Beijing Transportation

Air

Beijing’s Capital International Airport lies 30 km (18.6 miles) northeast of the city center (a 45 minute car ride without much traffic). Reach the airport by taxi or airport bus (RMB 16) from the Xidan Civil Aviation Mansion, the Art Gallery, the entrance of Beijing Railway Station and the Princess Tomb. The trip from airport to the center runs about RMB 100.

Train

Beijing is home to two main train stations: Beijing Railway Station (Beijing Zhan) and Beijing West Station (Beijing Xi Zhan). Double check your ticket to make sure you know the correct departure station. Beijing Railway Station serves major destinations including Shanghai, Guangzhou and Harbin as well as Russia. Beijing West Station connects to long-distance destinations to the south and west including Vietnam and Hong Kong. Six smaller stations provide additional regional service. Purchase tickets at the foreign passenger ticket office in the main station’s soft-seat waiting room or ask your hotel or travel agent to arrange train travel for you.

Bus

Beijing’s 12 long-distance bus stations provide numerous options for travel to cities around China, however bus travel can be quite tricky if you don’t speak some Mandarin. The main bus stations include Xizhimen, Dongzhimen and Zhaogongkou. Local buses are cheap but often slow because of traffic and almost always crowded. Fares are usually RMB 1 or 2; some routes charge extra for distance. A yikatong card saves money, bringing base fares down to .40 RMB for most routes. Tour buses can be arranged through travel agents and hotels.

Taxi

Beijing taxi fares start at RMB 10 during the day and RMB 11 after 10 p.m. After the first three kilometers (about 1.7 miles), each additional kilometer is between RMB 1.20 and 1.60, depending on the make of the taxi.

Subway

As of 2007, the system was comprised of Lines 1, 2, 5, 13 (light rail) and the Badong Line. Lines 8, 9 and 10 are slated for completion in 2008. Line 1 (the east-west line) runs past Tiananmen Square from the West Pingguoyuan Station to Sihui Station in the east; Line 2 (the circle line) runs around the center of the city with a Beijing Railway Station stop at its southeast corner. Subways run from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm. As of 2008, all fares are RMB 2 throughout the system. The system has undergone upgrades to accommodate a new yikatong (a “one card pass” smart card) system—buy a card for a RMB 20 deposit and add value in RMB 10 increments. Some taxis now also accept yikatong payment.