If you are thinking about hiring a car in China, you might want to think twice. By this, I do not mean to question your driving skills, even though these might be challenged in especially bigger cities, such as Shanghai and Beijing, as traffic rules sometimes appear to be obsolete and a bit chaotic. Mixed with a little bit of bicycle riders here and some out-of-nowhere appearing mopeds, you will have an adventerous time driving. However, what I mainly refer to is the high traffic volume that even gets worse during rush hours, which will most likely lead to being stuck for longer periods of time. Short distances can then easily turn into a 1 - 1,5 hour ride with lots of honking, criss-crossing lanes and standing still. Therefore, relying upon public transport will not only make you save time, it is also very easy, safe and convenient to use. The main high-runners I recommend to stick to are:
How these transportation systems work, what you need to know and look forward to, consider and pay attention to is listed below.
China's Subway: easy, convenient and fast
China has a well- developed and convenient subway system that takes you anywhere whilst bypassing high traffic on the streets. Each station obtains a full metro map for you to look at, whilst you can also download a metro app and/or metro overview up front onto your phone.
To me, the easiest way to travel and find the next station, depending on where I want to head to next, is Apple Maps. Simply enter your desired end destination and the app will tell you the exact subway line to look for, possibly applying transfer stations, number of stops and duration time.
Where & How to buy Tickets?
To take the subway, you can either purchase single-way tickets at one of ticket vending machines situated at each station. An easier, more convenient way, is to purchase a physical subway card. This is especially useful if you are staying in a city longer than just one day. Subway cards can be purchased at a ticket counter. In most cases they require a minimum purchase of 40 – 50RMB. One ride is usually between 2 – 3 RMB, sometimes, depending on the destination and distance, up to 5RMB. Meaning, you have plenty of time to use your card, exploring the city flexibly without recharging and/or buying new tickets every time entering the metro. The remaining money on your card can be seen each time to hold your card onto the exit doors when leaving a metro. This way, you are always up-to-date on how many more rides you are able to undertake. Another cool thing when using Apple Maps is that it usually tells you amount of money to be paid when travelling from destination A to B.
Also good to know is that even if you run out of money, e.g. in the case you enter the metro with 2RMB remaining on your card, whereas the distance requires for you to pay 5RMB, you will always get out of the metro without any consequence; just re-entering is not possible.
If your money is almost used, simply go back to the ticket counter for a quick recharge. You can pay via Alipay, WeChat or cash. Please take into consideration that each city, e.g. Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, etc. all require separate metro cards.
Subway Entrance: security first!
How to find the right platform?
Subway riding: cuddling at narrow space
Subway exit: caught in the maze?
Didi: China's mobile transportation platform
Looking for a low budget alternative to taking a taxi? Then Didi will become your all-time favorite. Didi is the leading mobile transportation platform in China, comparable to what’s commonly known as “Uber” in other countries.
Didi can be accessed via a separate app or even easier by simply opening your Alipay app, in which Didi is included. Choose your desired destination and pick a car- or scooter option. The app will search for the closest available driver and confirm your pick-up shortly afterwards. You can either pay via app or scan the QR code in the taxi to pay.
China's Train System: high-speed traveling with comfort
Taking the climate-friendly option of train riding instead of catching a plane when traveling from one place to another in China is an underestimated experience that saves you time and money. Plus, it allows you to comfortably observe China's landscape out of the window.
Where and how to buy tickets?
Train tickets can either be purchased online (Alipay or trip.com) or at the service counter at the train station. Due to high traffic, it is recommendable to book your tickets in advance. You might proceed as follows:
Open your Alipay app and click on "TripAir-Train" (you will automatically be forwarded to trip.com)
Choose "trains" in the upper navigation bar
Enter your place of departure, arrival destination & travel date
Please note: pay attention to which train station you choose. Most cities have more than one train station to leave from/arrive to, so ensure to double-check where to head to/leave from on the day of travel!
Click on "add return trip" in case you want to come back to the place of departure
Scroll through the list of options to choose from and pay attention to date, time and duration of respective train offers
Choose the filter function to fine-tune your search, e.g. only high-speed trains
Select the train ride of choice and make your pick between business-, 1st- and 2nd class train ride
Confirm your booking
>> Note that trains can only be booked earliest two weeks in advance. In this case, you can make a reservation to already save a spot <<
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