Beijing Transportation Tips by aussiedoug

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: Must begin this with a very BIG THANK YOU! to my VT friend sugarpuff (real name Vicky though my mum would say why shorten a beautiful name like Victoria) who helped me master at least one aspect of the Beijing Subway.

It's a bit limited at the moment given there are only 2 lines; Line 1 the east-west line; & Line 2 the circular line. The nearest station to the Beijing International Hotel, where I was staying was Jiangoumen which was handily located on both lines so I could use it to save time walking to Wangfujing shopping area (Line 1 east-west line)& I also used it to go to Dongzhimen where I met Vicky & Charles to go to dinner in Restaurant Street.

Now for the cheap bit. It's only 3 RMB - Yuan - Quai (local slang pronounced Kwai easy for us Aussies to remeber because of the Bridge over the River Kwai) no matter how many stations you pass through to get to your chosen destination.

If your Chinese is limited or, like mine, virtually non-existent have your money ready & hold up your fingers for the number of tickets you want. Don't worry if you don't have exact money holding up your fingers will indicate how many tickets you want. You don't buy return tickets soif you want a return journey just hold up 2 fingers to get your return ticket in advance. Or buy it at the station you are coming back from.

The other hint here is that you need to know which exit you need to come out of as I think Exit A will take you in one direction while Exit B will take you in a different one from the station. Again if you read this & I am wrong please drop me a line so I can not only correct this for others, but know for my own benefit on my next Beijing trip.

All announcements whilst on the train come first in Chinese & then in English so you won't have to be peering out the window trying to catch sight of your station name as you come into the platform. You will be ready to get off.

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'Mode': AROUND
Category: Other
Getting TO/AROUND: For a non-Chinese speaking foreigner using Taxis can (but don't necessarily have to be) be a bit of a challenge.

A few tips to help you.

Firstly, have the adress you want to get to written by your hotel staff in Chinese to show the taxi driver. This on the back of a hotel card with the Hotel's name in Chinese for your return trip.

Secondly, it will probably be a bit cheaper if you hail a cab from the street rather than get one from the batch of them waiting at your hotel. Vicky & I went by cab to le Petit Gourmand in Sanlitun then she packed me into a cab with Chinese instructions to the driver for my return journey & my return journey was 5 RMB cheaper. He hailed off the street while the first was from the hotel. Mind you I gave him a 5 RMB tip so it ended up- costing the same. lol!

Thirdly & I've been told by a few people over there (travellers) how important this one is otherwise you could pay considerably more than you should. Make sure you only get in a properly registered cab with the I.D. like the photo I've attached here. Enlarge this photo to see what I mean.

Getting back to the cost bit. That 5 RMB really didn't make much difference for just one trip, but if I'd been using taxis a lot during my week long stay then that saving on each trip would have made a difference.

I would suggest the Subway first if it gets you close enough to where you want to go. Howeve, I have no hesitation at all in recommending a taxi if the subway doesn't meed your needs. For the same 15 minute cab ride I took back to my hotel on the last morning I would have paid probably 5 or 6 times as much in Sydney & that is taking into account the exchange rate to Aussie dollars.

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