Transport
Transport
Getting There & Away
Entering China
No particular difficulties exist for travellers entering China. Chinese immigration officers are scrupulous and highly bureaucratic, but not overly officious. The main requirements are a passport that’s valid for travel for six months after the expiry date of your visa, and a visa. Travellers arriving in China will receive a health declaration form and an arrivals form to complete.
Climate Change and Travel
Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO2, the main cause of human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplanes, which might use less fuel per per person than most cars but travel much greater distances. The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO2) and particles also contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites offer ‘carbon calculators’ that allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generated by their journey and, for those who wish to do so, to offset the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with contributions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely Planet offsets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.
Air
Airports & Airlines
Hong Kong, Běijīng and Shànghǎi are China’s principal international air gateways; Báiyún International Airport in Guǎngzhōu is of lesser, but growing, importance.
Báiyún International Airport In Guǎngzhōu; receiving an increasing number of international flights.
Capital Airport Běijīng’s international airport; three terminals.
Hong Kong International Airport On an island off the northern coast of Lantau and connected to the mainland by several spans.
Hóngqiáo Airport In Shànghǎi’s west; domestic flights, some international connections.
Pǔdōng International Airport In Shànghǎi’s east; international flights.
China doesn't have one single national airline, but large airlines that operate both domestic and international flights. The largest are Air China (www.airchina.com); China Eastern Airlines (www.ce-air.com), based in Shànghǎi; and China Southern Airlines (www.cs-air.com), based in Guǎngzhōu. They fly to China from the US, Europe, Australia/New Zealand and other parts of Asia. Benefits can include a generous checked luggage allowance, and sometimes a night's accommodation when stopping over on the way to other destinations – great for visa-free travel. Multiple international carriers also fly to China along similar routes.
Some smaller airlines that offer international flights to China:
AirAsia (www.airasia.com)
Asiana Airlines (www.flyasiana.com)
Dragon Air (www.dragonair.com)
Tiger Airways (www.tigerairways.com)
Vietnam Airlines (www.vietnamair.com.vn)
Tickets
The cheapest tickets to Hong Kong and China exist on price comparison websites or in discount agencies in Chinatowns around the world. Budget and student-travel agents offer cheap tickets, but the real bargains are with agents that deal with the Chinese, who regularly return home. Airfares to China peak between June and September.
The cheapest flights to China are with airlines requiring a stopover at the home airport, such as Air France to Běijīng via Paris, or Malaysia Airlines to Běijīng via Kuala Lumpur.
The best direct ticket deals are available from China’s international carriers, such as China Eastern Airlines, Air China or China Southern Airlines.
Land
China shares borders with Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Vietnam; the borders with Afghanistan, Bhutan and India are closed. There are also official border crossings between China and its special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau.
Lonely Planet China guides may be confiscated by officials, primarily at the Vietnam–China border.
Kazakhstan
Border crossings from Ürümqi to Kazakhstan are via border posts at Korgas, Ālāshànkǒu, Tǎchéng and Jímùnǎi. Ensure you have a valid Kazakhstan visa (obtainable, at the time of writing, in Ürümqi, or from Běijīng) or China visa.
Apart from Ālāshànkǒu, which links China and Kazakhstan via train, all other border crossings are by bus; you can generally get a bike over, however. Two trains weekly (32 hours) run between Ürümqi and Almaty, and one train per week runs to Astana.
Remember that borders open and close frequently due to changes in government policy; additionally, many are only open when the weather permits. It’s always best to check with the Public Security Bureau (PSB; Gōng’ānjú) in Ürümqi for the official line.
Kyrgyzstan
There are two routes between China and Kyrgyzstan: one between Kashgar and Osh, via the Irkeshtam Pass; and one between Kashgar and Bishkek, via the dramatic 3752m Torugart Pass.
Laos
From the Měnglà district in China’s southern Yúnnán province, you can enter Laos via Boten in Luang Nam Tha province (from Móhān on the China side), while a daily bus runs between Vientiane and Kūnmíng and also from Jǐnghóng to Luang Nam Tha in Laos.
On-the-spot visas for Laos are available at the border, the price of which depends on your nationality (although you cannot get a China visa here).
Mongolia
From Běijīng, the Trans-Mongolian Railway trains and the K23 train run to Ulaanbaatar. There are also trains and regular buses between Hohhot and the border town of Erenhot (Èrlián). Mongolian visas on the Chinese side can be acquired in Běijīng, Hohhot or Erenhot.
