Hi Everyone,

My husband and I are planning our first trip to China this November. I have some questions about the transportation within Beijing. Hope you might able to help. Thank you so much.

1.How is the the bus ride in Beijing? Is it crowded or dirty as described by some? Is it safe? Do the driver announce the stops or you just have to know when to get off?

2.We are planning to visit the Simatai section the Great Wall. How do you suggest we get there? Do we book a taxi for a two-way trip? If so, do we do so through the hotel or just flag one down on a major street?

Thank you so much for your help.

The normal city buses are more crowded than anything you could ever imagine! We saw faces tightly pressed up against the windows and people squeezed in like sardines. We didn't even attempt to use them. I understand there is another class of buses, but we skipped those also and relied on the subway system (which was very easy to use) or taxis (which were very inexpensive). And we walked and walked and walked!

In regard to the Great Wall, we visited Badaling. We took a public bus there - a very pleasant and inexpensive ride. Unfortunately I have forgotten the details, but we caught the bus near the north gate to the city. Only $2 or so for the trip. Check the old messages on this board from a year ago and you should be able to find the details.

Thank you so much, OJudy.

Where do we book a taxi for a round trip? Do one usually do so through a hotel?

Booking a cab through the hotel will be easier, but you can expect them to add a hefty margin to the price. If you flag down a cab in the street you must make sure that your requirements are written down in Chinese, unambiguously, as you'll have more chance of winning the lottery than finding a cabbie who speaks English. The instructions should include your destination, how long you want him to wait, and a request for an off-meter quotation (be prepared to negotiate). So you'd have to get the hotel staff to write down your requirements, which I would expect to result in pressure to let them handle the whole thing, so you'll be back where you started, more or less. At this point I have to confess that we never went through this rigmarole, so I'm hoping that someone with more experience can take this further, starting with what would be a fair price?

We too went to Badaling, but used a 1-day Ming Tombs/Great Wall tour. I believe that Mutianyu is on balance preferable and that Simatai is fairly strenuous.

PS - agree with OJudy that Beijing is a great place to walk around, and within the city the cabs are cheap and cheerful and provide a good service, as long as you don't use an unlicenced operator. Our cab to the Summer Palace, a fair trek, cost only Y45 or about US$5.50 - we just hailed a guy in the street and pointed to the location on the handy bilingual tourist map. Shorter runs are usually no more than Y25 (US$3).

Thank you, Neil Oz.

For major attractions like the Summer Palace, is it fairly easy to flag a cab going back?

Hi

My wife and I went to Beijing in March 2003. We took a lot of taxis around in Beijing because it was cheap. But we also tried the metro. We went to the Simatai section on a tour that we booked through our hotel. I have posted a trip report with lots of pictures and information on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com. I'm sure you will be able to find some useful information there

Regards
Gard
Stavanger, Norway

400 YUAN is a decent fare for a taxi to take you to the Great wall (plus tools and parking, which will all be apparent by receipts). Hotels can arrnage for a car to take you, but they make their money by adding a guide. If you don't want the guide, you can save some money. If a hotel quotes you 500 or less, take it. It is easier than trying to manage with a random taxi driver, if you don't speak Mandarin. The difference is only $12 and booking through the hotel gives you a bit more security and recourse.

Chances are, the driver will aks you if you want to book "direct" for other days. In city day rate should not exceed 300 YUAN. (plus parking and tolls).

Stay clear of public buses, and use the metro if it suits you, but the lines really aren't practical or convenient.

BChen is just the person I was hoping would flesh things out.

There should be no shortage of cabs waiting for business outside the Summer Palace. As you leave the gate you may be approached by guys touting "metered cabs" - ignore them, as the lurking "cab", despite being the usual red VW or Citroen, will be a bomb with a detachable taxi sign on the roof, a dodgy meter on the end of a cable rather than properly mounted, and without the official driver ID on the dash. Just keep walking to the public road and you'll be OK. All you need is your hotel's room key or business card, or some other indication of your destination written in Chinese. Beijing cabbies, incidentally, do not expect a tip and should provide you with a printed receipt - handy in the event that you leave something in the back seat.

Thanks Neil, for the vote of confidence. I meant to add that the rate will vary depending on which section of the Wall you go to, and if you are picky about which section you want to see, make sure it is agreed upon in writing (particularly if you want to visit JING SHAN LING, which is technically located in Hebei Province, over the BJ border.)

Another tell tale sign of "hei-che" or illegal taxis is that they have no writing on the door. All legal taxis have the name of the taxi company stenciled on the front doors in Chinese characters.

On an aside, I came through the PEK airport on Sunday from Bangkok and in the arrivals, there was a woman in a nice suit who looked very official. She may have had some ID on her and she was saying, in English, "Legal Taxi. Do you want a Legal taxi?" . I ignored her, but the guy behind me stopped and I heard her say, "I can get you a good rate."

Of course, if it is really a legal taxi, there is no "better" rate. So if you are coming through the airport, just ignore all the touts, even the well dressed ones, and head to the taxi cue.