Beijing City Guide - Getting Around

The public transport system, especially the bus system, is rarely attempted by foreign visitors unless they have a good understanding of Mandarin Chinese. Travel by subway or taxi (see Taxis below) is by far the easier option.

City buses run 0530-2300 and are very crowded, particularly in the rush hours (0630-0830 and 1700-1900). There is also a limited night service between 2300 and 0530. Fares are paid to the conductor. It is important to have the destination written in Chinese as the conductor almost certainly will not speak English.

Fast, cheap and efficient, the subway (0530-2300) is an appealing alternative, although the trains can be packed during rush hours. The subway consists of two main lines: the East-West Line runs from Pingguoyuan to Sihui Dong, and the Ring Line follows a circular route, mirroring the Second Ring Road. The ‘13 line' operates in the north of the city, connecting Dongzhimen and Xizhimen Ring Line stations, and the ‘Ba Tong' Line 1 extension threads further east as far as Tuqiao. But those are just tasters - by 2020 Beijing will have the world's longest metro system, featuring 19 lines that will stretch a total of 561km (349 miles). Three new subway lines, plus an airport link, are due for completion by 2008 . Entrances are marked by a logo of a square inside a ‘C' shape and there is a flat rate depending on the length of the journey. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket offices above the platforms. Signs and announcements are in Chinese and English.

Taxis are plentiful (around 42,000 ply the capital's streets daily), cheap and metered. They wait around major department stores, hotels and railway stations and can be hailed on the street. Taxis in Beijing are mostly small, red hatchbacks or saloons (known as xiali). All taxis have a sticker in the back window that indicates the rate per kilometre. It is important to write the destination in Chinese as most drivers are unlikely to speak English. Tipping is not expected. It is best to ask the hotel concierge/reception or restaurant to call a cab, as taxi companies in Beijing are in a real flux at the moment, and phone numbers change very often.

Few short-term visitors to Beijing attempt to drive there, as hiring a car is a lengthy process, parking is difficult and car hire is restricted to the city limits. Visitors would also need to be in possession of a Chinese driving licence, which can only be obtained by those holding a resident's permit. Although road regulations do exist, they are regularly ignored and it is not uncommon to see aggressive lane-swapping by buses and taxis or even traffic going the wrong way on roads or roundabouts. Theoretically, traffic drives on the right but on smaller roads this is not always adhered to. It is important to remember that in the case of an accident it will always be assumed that the foreigner is at fault.

Hire car options are beginning to open up in Beijing, though the car usually comes with a driver, and familiar foreign rental agencies are only slowly breaking into the market. Avis (tel: (21) 6229 1119; website: www.avischina.com) has a reliable online booking service.

As China has the highest number of bicycles anywhere in the world, it also has an enormous supply of bicycle rental outlets. Although Chinese roads are unpredictable and at times fairly lawless and dangerous, hiring a bike can be preferable to relying on public transport. There are bike lanes on all main roads in Beijing, although these are filled with several thousand cyclists during rush hours.

Bicycles can be rented from many hostels and hotels. Another central option is Kingdom Bike Rental B402-5, Oriental Plaza, Wangfujing Dajie, Doncheng District (tel: (86) 1338 1400 738; website: www.bicyclekingdom.com).