Getting Around China
Getting Around in China
Transport network in China is quite well developed to take one around comfortably. The country offers many options of getting around the country including one can fly to all province capitals and larger cities, trains, buses, taxis, auto rickshaws, hired cars and bicycles.
Getting Around China By Air
China is a huge country and thus flying from one end to other is convenient way of travelling despite being a little expensive. The domestic China airlines service for around 1000 domestic routes, operating between more than 150 cities. There are three main state owned groups namely: China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China.
Getting Around China By Rail
Railways is a major way of commutation for people in China with an extensive network regarded as one of the most busiest and widespread in the world. The routes are mostly safe, convenient, cheap and well managed. The trains run between major cities including from Beijing to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Harbin, Chengdu and Urumqi. There are three types of train in China with Express is known as best. The fares are divided in to four types: hard seat, soft seat (only on short-distance trains such as the Hong Kong to Guangzhou line), hard sleeper and soft sleeper (the priciest option). In case of children of height under 1m, the fare is exempted and for those under 1.3 m, the fare is a quarter of the fare. Although very time consuming, the train journey is comfortable. The high-speed trains are available between Beijing and Tianjin, Shanghai and Suzhou and lastly between Shanghai and Hangzhou.
Getting Around China By Road
Driving around China, as a visitor is difficult, as one requires a Chinese driving licence. In addition, obtaining the document is long and tedious process, thus hiring a car with a driver is comparatively inexpensive. One can hire cars with driver on a daily or weekly basis. The infrastructure of road in China is excellent especially between major centres. Taxis are easily accessible in large cities from shopping districts, hotels and usually stop at passengerês signal. Make sure to check the meter of taxi before hand and in case of one missing; confirm the fare before starting the rise, especially at railway stations. Motorbikes or e-bikes is yet another option and so is bicycles but all of them require caution. Lastly there are network of intercity long-distance buses, which can be used as a substitute to air or train travel.
Getting Around China By Water
Ferry serves on all the major rivers of China, Yangtze being the busiest one. Coastal ferries run between Dalian, Tianjin, Qingdao and Shanghai. The regular ferry services operate between mainland China and Hong Kong, conditions on which vary.
