station Location: 199, Haihutun, Fengtai District. Bus route: bus No. 2, 17, 324, 341, 366, 377,926 etc. to MuxiYuan stop. Tel: 010-67267149 Tourists can take busses departing this station to Jinzhou, Huairou, Shijiazhuang, Nanjing, Jinan, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Zibo, Dezhou and Weifang etc.
Lizeqiao Long-Distance Bus Station Location: lizeqiao east, 3rd Ring Road, Fengtai District. Bus route: bus No. 811, 901, 541, 50, 300, 323, 324 etc. to Lizeqiao or Dongguantou stop. Tel: 010-63403408, 63475092 Tourists can take busses departing this station to Tianjin, Langfang, Dezhou, Taiyuan, Zhengzhou, Jinan, Tai’an, Nanjing, Xi’an and Hohhot etc.
Lianhuachi Long-Distance Bus Station Location: liuliqiao, Fengtai District. Bus route: bus Nos. 6, 50, 309, 340 etc. to MuxiYuan stop. Tel: 010-63464027 Tourists can take busses departing this station to Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Zhangjiaguang, Dezhou, Weifang, Zhengzhou, Tai’an, Hefei and Xuzhou etc.

Getting Around

  
Taxi
Newcomers will find it easy to catch a taxi in Beijing, and the taxis provide you with the most convenience. Over 6,000 taxis can be found at the airport, railway and bus stations. Nowadays, though most of the drivers here can speak little English or other foreign languages, it is still a safer way for you to ask your local guide or the bell boy at hotel to write down the place you want to go in both English and Chinese, so that you can show the note to the driver and reach your destination without language barriers. The flag-down-rate of the taxis in Beijing is 10 Yuan. The charge for the following journey is in line with the distance you will take. 2 Yuan will be charged per extra kilometer. Owing to the traffic situation in Beijing, taxis charge not only in accordance with their meters, but also for waiting time in traffic, driving at night and mileage for driving without passenger. You will be charged an additional one-kilometer fee for every accumulated five minutes of waiting time. Taxis are somewhat expensive for many travelers, but they are very convenient in the middle of the night or early morning. If you take a taxi after 11 p.m., you will have to pay a 20 percent late-night surcharge, no extra for luggage. When getting off a taxi, we recommend you to ask for a receipt because the car number, company name, registered driver and complaint telephone etc. are listed in it. If you lose your luggage on the taxi, the receipt will be helpful for you to get it back.

Public Bus
As the public buses play a more important role in the citizen's daily life, locals here do not take taxi very often. Buses, with numbers beginning with ‘8’, are air-conditioned, while other numbers indicate double-decker, special tour lines, night buses, etc. The ticket price for city routes is 1 Yuan, while for bus with air-condition, it is 2 Yuan to 5 Yuan. If you’re getting on a bus without conductor, you should board the bus at the front, drop ticket fee into the box and exit at the rear. Note: Please prepare small bills or coins before your boarding because some buses are self-service.

Subway
The fastest transportation and most economic vehicle in Beijing is subway. Nowadays, there are four subway lines in Beijing, which link city center stops such as Tian'anmen Square, Qianmen, and the railway station to outskirt. In 2008, there are altogether nine routes in Beijing. Subways are operating from 5:00 a.m. to 23:00 p.m., among which Line 13 is from 06:00 a.m. to 09:00 p.m. And the price is from 2 Yuan to 6 Yuan, commuter tickets are also accepted. In order not to take the wrong direction and wasting time, you can inquire of the subway staff. Subways in Beijing are considered to be one of the most convenient transport systems.

Bicycle
Bicycle rental services are offered in many hotels in Beijing, the cost of which ranges from 20 to 30 Yuan per day. Tourists with a vigorous disposition can rent a bicycle, riding a bicycle through the Hutongs in Beijing and exploring the city thoroughly.