Taxis and cabs are always the best choice for foreigners. Even if you can’t speak Chinese, show the driver the card or name of the hotel or restaurant and they will take you to the destination. One great aspect of Qingdao taxi transport is the lack of constant traffic jams unlike other major urban centers such as Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou. Qingdao is not only famous for its charming natural scenery, but also for the large numbers of taxis and possibly the cheapest taxi flag fall in similar cities at 1.20 RMB per kilometer with a base price of 7 RMB. It is about 50 RMB from the airport to most of the downtown hotels by taxi, and generally about 10-20 RMB from one urban locale to another.

 

In view that most of the taxis have served for quite a few years, the administrative governors lately announced the plan to replace 6,756 vehicles (total around 8,000) with higher standards so that to offer passengers a more comfortable and safer experience with a better emission control. It’s scheduled to commence in September 2006 and to end in 2008. The officials said that the tariff of the will remain the same but subject to the surcharge of fuel oil.

 

1) Daytime 5:00 - 22:00

   a. Base price (for the first 3km): 7 RMB

   b. Unit price per km: 1.20 RMB/km for the first 6km, 1.80 RMB/km for 6km+

2) Night 22:00 - 5:00

   a. Base price (for the first 2km): RMB7.00

   b. Unit price per km: 1.60 RMB/km for the first 6km, 2.20 RMB/km for 6km+

* There are a small number of luxury taxis with base price of 10.00 RMB and a unit price of 1.70 RMB/km.

 

Buses & Trolleys

Qingdao Public Transport Group offers 124 bus routes & 2 trolley routes throughout the urban/rural areas. The city bus fares range from 1 RMB (non air-con) to 2 RMB (air-coned). Fortunately, Qingdao also offers bus services which run along the seaside; take a double decker and enjoy the picturesque scenery along the route or hop off at any stop as soon as you notice something that requires more exploration. One of the best routes is Route 317 which starts from Zhongshan Park and ends at the Stone Old Man(Shilaoren, 石老人) Holiday Resort. No. 501 & 801 are both air-conditoned and recommended for sightseeing.