Public Transport: Affordable and Convenient
The public transport system in China will not let you down as well. You can choose city bus or subway and other means of urban rail transit as well. The advantage is their relatively low price and convenience in most cities in China. If you prefer to experience the local life life in China, taking a bus tour within a city or taking subways might also be perfect, since most of them will stop at popular places in the city.
Subway: The Fastest Way in Urban Areas
Nowadays, one could say the subway is the best way to get around in a Chinese city. By January, 2019, there were in total 38 urban subways in China. Of the top 15 longest metro systems in the world, 8 of them are in China, also possessing half of the top ten busiest metro systems in the world. Considering the constant traffic congestion in most of the big cities in China, the subway is no doubt the fastest way especially in rush hours. For about the same price of a bus ticket (30 cents to 60 cents USD for most lines), using a subway might be about as quick as taking a taxi along the same route. Only on the longest distances or perhaps for going to an airport will the fare be more than 1 USD (6.3 RMB). It is quite easy to pay for the ticket. You can buy it on a ticket machine, or just scan you QR code via Alipay or other metro Apps.
City Bus: A Romantic Way to Explore
Buses in different cities may vary, but basically function in the same way. A bus tour around the city is a direct and romantic way to observe and feel the whole city. Take Beijing city bus as an example, some city buses run to attractions in and around Beijing. The minimum fee is 2 yuan for the first 10 km , and an extra 1 yuan is added for every additional 5 km. The maximum charge can be 10—12 yuan. Passengers paying by Beijing Transportation Smart Card enjoy a 50% discount on downtown buses. Children below 1.3 m can take all public buses for free.
Non-public Transport System within Cities
Although tourists can benefit a lot by using public transport systems, there is no doubt that there are more options now in China, Taxi, DiDi and bike sharing, etc. The advent of digital age and sharing economy change the way we get around. People’s experience either as citizens or travelers has been changed in a more optimized dimension.
Travel by Taxi
Taxis vary from city to city, but in most cases, they are clean and air-conditioned.
Look for a taxi standing zone or try a side road when signaling a taxi. The price is calculated according to the meter on the car and the standard might vary in different cities. For example, in Beijing it’s 13 yuan for the first 3 km, but in Guilin it’s 8 yuan.
Travel by Online Car-hailing Services
The emergence of many Car-hailing Services, for example, DiDi, Meituan Dache, Caocao Chuxing has totally changed the way people travel in China and greatly shaped the traditional way of taking a taxi, established and cultivated the modern traveling mode of users in the era of mobile internet. All the travelers need to do is to download one of these Apps, set your route including your destination and point of departure and just wait for the cars nearby to take the order and come to pick you up. It is quite like Uber or Lyft, but with more extended functions, such as “free ride” and substitute driving, etc.
Bike - sharing: A Flexible and Scenic Option
You can also optimize your travelling experience using bike-sharing services in China. In most of the cities, there are shared bikes on the main streets. Similarly, bike users can just download an App of these bike-sharing brands, or just find mini programs of them in WeChat, on their smartphones, which allows them to locate and unlock a nearby bike with a very low price. When they finish the trip, they can park the bicycle at any public location as long as it does not influence the traffic or the pedestrians. The flexibility makes bike sharing stand out compared with traditional bike rentals and other public transit options. There’s no need to be worried about their safety because these bikes are under regular maintenance and updating. Therefore, if you are in a traffic jam, if you want to escape from the crowd in subway, if you are tired of driving as a tourist, and most importantly, if you want to experience outdoor city views, just use these Apps to begin your bike-sharing journey.