Myanmar (Burma)
The famous Burma Road runs from Kūnmíng in Yúnnán province to the Burmese city of Lashio. The road is open to travellers carrying permits for the region north of Lashio, although you can legally cross the border in only one direction – from the Chinese side (Jiěgào) into Myanmar. However, at the time of writing the border was not open to foreign travellers and flying in from Kūnmíng was the only option. Myanmar visas can only be arranged in Kūnmíng or Běijīng.
Nepal
The 865km road connecting Lhasa with Kathmandu is known as the Friendship Highway, currently only traversable for foreign travellers by rented vehicle. It’s a spectacular trip across the Tibetan plateau, the highest point being Gyatso-la Pass (5248m).
Visas for Nepal can be obtained in Lhasa, or at the border at Kodari.
When travelling from Nepal to Tibet, foreigners still have to arrange transport through tour agencies in Kathmandu. Access to Tibet can, however, be restricted for months at a time without warning.
North Korea
Visas for North Korea are not especially hard to arrange, although it is not possible to travel independently so you will need to be on a pre-planned tour. Those interested in travelling to North Korea on tours from Běijīng should contact Nicholas Bonner or Simon Cockerell at Koryo Tours.
Four international express trains (K27 and K28) run between Běijīng train station and Pyongyang.
Pakistan
The exciting trip on the Karakoram Hwy, said to be the world’s highest public international highway, is an excellent way to get to or from Chinese Central Asia. There are buses from Kashgar for the two-day trip to the Pakistani town of Sost via Tashkurgan when the pass is open.
Pakistani visas are no longer available to tourists on arrival (and visas are difficult to get in Běijīng), so the safest option is to arrive in China with a visa obtained in your home country. Check the current situation as this could change.
Russia
The train from Harbin East to Vladivostok is no longer running, but you can take the train to Suífēnhé and take an onward connection there.
The Trans-Mongolian (via Erenhot) and Trans-Manchurian (via Harbin) branches of the Trans-Siberian Railway run from Běijīng to Moscow.
There are also border crossings 9km from Mǎnzhōulǐ and at Hēihé.
Tajikistan
At the time of writing, the Qolma (Kulma) Pass, linking Kashgar with Murghab, was only rarely open to foreign travellers.
Vietnam
Visas are unobtainable at border crossings; Vietnam visas can be acquired in Běijīng, Kūnmíng, Hong Kong and Nánníng. China visas can be obtained in Hanoi.
Friendship Pass
China’s busiest border with Vietnam is at the obscure Vietnamese town of Dong Dang, 164km northeast of Hanoi. The closest Chinese town to the border is Píngxiáng in Guǎngxī province, about 10km north of the actual border gate.
Seven Hanoi-bound buses run from Nánníng via the Friendship Pass; twice-weekly trains (T5 and T6) connect Běijīng and Hanoi (via Nánníng), while a daily train (T8701 and T8702) links Hanoi with Nánníng.
Hékǒu
The Hékǒu–Lao Cai border crossing is 468km from Kūnmíng and 294km from Hanoi. At the time of writing, the only way to reach Vietnam via Hékǒu was by bus from Kūnmíng.
Mong Cai
A third, but little-known border crossing is at Mong Cai in the northeast corner of Vietnam, just opposite the Chinese city of Dōngxīng and around 200km south of Nánníng.
INTERNATIONAL TRAIN ROUTES
In addition to the Trans-Siberian and Trans-Mongolian rail services, the following routes can be travelled by train:
AHung Hom station in Kowloon (Jiǔlóng; Hong Kong; www.mtr.com.hk) to Guǎngzhōu, Shànghǎi, Běijīng
APyongyang (North Korea) to Běijīng
AAlmaty (Kazakhstan) to Ürümqi
AAstana (Kazakhstan) to Ürümqi
ABěijīng to Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)
ABěijīng to Hanoi (Vietnam)
A good resource is the website The Man in Seat Sixty-One (www.seat61.com).
River
At the time of writing, fast river ferries from Jǐnghóng in Yúnnán to Chiang Saen in Thailand had been suspended.
Sea
Japan
There are weekly ferries between Osaka and Kōbe and Shànghǎi. There are also twice-weekly boats from Qīngdǎo to Shimonoseki. The weekly ferry from the Tiānjīn International Cruise Home Port to Kōbe (神户; Shénhù) had been suspended indefinitely at the time of writing.
Check in two hours before departure for international sailings.
South Korea
International ferries connect the South Korean port of Incheon with Wēihǎi, Qīngdǎo, Yāntái, Dàlián and Dāndōng.
Tickets can be bought cheaply at the pier, or from China International Travel Service (CITS; Zhōngguó Guójì Lǚxíngshè) for a very steep premium.
