Beijing Transportation

Beijing is the Capital of China and can be easily reached by train, plane or bus.  There are two main railway stations in Beijing.  One is in the centre and can be reached by Subway and another is in the Southwest of Beijing that is easily accessible by bus.

The city itself has good transport facilities. The Metro is convenient to use within the city and being expanded as you read this.  The road system is excellent and traffic runs relatively smoothly except during peak traffic hours in the morning and evening when people rush to and from work. Many parts of Beijing can be explored on foot.

The main shopping areas and most of the tourist attractions are easily reached by subway, taxi or bicycle.  In fact, if you are the type of person who likes to explore on foot, some of the main areas could be visited on foot.  The bus system is extensive, comfortable and not crowded if you take the ones which have air-conditioning.  The non air-conditioned buses are much more crowded because the monthly bus passes bought by local passengers are not valid on the air-conditioned buses.

If you will be travelling to areas outside the city center such as the Great Wall, your options are limited.  You can take the cheap but sometimes unavailable tourist buses, an expensive private car/taxi or an organized tour.  If you take a tour, choose carefully! Ripping off foreigners is somewhat of an art in China.