One last (hopefully not stupid) question?
Oct 18th, 2008 | 11:24 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2006
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One last (hopefully not stupid) question?
I will be leaving Tuesday 10/21 for China. I thank everyone for all the useful info on $$ exchange, ATM's at the airport, etc. Obviously, the Yuan will be in larger bills.
I like public transportation, so I plan on using the trains in Shanghai & Beijing.
My question:
Is there a ticket booth/kiosk in the train stations where you can get change for fare or a "metro card", like in NYC? Many years back, I had used an automated ticket booth in Rome, and honestly, you needed to speak fluent Italian and have a degree in Mechanical Engineering to use it!
I like public transportation, so I plan on using the trains in Shanghai & Beijing.
My question:
Is there a ticket booth/kiosk in the train stations where you can get change for fare or a "metro card", like in NYC? Many years back, I had used an automated ticket booth in Rome, and honestly, you needed to speak fluent Italian and have a degree in Mechanical Engineering to use it!
Oct 18th, 2008 | 01:51 PM
#2
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,778
Likes: 0
> Obviously, the Yuan will be in larger bills.
Yes, usually ¥100 bills. If you're going to be jumping in cabs and paying public transport fares, you're going to need to be conscious of change, and always make sure you have plenty of ¥10 notes. Cab drivers are often unhappy to be offered ¥100 for a ¥15 ride, and really appreciate exact change.
> Is there a ticket booth/kiosk in the train stations where you can get change for fare or a "metro card", like in NYC?
I'll let someone else answer for Shanghai as there may have been recent changes I don't know about, but in Beijing you can buy individual trip tickets, or something called an Yi Ka Tong, sometimes known in English as a 'Super Pass'. Simply go down to the metro and look for a ticket booth marked 'IC', which may be at the other end of the ticket hall from where you happen to be. Just hand over ¥50 or ¥100, and except for a possible concern that you might really want a single ticket, and a worry about whether you want all of that as credit on your card, you should be able to obtain one without much conversation. Waving away the change, for instance will do the job. Saying 'Yi Ka Tong' or just 'Ka' will be understood in this context, even without tones. If you are going to your hotel first, just get an English-speaker there to write down 'Yi Ka Tong' for you (一卡通) and you can also write down the sum you're handing over to confirm that's want you want them to take.
There's a ¥20 deposit, and the rest of whatever you hand over is credited on the stored value card. Wave it at the terminal on the way down to the platform and ¥2 is extracted. Sometimes you have to wave it again when changing lines, but it's a flat fare of ¥2 per trip. Most city bus journeys are ¥1, but using the card on buses, which have the same electronic readers, reduces the fare to ¥0.40. Suburban buses have a similar discount, but since on those it's a flat fare for a certain distance, plus a supplement for every few km beyond that, you also swipe the card as you get off so the right fare can be extracted. Even you hear the word 'shuai', that's someone reminding you to swipe, or saying it didn't work so do it again. About 50% of Beijing's taxis also take the card now.
You can also buy this card if you travel into town on the new airport line, but the fare is ¥25 each way.
You can get any unspent balance back when you leave, along with the deposit, but only at about half a dozen obscure offices you don't want to spend time finding, or at the Fucheng Men metro station which is on the west side of town. So allow for that in your calculations as to how much value to add, and take the thing home as a souvenir, or in case you know someone else travelling to Beijing. Or give it away. The convenience of the card is well worth the loss of ¥20 (US$3) or so.
Peter N-H
Yes, usually ¥100 bills. If you're going to be jumping in cabs and paying public transport fares, you're going to need to be conscious of change, and always make sure you have plenty of ¥10 notes. Cab drivers are often unhappy to be offered ¥100 for a ¥15 ride, and really appreciate exact change.
> Is there a ticket booth/kiosk in the train stations where you can get change for fare or a "metro card", like in NYC?
I'll let someone else answer for Shanghai as there may have been recent changes I don't know about, but in Beijing you can buy individual trip tickets, or something called an Yi Ka Tong, sometimes known in English as a 'Super Pass'. Simply go down to the metro and look for a ticket booth marked 'IC', which may be at the other end of the ticket hall from where you happen to be. Just hand over ¥50 or ¥100, and except for a possible concern that you might really want a single ticket, and a worry about whether you want all of that as credit on your card, you should be able to obtain one without much conversation. Waving away the change, for instance will do the job. Saying 'Yi Ka Tong' or just 'Ka' will be understood in this context, even without tones. If you are going to your hotel first, just get an English-speaker there to write down 'Yi Ka Tong' for you (一卡通) and you can also write down the sum you're handing over to confirm that's want you want them to take.
There's a ¥20 deposit, and the rest of whatever you hand over is credited on the stored value card. Wave it at the terminal on the way down to the platform and ¥2 is extracted. Sometimes you have to wave it again when changing lines, but it's a flat fare of ¥2 per trip. Most city bus journeys are ¥1, but using the card on buses, which have the same electronic readers, reduces the fare to ¥0.40. Suburban buses have a similar discount, but since on those it's a flat fare for a certain distance, plus a supplement for every few km beyond that, you also swipe the card as you get off so the right fare can be extracted. Even you hear the word 'shuai', that's someone reminding you to swipe, or saying it didn't work so do it again. About 50% of Beijing's taxis also take the card now.
You can also buy this card if you travel into town on the new airport line, but the fare is ¥25 each way.
You can get any unspent balance back when you leave, along with the deposit, but only at about half a dozen obscure offices you don't want to spend time finding, or at the Fucheng Men metro station which is on the west side of town. So allow for that in your calculations as to how much value to add, and take the thing home as a souvenir, or in case you know someone else travelling to Beijing. Or give it away. The convenience of the card is well worth the loss of ¥20 (US$3) or so.
Peter N-H
Oct 18th, 2008 | 02:18 PM
#3
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 32,129
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From what I have read there are smartcards available from 10 Yuan to 1000 Yuan (plus 20 Yuan deposit). But when were there in August we asked about the card and were told there wasn't one. I think it was a language issue however.
Oct 18th, 2008 | 04:20 PM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,025
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I bought a prepaid transit card at one of the Shanghai Metro stations about a year ago. I bought it from the seller at the ticket window. It was really convenient - I used it not only on the Metro, but for taxis as well. For my final taxi ride, I used up whatever I had left on my card, and paid the driver cash for the balance. I believe it's possible to return your card at the station to get your deposit back, but I still have mine, for the next time I'm there 