Taiwan
Daily ferries ply the route between Xiàmén and Kinmen Island in Taiwan, from where you can fly to other major cities in Taiwan. You can also catch a ferry from Fúzhōu’s Máwěi ferry terminal to Taiwan’s archipelago of Matzu, from where there are boats to Keelung and flights to other cities in Taiwan.
Getting Around
Despite being a land of vast distances, it’s quite straightforward to navigate your way terrestrially around China by rail and bus if you have time. Transport in China needs considerable pre-planning due to the distances involved and periodic shortages of tickets.
Air Affordable and excellent for long distances, but delays are common.
Train Very reasonably priced – apart from high-speed rail, which is more expensive – and very efficient.
Bus Cheaper and slower than trains but crucial for remote destinations.
Car China is too large and there are too many restrictions to make this a viable option.
Air
China’s air network is extensive and growing. The civil aviation fleet is expected to triple in size over the next two decades, up to 70 new airports were planned for construction in recent years alone and 100 more were to be expanded or upgraded. Air safety and quality have improved considerably, but the speed of change generates its own problems: a serious shortage of qualified personnel to fly planes means China needed a reported 18,000 new pilots by 2015. When deciding between flying and using high-speed rail, note that flight delays in China are the worst in the world (according to travel industry monitor FlightStats), while trains almost always leave on time.
Planes vary in style and comfort. You may get a hot meal, or just a small piece of cake and an airline souvenir. On-board announcements are delivered in Chinese and English.
Shuttle buses usually run from Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC; Zhōngguó Mínháng) offices in towns and cities throughout China to the airport, often running via other stops. For domestic flights, arrive at the airport one hour before departure.
Remember to keep your baggage receipt label on your ticket as you will need to show it when you collect your luggage.
Airlines in China
The CAAC is the civil aviation authority for numerous airlines. Some of the listed airlines also have subsidiary airlines. Not all Chinese airline websites have English-language capability.
Air China (www.airchina.com)
Chengdu Airlines (
%in Chengdu 028 6666 8888; www.chengduair.cc)
China Eastern Airlines (www.ce-air.com)
China Southern Airlines (%in Guǎngzhōu 4006 695 539; www.csair.com/en) Serves a web of air routes, including Běijīng, Shànghǎi, Xī’ān and Tiānjīn.
Hainan Airlines (%in Hǎinán 0898 95339; www.hainanairlines.com)
Shandong Airlines (%400 60 96777; www.shandongair.com.cn)
Shanghai Airlines (%in Shànghǎi 95530; www.ceair.com) Owned by China Eastern Airlines.
Shenzhen Airlines (%in Shēnzhèn 95080; www.shenzhenair.com)
Sichuan Airlines (%in Chéngdū 4008 300 999; www.scal.com.cn)
Spring Airlines (%in Shànghǎi 021 95524; www.china-sss.com) Has connections between Shànghǎi and tourist destinations such as Qīngdǎo, Guìlín, Xiàmén and Sānyà.
Tianjin Airlines (%in Tiānjīn 950710; www.tianjin-air.com)
Tibet Airlines (%4008 0891 88; www.tibetairlines.com.cn; 
h7am-9pm) Domestic connections all over China from Lhasa.
Tickets
Except during major festivals and holidays, tickets are easy to purchase, with an oversupply of airline seats. Purchase tickets from branches of the CAAC nationwide, airline offices, travel agents or the travel desk of your hotel; travel agents will usually offer a better discount than airline offices. Discounts are common, except when flying into large cities such as Shànghǎi and Běijīng on the weekend, when the full fare can be the norm. Fares are calculated according to one-way travel, with return tickets simply costing twice the single fare. If flying from Hong Kong or Macau to mainland China, note that these are classified as international flights; it is much cheaper to travel overland into Shēnzhèn, Zhūhǎi or Guǎngzhōu and fly from there.
You can use credit cards at most CAAC offices and travel agents. Departure tax is included in the ticket price.
Ctrip Excellent hotel booking, air and train ticketing website, with English helpline. Useful app available.
Elong Hotel and air ticket booking, with English helpline.
Travel Zen Air tickets and hotel bookings. Chinese-only website.
Bicycle
Bikes (自行车; zìxíngchē) are an excellent method for getting around China’s cities and tourist sights. They can also be invaluable for exploring the countryside and surrounding towns.
Hire
Hángzhōu has the world's largest bicycle-share network, with docking stations dotted around the town; however, its success (and foreigner-friendly ease of use) has only been fitfully replicated elsewhere in China. Generally, the best places to try are youth hostels, which rent out bicycles – as do many hotels, although the latter are more expensive.
