Běijīng Transport

Getting there & away

As the nation’s capital, getting to Běijīng is straightforward. Rail and air connections link the capital to virtually every point in China, and fleets of buses head to abundant destinations from Běijīng. Using Běijīng as a starting point to explore the rest of the land makes perfect sense.

Contents

Land

Bus

No international buses serve Běijīng, but there are plenty of long-distance domestic routes served by national highways radiating from Běijīng.

Běijīng has numerous long-distance bus stations (; chángtú qìchēzhàn), positioned roughly on the city perimeter in the direction you want to go.

Buses from Bawangfen long-distance bus station (Bāwángfén Chángtú Kèyùnzhàn; Map pp116–17) in the east of town serve Tiānjīn (Y31, regular), Bāotóu (Y131, once daily) and Qǐnhuángdǎo (Y61), plus destinations in the northeast including Chángchūn (Y221, four daily), Shěnyáng (Y151, regular), Dàlián (Y219, three daily) and Hāěrbīn (280, twice daily). The nearby Sihui long-distance bus station (Sìhuì Chángtú Qìchēzhàn; Map pp116–17) has departures to Tiānjīn (Y23, hourly) Chéngdé (Y46, regular), Chángchūn (Y240, one daily), Dàlián (Y280, one daily), Dāndōng (Y224, one daily) and Jílín (Y248, one daily).

Liuliqiao long-distance bus station (Liùlǐqiáo Chángtúzhàn; Map pp118-19; 8383 1717), southwest of Beijing West Train station, has buses north, south and west of town including Dàtóng (Y81, regular), Bāotóu (Y121, five daily), Shíjiāzhuāng (Y73, regular), Chéngdé (Y46, regular), Luòyáng (Y149, four daily), Zhèngzhōu (Y129, three daily), Xī’ān (Y180), Héféi (Y180), Yínchuān (Y237) and even Xiàmén (Y480).

The nearby Lianhuachi long-distance bus station (Liánhuāchí Chángtú Qìchēzhàn; Map pp118–19) has buses south to Shíjiāzhuāng (Y50, regular), Luòyáng (Y165, once daily), Ānyáng (Y105, twice daily), Jǐ’nán (Y100, once daily) and Yán’ān (Y245, once daily).

Another important station is at Zhaogongkou (6722 9491, 6723 7328) in the south (useful for buses to Tiānjīn).

Train

Travellers arrive and depart by train at Beijing Train Station (Běijīng Huǒchēzhàn; Map pp118-19; 5101 9999), southeast of the Forbidden City, or the colossal Beijing West Train Station (Běijīng Xīzhàn; Map pp118-19; 5182 6273) in the southwest. Beijing Train Station is served by its own underground station, making access simple. International trains to Moscow, Pyongyang (North Korea) and Ulan Bator (Mongolia) arrive at and leave Beijing Train Station; trains for Hong Kong and Vietnam leave from Beijing West Train Station. Buses 122 and 721 connect Beijing Train Station with Beijing West Train Station. For information on the train to Lhasa, see p924.

The Běijīng–Shànghǎi maglev idea may have been quietly put to sleep, but new overnight soft-sleeper express (; zhítè) trains do the trip in 12 hours, with several trains (Z1, Z5, Z7, Z13 and Z21; 7.35pm, 7.14pm, 7.21pm, 7.07pm and 7pm respectively, lower/upper bunk Y499/478) departing nightly. Other fast express trains from Beijing Train Station include Sūzhōu (Z85, 7.28pm, hard sleeper Y309, 11 hours, 20 minutes) and Hángzhōu (Z9, 6.53pm, soft sleeper only Y554, 13½ hours).

Typical train fares and approximate travel times for hard-sleeper tickets to destinations from Beijing Train Station include: Chángchūn (Y239, 9½ hours), Dàlián (Y257, 12 hours), Dàtóng (Y70, 5½ hours), Hángzhōu (Y363, 15 hours), Hāěrbīn (Y281, 11½ hours), Jǐ’nán (Y137, 4½ hours), Jílín (Y263, 12 hours), Nánjīng (Y274, 11 hours), Qīngdǎo (Y215, nine hours), Shànghǎi (Y327, 13½ hours; soft-sleeper express 12 hours), Sūzhōu (Y309, 11 hours), Tiānjīn (Y30, 80 minutes, hard seat) and Ürümqi (Y652, 44 hours).

The fast soft sleeper Z19 express train departs daily from Beijing West Train Station for Xī’ān (Y417, 11½ hours) at 8.28pm. Other typical train fares and approximate travel times for hard-sleeper tickets to destinations from Beijing West Train Station include: Chángshā (Y345, 14 hours), Chéngdū (Y418, 26 hours), Chóngqìng (Y430, 25 hours), Guǎngzhōu (Y458, 22 hours), Guìyáng (Y490, 29 hours), Hànkǒu (Y281, 10 hours, 20 minutes), Kūnmíng (Y578, 40 hours), Lánzhōu (Y390, 20½ hours), Shēnzhèn (Y467, 23½ hours), Shíjiāzhuāng (Y50, hard seat, two hours, 45 minutes), Kowloon (Y480, 24 hours, 23 minutes), Ürümqi (Y652, 44 hours), Yínchuān (Y262, 19 hours), Xī’ān (Y274, 12 hours), Yíchāng (Y319) and Xīníng (Y430, 24½ hours).

Beijing South Train Station (Yǒngdìngmén Huǒchēzhàn; Map pp118-19; 5183 7262) serves a limited number of destinations in Héběi, Hénán, Shānxī and Inner Mongolia; Inner Mongolia is also served by trains from Beijing North Train Station (Běijīng Běizhàn; Map pp118-19; 5186 6223). Bus 20 connects Beijing Train Station and Beijing South Train Station.

The queues at Beijing Train Station can be overwhelming. At the time of writing, the ticketing office for foreigners attached to the soft-seat waiting room (guìbīn hòuchēshì) on the 1st floor was no longer open, although an English-speaking service was available at ticket window No 26. Information is available at ticket window No 29. A foreigners ticketing office (24hr) can be found on the 2nd floor of Beijing West Train Station.

Air

Běijīng has direct air connections to most major cities in the world. For more information about international flights to Běijīng, see p956.

Purchase tickets for Chinese carriers flying from Běijīng at CAAC in the Aviation Building (Mínháng Yíngyè Dàshà; Map pp118-19; 6656 9118, domestic 6601 3336, international 6601 6667; 15 Chang’an Jie; 7am-midnight) or from one of the numerous other ticket outlets and service counters around Běijīng, and through most midrange and above hotels. Discounts are generally available, so it is important to ask.

A downtown check-in service desk is situated just inside the door, available for passengers with carry-on luggage only (open 8am to 5pm; domestic flights only); you must check in at least three hours prior to departure.

You can make inquiries for all airlines at Běijīng’s Capital Airport (from Běijīng only 962 580). Call 6454 1100 for information on international and domestic arrivals and departures.

Daily flights connect Běijīng to every major city in China. There should be at least one flight a week to smaller cities throughout China. The prices listed in this book are approximate only and represent the nondiscounted air fare.