Beijing Transportation Tips by kdoc13

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: It sits a bit of a ways outside of Beijing, but is still close enough to serve the city. Figure a fifteen minute ride by cab from the airport to the city, factor another 10 to 15 to get to the city center.

The airport iteslf has two terminals, with a third one scheduled to open a year before the Olympics in 2008.

Getting around inside the airport is remarkably easy, and there is enough English writing to make sure foreigners don't get lost. Plenty of shops fill up the modern terminal 2, as do dining and ticketing centers.

Just a warning for first time travelers though. Getting into Beijing is easy, getting out is going to cost you. As with most airports in Asia, you must pay a tax to leave. Be sure to save some money to pay your way out. The airport will have more information about the current tax rate, but it was a lot more than I expected on my first trip back in 2001. Keep $50 on you (in Yuan) at the airport, and you should be able to make it through alright, with some dough to spare.

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Website: http://www.bcia.com.cn/en/index.html

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: The thing about Beijing's subway is, it very rarely takes you where you want to go. If you want to go to the Palace Museum (Forbidden City) or Tienanmen Square, the red line will take you right to it. Luckily for me there was a stop near my hotel on the red line.

But if you wanted to go anywhere else, boy are you out of luck! the purple line (line 2) I believe will take you around the 2nd ring road, the road that encompases most of central Beijing. The main focus seems to be getting the subway ready to take people to the olympics in 2008. If memory serves, the Orange line (line 5) will eventually take people to the airport. But from there, it is a quick hop onto the red line and off to the stadiums.

The subway here is much cleaner than those in America, more friendly than those in Japan, less useful than Japan and Korea's, but seemingly the happiest and friendliest subways on earth.

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