Bikes can be hired by the day or by the hour; it is also possible to hire for more than one day. Rental rates vary depending on where you find yourself, but rates start at around ¥10 to ¥15 per day in cities such as Běijīng.
Touring
Cycling through China allows you to go when you want, to see what you want and at your own pace. It can also be an extremely cheap, as well as a highly authentic, way to see the land.
You will have virtually unlimited freedom of movement but, considering the size of China, you will need to combine your cycling days with trips by train, bus, boat, taxi or even planes, especially if you want to avoid particularly steep regions, or areas where the roads are poor or the climate is cold.
A basic packing list for cyclists includes a good bicycle-repair kit, sunscreen and other sun protection, waterproofs, fluorescent strips and camping equipment. Ensure you have adequate clothing, as many routes will be taking you to considerable altitude. Road maps in Chinese are essential for asking locals for directions.
BikeChina (www.bikechina.com) arranges tours and is a good source of information for cyclists coming to China.
Boat
Boat services within China are limited, especially with the growth of high-speed rail and expressways. They’re most common in coastal areas, where you are likely to use a boat to reach offshore islands such as Pǔtuóshān or Hǎinán, or the islands off Hong Kong. The Yāntái–Dàlián ferry will probably survive because it saves hundreds of kilometres of overland travel, although a super-long undersea tunnel is in on the drawing board.
The best-known river trip is the three-day boat ride along the Yangzi (Cháng Jiāng) from Chóngqìng to Yíchāng. The Lí River (Lí Jiāng) boat trip from Guìlín to Yángshuò is a popular tourist ride.
Hong Kong employs an out-and-out navy of vessels that connects with the territory’s myriad islands, and a number of boats run between the territory and other parts of China, including Macau, Zhūhǎi, Shékǒu (for Shēnzhèn) and Zhōngshān.
Boat tickets can be purchased from passenger ferry terminals or through travel agents.
Bus
Long-distance bus (长途公共汽车; chángtú gōnggòng qìchē) services are extensive and reach places you cannot reach by train; with the increasing number of intercity highways, journeys are getting quicker.
Buses & Stations
Routes between large cities sport larger, cleaner and more comfortable fleets of private buses, some equipped with toilets and hostesses handing out snacks and mineral water; shorter and more far-flung routes still rely on rattling minibuses into which as many fares as possible are crammed. Buses often wait until they fill up before leaving, or (exasperatingly) trawl the streets looking for fares.
Sleeper buses (卧铺客车; wòpù kèchē) ply popular long-haul routes, costing around double the price of a normal bus service. Bunks can be short, however, and there have been several fatal fires in recent years.
Bus journey times should be used as a rough guide only. You can estimate times for bus journeys on nonhighway routes by calculating the distance against a speed of 25km per hour.
All cities and most towns have one or more long-distance bus stations (长途汽车站; chángtú qìchēzhàn), generally located in relation to the direction the bus heads in. Most bus stations have a left-luggage counter. In many cities, the train station forecourt doubles as a bus station.
Tickets
Tickets are getting more expensive as fuel prices increase, but are cheaper and easier to get than train tickets; turn up at the bus station and buy your ticket on the spot. The earlier you buy, the closer to the front of the bus you will sit, although you may not be able to buy tickets prior to your day of travel. At the time of writing, ID was required for the purchase of bus tickets in restive Xīnjiāng.
Tickets can be hard to procure during national holiday periods.
Dangers & Annoyances
Breakdowns can be a hassle, and some rural roads and provincial routes (especially in the southwest, Tibet and the northwest) remain in bad condition. Precipitous drops, pot holes, dangerous road surfaces and reckless drivers mean accidents remain common. Long-distance journeys can also be cramped and noisy, with Hong Kong films and cacophonous karaoke looped on overhead TVs, and drivers continuously leaning on the horn – taking a music player is crucial for one’s sanity. Note the following when travelling by bus:
ASeat belts are a rarity in many provinces.
ATake plenty of warm clothes on buses to high-altitude destinations in winter. A breakdown in frozen conditions can prove lethal for those unprepared.
ATake a lot of extra water on routes across areas such as the Taklamakan Desert.
Car & Motorcycle
Hiring a car in China has always been complicated or impossible for foreign visitors and in mainland China is currently limited to Běijīng and Shànghǎi, cities that both have frequently gridlocked roads. Throw in the dangers, complexity of Chinese roads for first-time users and the costs of driving in China and it makes more sense to use the subway/metro system and taxis, both of which are cheap and efficient in Běijīng and Shànghǎi. Hiring a car with a driver from your hotel is possible, but it’s generally far cheaper and more convenient to hire a taxi for the day instead.
