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Beijing Transportation
Beijing
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Shanghai
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There are nearly 200 flyovers around Beijing, the Capital city of China.
Transportation has always been a big problem while traveling. At China Odyssey Tours, you will be free from the hassles of traffic, roadmaps, and parking. We offer comfortable coaches with responsible drivers and tour guides and you will enjoy our on-time transfer services. We hope the following information will help you feel more comfortable during your stay in this bustling metropolis.
Beijing Capital International Airport is located in northeast of Beijing, capital of People's Republic of China, and 25.35km from the Tiananmen Square, center of Beijing city.
Get in - By plane
Beijing Capital International Airport is located in Shunyi District, 26 kilometers northeast of the city center, about 40 minutes drive (one hour during rush hour). If taking a taxi, 90 Yuan is needed.
The cheapest way to get to the city center is to take the airport shuttle. The shuttle bus can take you to and from the airport every 30 minutes and a one way ticket costs about 16 Yuan. There are several lines running to different locations throughout Beijing, including Xidan Civil Aviation Building, Beijing Railway Station intersection and Chinese Art Gallery.
Beijing West Railway Station is located in western Beijing's Xuanwu District. Opened in early 1996 after three years of construction, it was expanded in 2000 and is now able to handle 300,000 passengers per day.
By train
Beijing has several railway stations.
Beijing West Railway Station must be the largest and busiest one in China. Along with Beijing Railway Station, the West Railway Station sends express trains to all the main cities in China by train, including Lhasa in Tibet, except for Hainan and Taiwan Province.
There are direct short-distance trains from the North Railway Station to the nearby regions throughout the day.
Special tourist trains to other famous tourist cities are also available.
The bus system is extensive, comfortable and not crowded if you take the ones which have air-conditioning.
By bus
Beijing is the hub of several expressways heading in all directions to Shenyang, Tianjin, Harbin, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Nanjing, Kunming, etc.
The following is a list of the main expressways and their destinations:
Badaling Expressway to Zhangjiakou (Badaling Great Wall)
Jichang (Airport) Expressway to Beijing Capital International Airport
Jingjintang Expressway to Tianjin
ingcheng Expressway to Chengde (Hebei Province)
Jingshen Expressway to Shenyang (Liaoning Province)
Jingshi Expressway to Shijiazhuang (Hebei Province)
It is a very minimal system given the population density of Beijing, though the system is being expanded for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Get around - By subway
The subway is an excellent way to quickly get around the city and a traveler can easily figure it out through the station maps and English signs and language. The metro stops are at almost everywhere in the city, cheap, fast and efficient. The signboards are available in Pinyin and the stops are announced in English.
The metro system is being expanded for the 2008 Olympic Games. Beijing now has four subway lines:
Line 1 runs from Pingguoyuan industrial area in the west to Sihui East in the east, following the Chang'an Avenue through the commercial districts of Xidan, Wangfujing and Dongdan.
Line 2 is also called the Loop Line and follows the 2nd Ring Road. The line is linked to Line 1 at Fuxingmen and Jianguomen, and to Line 13 at Xizhimen and Dongzhimen.
Line 13, also known as the City Rail Line, is an extended northern semi-loop from that serves the northern suburbs of the city. Most of the line is above ground, with some sections elevated several meters above street level. Transfer stations are at Xizhimen and Dongzhimen (both to Line 2).
The Batong Line, built as an extension to Line 1, runs east from Sihui to Tuqiao in eastern suburban Beijing. It is fully above ground. Transfer stations are at Sihui and Sihui East (both to Line 1). The Batong Line is not of much use for travelers.
The trains usually run from 5 o'clock in the morning and 11 o'clock in the evening. The fare for Lines 1 and 2 costs 3 Yuan, and transfer between these two lines at Fuxingmen and Jianguomen is free. The fare for Line 13 costs 3 Yuan and that for the Batong Line is 2 Yuan.
There are at least 3 prices of Taxi in Beijing. They are priced according to the rate per kilometer.
By taxi
Beijing taxis can be easily recognized because now most of them are Sonatas and some are Citroen ZXs, Volkswagen Jettas or Santanas.
Taxi start at a base of 10 Yuan and then charge 1.20 or 1.60 Yuan per additional kilometer, and will charge for added time sitting in traffic.
Most taxi drivers don't speak English, so have your destination written in Chinese characters!
Riding a bicycle, a pretty girl is seeing all around Beijing.
