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Domestic Transportation in China |
By air, By train, By Taxi, By Bus, By Subway ... |
By Air: In a country as vast as China, it's your best option to fly between cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an and Guangzhou, etc. The total number of airports in China serving domestic and international flights is 192, by 2020, it will mount to 240. Click here for more information: www.caac.gov.cn/English
By train: China has an extensive railway system, train fares are affordable, and services are punctual. Book your tickets at hotel reception or railway station. Railway stations are usually in a busy part of town. Some large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai may have as many as 4 railway stations. Be sure about which station you need to go as each station serves different destinations. There are different classes of seats and not every class is available for pre-booking, some have to be bought at the stations. Normal seat structure is comprised of 'ying zuo' or hard seats, 'ruan zuo' or soft seats, 'ying pu' or hard bed and 'ruan pu' or soft bed. A common advice is to go for soft seats for journey up to 6 hours and soft bed for overnight journey. For more info on train schedule, click http://trains.china.org.cn/
By Taxi:Taxis are easily flagged in the street and are generally clean and comfortable. Fares vary among cities, initial fare varies from RMB5 (approx. CAD$0.8) to RMB12(approx. CAD$2), and it runs on taxi-meter. In most major cities taxis run by meter, though it happens that taxi drivers ignore the meter and request pre-determined prices. Ask them to turn on the meters or you can shift to another taxi, you can also report them when the police are nearby. Most Chinese taxi drivers do not speak English, you are advised to carry your intended destination written in Chinese. Carry the right brochures, business cards or receipts, or have the hotel staffs write down the name for you, show it to the driver. You can also learn to say the name of your hotel and other destinations in Chinese. Always ask for a taxi receipt at the end of a journey. In case you leave something behind, a receipt will be useful to trace the driver and the taxi.
By Bus: Bus in cities are the most common and popular form of public transport. Public bus fares in China are extremely cheap and usually cost a fixed fare of RMB1 or RMB 2 (CAD$0.15 to CAD$0.35). You can pay with coins or notes or get a Smartcard which entitles you to a discount. Some of the big cities buses are air-conditioned. Ask a hotel staff or friend to advise you on what bus lines to take.
By Subway: Subways are another convenient means of transportation for those traveling in metropolitans. So far subways are available in four Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Tianjin. Ask a hotel staff or friend to advise you on what subway lines to take. |
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