Public Transport

  • Taxis

When it comes to public transport in Beijing, taxi is one of the most accessible and popular among tourists. It’s also reasonably priced in comparison to any other mode of transport. You are charged according to the reading on the meter. There are three main types of taxis with somewhat different ratings, depending on the size of the car.

As the vast majority of taxi drivers in Beijing cannot speak English, you should not forget to carry your hotel card, in the unfortunate event you get lost in the city, in which case a hotel card printed in Chinese will prove very helpful.

  • Underground

There are two Underground lines in Beijing i.e. the blue circle line going round the city centre and the longer red line going from east to west. It should not be too difficult to find an Underground station with a decent Beijing map, so do not hesitate to buy one. However, you may have to walk a few blocks to reach the station as the blue circle line only goes round the city centre. All Underground stations are clearly marked with a blue sign so you should have little difficulty finding them.

  • Trains

There are quite a few train stations in Beijing. The biggest are the Railway Station in the very centre of Beijing, followed by the West Train Station, from where the trains to Xian start. The Centre Station is within close proximity to Wangfijing and Tiananmen Square and it can sometimes get rather packed. There are bus stops and taxis in front of the station, though you should be ware of aggressive drivers wanting to charge you a much higher fix price. Only use the taxis with the meter.

  • Public bus

Taking the bus in Beijing can be quite an experience. Though they are usually absolutely packed out, it’s still interesting to try and do as the locals. On every bus, there is a ticket seller but a few bus lines will be run without them. In Beijing, bus routes can be quite complex but you can still find your way with ease thanks to the route board found at each station.