Getting Around in China

China's transportation system has improved significantly since 1949. Today, China has a comprehensive transportation network consisting of airports, trains, highways, subways, ports and waterways. Among these, high-speed rail lines, highways and many new subways have dramatically improved people's daily lives.

Traveling by Plane

Airlines in China provide safe and comfortable service to travelers. Currently, there are about 1,279 airlines. Among them, 1,035 are domestic routes, including routes to Hong Kong and Macao, and 244 are international routes. Most airlines and airports offer world-class services and facilities. They are all under the responsibility of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China.

The most popular airports are Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Besides Hong Kong and Macau, there are more 200 airports in mainland China, which connect more than 100 domestic cities and 80 foreign cities.

A tip for air travel: there is an access policy without visa for a maximum duration of 144 hours, which is available in major cities in China. It is advantageous for foreign travelers who simply want to visit one of these cities in a short time, or who want to have a long stopover between two flights. The cities with visa-free access are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guilin, Xi'an, Kunming, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Wuhan, Tianjin, Harbin, Nanjing, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao and Changsha.

Getting Around by Train

Train is one of the main means of transportation in China, and the national railway network is one of the largest in the world. The total mileage of railways open to traffic in China is 124,000 kilometers. The number of passengers carried by train has reached 2.5 billion. China's railway service prides itself on its domestic operations.

China's railway network covers 124,000 kilometers in total, of which 22,000 kilometers belong to high-speed railways. These railways cover almost all places in China, even remote mountainous areas, plateaus and the seaside.

Travel by high-speed train

High-speed train is the most popular among all types of trains as it operates at a speed of 250 to 300 km/h and has a high quality service. It is also called fast train or CRH, with the initial "G", "D" or "C" as the serial number.

TGV tickets are classified into second class, first class, business class and VIP category. Some night D trains offer couchettes and luxury couchettes. Many D trains offer standing room tickets, which are priced the same as second class seats.

The facilities on board these trains are similar to those on an airplane. The seats can always adjust to the direction of travel, the backrest can be adjusted to the desired angle, a small folding table is available for each seat, a space for your cabin suitcase and electrical outlets are available in each row or compartment. In addition, meals and snacks are provided for a fee.

Getting Around on the Highways

China has numerous and complex expressways at all levels, connecting almost all cities, villages and countrysides. The safety, quality, convenience and capacity of China's expressways have been rapidly developed.

The length of highways in China is 1.18 million kilometers, including 68 national highways and more than 1,600 provincial highways. The Chinese government is speeding up the development of highways to promote China's economy. Beijing, as the capital of China, has 11 national highways, which connect many other cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chengdu, Changsha, Taiyuan and Xian.

Currently, all provincial capitals are the hubs of road passenger transport. Shuttle buses operate between provincial capitals and their cities, counties and towns. Although there is a large road network in China with a full express bus service, regular bus travel is less recommended due to the uncomfortable conditions and long journey times. On the main routes connecting major cities, luxury buses (Gaokuai Daba) are equipped with air conditioning and reclining seats. On night routes, there are also sleeper buses (Wopuche). Off the main routes, transport is provided by minibuses (zhongba) or small vans, which are less comfortable and often only leave when full. Bus travel can be tiring, especially if the passengers smoke.

Getting Around by Boat

China counts 110,000 kilometers of navigable rivers, streams, lakes and canals, more than any other country in the world. The main ones are the Heilong Jiang, the Yangtze, the Xiang, the Pearl River, the Huangpu, the Lijiang and the Xi Jiang.

The Grand Canal is the longest in the world, at 1,794 km, and serves 17 cities between Beijing and Hangzhou. It connects five major rivers: the Haihe, Huaihe, Huanghe, Qiantang and Yangtze. The construction of new railways and highways has reduced the use of China's rivers for passenger transport.

Nevertheless, transport boats are still popular in some mountainous regions, such as western Hubei and Chongqing (the Three Gorges region), where railways are few and road access to many cities is inconvenient.

Getting Around the City

Many convenient modes of transportation are available in urban areas of China. Public buses, subways, taxis, are the most common means of transportation:

Getting Around by Bus

In big cities, buses are plentiful and the road system is quite developed. Even if you don't speak Chinese, you can get by, provided you take a map with street names in Chinese. Don't hesitate to check the destination with a Chinese traveler.

There are also systems of trolley-bus or electric buses. As of 2010, trolleybuses have provided part of the public transportation service in 14 Chinese cities. All trolleybus systems in China were opened after 1950, except Shanghai, which is still in operation and opened in 1914; it is the oldest trolleybus system in the world.

Getting around by Metro

Major cities have metro systems in operation, under construction, or in planning stages. The metro is ideal for major Chinese cities and its ability to quickly transport large numbers of people at high frequencies over short distances, avoiding the traffic jams, makes it one of the most popular means of transport. Thanks to the metro you can go and enjoy your favorite dishes with your Chinese chopsticks across the city in no time. The Shanghai Metro, opened in 1995, is the longest metro system in the world. Tickets are sold by employees or through automatic machines.

Getting Around by Taxi

This mode of transport is practical and inexpensive. In large cities, all vehicles are equipped with a meter, which is used almost systematically. In cities and in the provinces, ask your hotel for the current price of a journey. For long journeys, it is very possible to negotiate an attractive all-inclusive price as long as the prices charged are known. Taxis are everywhere, at any time of the day or night. Just hail them or call them by phone. In general, the drivers do not cheat not.

Tip: Taxi drivers in China often only speak Chinese. Few of them speak English! It is therefore necessary to have the destination address written in Chinese characters.

Getting around on an Electric Scooter

Indeed, China is not exempt from the meteoric rise of electric scooters. These scooters can be an excellent means of transportation for short distances and at a lower cost. If you are interested in this means of transport, you can get your own electric scooter at our partner.