Driving Licences
To drive in Hong Kong and Macau, you will need an International Driving Permit. Foreigners can drive motorcycles if they are residents in China and have an official Chinese motorcycle licence. International Driving Permits are generally not accepted in China.
Hire
Běijīng Capital Airport has a Vehicle Administration Office where you can have a temporary three-month driving licence issued (an international driver’s licence is insufficient). This will involve checking your driving licence and a simple medical exam (including an eyesight test).
You will need this licence before you can hire a car from Hertz, which has branches at Capital Airport. There are also branches in both central Běijīng and Shànghǎi. Hire cars from Hertz start from ¥230 per day (up to 150km per day; ¥20,000 deposit). Avis also has a growing network around China, with car rental starting from ¥200 per day (¥5000 deposit).
Road Rules
Cars in China drive on the right-hand side of the road. Even skilled drivers will be unprepared for China’s roads: in the cities, cars lunge from all angles and chaos abounds.
Local Transport
Long-distance transport in China is good, but local transport is less efficient, except for cities with metro systems. The choice of local transport is diverse but vehicles can be slow and overburdened, and the network confusing for visitors. Hiring a car is often impractical, while hiring a bike can be inadequate. Unless the town is small, walking is often too tiring.
On the plus side, local transport is cheap, taxis are usually ubiquitous and affordable, and clean and efficient metro systems continue to rapidly expand in large tourist towns.
Bus
With extensive networks, buses are an excellent way to get around town, but foreign travellers rarely use them. Ascending a bus, point to your destination on a map and the conductor (seated near the door) will sell you the right ticket. The conductor will usually tell you where to disembark, provided they remember. In conductor-less buses, you put money for your fare into a slot near the driver as you embark.
AFares are very cheap (usually ¥1 to ¥2) but buses may be packed.
AIn cities such as Běijīng, Shànghǎi and Hong Kong, a locally purchased transport card can be used on the buses.
ANavigation is tricky for non-Chinese speakers as bus routes at bus stops are generally listed in Chinese, without pinyin.
AIn Běijīng and Shànghǎi and other large tourist towns, stops will be announced in English.
AAlways have change ready if there is no conductor on the bus.
ABuses with snowflake motifs are air-conditioned.
ATraffic can make things slow.
ADisembark from the back door.
Subway, Metro & Light Rail
Going underground or using light rail is fast, efficient and cheap; most networks are either very new or relatively recent and can be found in a rapidly growing number of cities, including Běijīng, Chéngdū, Chóngqìng, Dàlián, Guǎngzhōu, Hángzhōu, Hong Kong, Kūnmíng, Shànghǎi, Shěnyáng, Shènzhèn, Sūzhōu, Tiānjīn, Wǔhàn and Xī’ān.
Taxi
Taxis (出租汽车; chūzū qìchē) are cheap and easy to find. Taxi rates per kilometre are clearly marked on a sticker on the rear side window of the taxi; flag-fall varies from city to city, and depends upon the size and quality of the vehicle. Most taxis have meters but they may only be switched on in larger towns and cities. If the meter is not used (on an excursion out of town, for example, or when hiring a taxi for the day or half-day), negotiate a price before you set off and write the fare down. If you want the meter used, ask for dǎbiǎo (打表). Also ask for a receipt (发票; fāpiào); if you leave something in the taxi, you can have the taxi located by its vehicle number printed on the receipt.
Some more tips:
ACongregation points include train and long-distance bus stations, but usually you can just flag taxis down.
ATaxi drivers rarely speak any English – have your destination written down in characters.
AIf you have communication problems, consider using your mobile to phone your hotel for staff to interpret.
AYou can hire taxis on a daily or half-day basis, often at reasonable rates (always bargain).
ATo use the same driver again, ask for his or her card (名片; míngpiàn).
AIn many provinces, taxis often cover long-distance bus routes. They generally charge around 30% to 50% more but are much faster. You'll need to wait for four passengers.
Other Local Transport
A variety of ramshackle transport options exist across China; always agree on a price in advance (and preferably have it written down).
AMotor pedicabs are enclosed three-wheeled vehicles (often the same price as taxis).
APedicabs are pedal-powered versions of motor pedicabs.
AMotorbike riders also offer lifts in some towns for what should be half the price of a regular taxi. You must wear a helmet – the driver will provide one.