Paulio

Already posted this but i thought the title wasn't informative enough so hopefull i ain't wasting anybodies time! so here we go again: <BR> <BR>Anyone got any info on renting cars in Shanghai and Beijing. Am thinking about dring from shanghai to beijing... any tips, hints, or advice greatly appreciated. <BR> <BR>

Andrea

Well . . . <BR> <BR>I can look into it for you if you want (I live in Shanghai). <BR> <BR>But there are some issues that you should think about before considering driving. <BR> <BR>While it's certainly possible, there are some big issues w. driving in China. <BR> <BR>First of all, 90% of the road signs will be in Chinese characters. My husband and I drove to Hangzhou, which is only 2 hours or so out of Shanghai, and we had quite a bit of frustrating fun looking at the map and trying to decide which turn-offs we needed. Our conversation went like this: "Ok, we're looking for the exit name that should look like a little man with 2 heads carrying a pitchfork - is that it?? - No, that's a man with only one leg carrying a ball!" Obviously, if you read characters it's no problem. <BR> <BR>Secondly, the flow of traffic here is nothing short of pure chaos. At any moment, no matter what the speed, a pedestrian, cyclist, bus, taxi, or other car may just INSTANTLY appear in front of your car. It seems like EVERY person thinks that they are the only one on the road, not even LOOKING to see if there are cars in their path. <BR> <BR>Finally, the laws concerning accidents are . . . interesting. Foreigners run the risk of being taken for a lot of money if there is an accident. In ANY accident, no matter HOW it happened, each party must pay 50% of the damages (property or medical) upfront, and then months later when the fault is decided, the "guiltier" party has to refund a portion of money to the more innocent party. I can give you examples if you want of what's happened to my friends, but even if you are driving perfectly and a farmer JUMPS into the road in front of the car and you hit him, you may be required to pay a LOT of money up front. <BR> <BR>Now, all that being said, I would not drive 2 blocks in Shanghai if I'd get a million dollars at the end, but my husband has been driving here for a year. No accidents yet, knock on wood. <BR> <BR>So it can be done. It's just more complicated and riskier than it may first appear. <BR> <BR>If you're still up for the adventure, post again, and in the meantime I'll try to get a phone number & price for you.

Ricky

It would be a better idea to rent a bicycle to travel within cities, like Hangzhou or Shanghai. Beyond that, better take public transportation, like trains. Renting cars in China is quite unpopular.

Emily

It's scarey enough to even WALK across a street in Beijing or Shanghai, let alone to actually enter the "flow" of traffic in a car or on a bicycle!

Les

Paulio, <BR>I was born and raised in Brooklyn, and learned to drive there, so I'm (to put it politely) an aggressive driver. I've driven all over Europe, and in Thailand. <BR>My take on driving in China is this: <BR>Shanghai - you gotta be brave. <BR>Beijing - you gotta be nuts!

mel

I'm an american living in shnanghi and would not drive on my life (I've driven most other places I've visited). But the train also run from <BR>Bejing and Shanghai and might be a good option for you...It takes 12 hours and you can choose between hard seat, hard sleeper, soft sleeper

Lani Frost

It is not legal for foreigners to drive in China. They can rent a car with a driver, but unless they have a resident visa, they may not drive. Check out the previous responses... not a bad idea. <BR>

Kate

Just want to add one more point. Andrea mentioned that various objects may instantly appear in front of your car in the cities. Please realize these could also happen on highways. I even saw tractors on highways once in Shichuan. Very dangerous... <BR> <BR>So don't drive in China if you can. <BR> <BR>