I have a long lay over in Beijing in Nov and wanted to get out of the airport for a 4 or 5 hour "tour". Have been to Beijing before and did the usual tourist spots (T-Sq, etc) and thought a look see at the olympic sites might be fun...or something else...anyone know of a guide or how to contact a "service" that might provide a driver on a day basis...thanks

Do search at google and you will see there are lots. Even when you are there, it is easy to find those things at your hotel.

Googling to find drivers and guides targeting foreigners will certainly see you taken for a ride in two senses at once.

If you are simply considering the key Olympic venues then presumably that's the 'bird's nest' National Stadium and the 'water cube' swimming pool. These are close to each other, with some lesser venues, on a single site. All you need is the characters for 'Olympic Green' to show to a taxi and you'll be taken there for under ¥100. Take with you the characters for 'airport' and you'll be taken back whenever you are ready for the same price.

You can also do this entirely by metro, rather more quickly and for next to nothing. See the bi-lingual map here:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ing-Subway.png

If you decide to take a taxi anyway, you can print this out to use the characters on it to tell the taxi where to go.

Peter N-H

Better than Chinese characters -- which are no guarantee -- also take a picture of the Water Cube. Or get the Beijing Taxi Cards for $10.

I do not think you need a guide if you just take a 4 or 5 hour "tour". Just read something about the atractions you want to visit.
Ti'anmen Square - http://www.chinahighlights.com/beiji...men-square.htm

China Highlights website is very rich in information. Not bad.

China Highlights is a tour company, and the 'information' on its site is for the most part simply promotional hooey. Probably Fabiowang, who repeatedly mentions it, has some commercial connection with the Chinese tourism industry.

Yes, but you have to give him points for a cool name!

EK -- You mean Fabiowang? We've heard of:

Eduardo Chang, Juan Lee, Luciano Mao, Marcello Sun, Placido Wong ...

There is a wave in China for people to come up with their cool hip 1st names, my DH's new friend is Echo.

Yes, S!! I thought that Fabio Wong had a nice ring to it. But I did not realize that his was merely one in a sea of Italianate names!!! Echo is kind of cool, too!!!