Transport in China

High-speed rail

China's high-speed rail network is the largest on earth — 45,000+ km of track connecting every major city. For intercity travel under 1,200 km, it is almost always faster and more comfortable than flying once you factor in airport time. Shanghai–Beijing (1,200 km) takes 4.5 hours at 350 km/h; Shanghai–Hangzhou is 45 minutes; Beijing–Xi'an is under 5 hours.

Booking as a foreigner

• Trip.com (English) — easiest for foreigners. Accepts international Visa/Mastercard. Email confirmation includes a QR code for the ticket machines.
• 12306 app — China's official rail booking app. Now supports foreign passport registration and accepts international cards. Chinese-language dominant but DeepL handles it.
• At the station — foreign passport windows (外宾窗口) exist at most major stations. Bring passport. Cash (CNY) or WeChat Pay accepted.

Seat classes

• Second class (二等座) — standard, 3+2 seating. Comfortable for journeys under 3 hours.
• First class (一等座) — 2+2 seating, wider seats, ~50% premium. Worth it for 3+ hour journeys.
• Business class (商务座) — lie-flat seats on overnight trains and select daytime routes. Expensive but transforms a 6-hour journey.

Key routes at a glance

Route	Duration	Frequency	Price (2nd)
Beijing → Shanghai	4h 18m	Every 30 min	~¥553
Shanghai → Chengdu	11h	Several daily	~¥720
Beijing → Xi'an	4h 30m	Every hour	~¥515
Guangzhou → Guilin	2h	Every hour	~¥200
Chengdu → Chongqing	1h 10m	Very frequent	~¥100

Reading your ticket

Your printed ticket shows: train number, departure date, departure time, departure station, arrival station, carriage number, seat number, and your name in Chinese characters (transliterated from passport).

Find your carriage by the number displayed on the platform floor — carriages are numbered from the front of the train. Board only at the correct carriage door.

On the train

• Luggage goes in the overhead rack — there are no checked bags
• Food trolleys come through roughly every 2 hours; station food courts are better value and available at longer stops
• Power sockets are at every seat in 1st and Business class; 2nd class has sockets at window seats only
• Mobile signal and data work throughout the journey including tunnel sections

Arriving: the critical first 10 minutes

The exit from a major HSR station can be disorienting. Strategy:

1. Follow 出站 (chūzhàn = exit) signs
2. Scan your ticket barcode at exit barriers
3. Do NOT go to taxi ranks immediately — go to the 网约车 (ride-hailing) zone for DiDi
4. Check your DiDi booking for the specific pickup bay letter

Didi

Didi is China's dominant ride-hailing platform — equivalent to Uber. The DiDi International app (separate from the domestic app) supports English, accepts international Visa/Mastercard, and provides an in-app translation function for communicating with drivers.

Setup

1. Download DiDi International from the App Store or Google Play (outside China, or via VPN)
2. Register with your phone number and add an international credit card
3. The app shows estimated fares before booking — no haggling, metered prices
4. Share your live location with the driver via the in-app map if they call

Tip: Have your destination saved in Chinese characters before you book — Didi's translation of English addresses is occasionally imprecise. Copy the Chinese address from Baidu Maps or your hotel confirmation.

Didi Express is sufficient for most trips. Didi Premier (premium cars) costs roughly double and is worth it for airport runs with luggage.

Metro

Every major Chinese city has a metro system. Shanghai has 20 lines and 508 stations; Beijing 27 lines and 490+ stations. Fares run ¥3–10 per journey. The systems are clean, punctual, and air-conditioned — easily the best way to move around cities.

How to pay

• WeChat Pay / Alipay QR code — scan at the turnstile gate. No card or ticket needed. Most convenient option.
• Transit card — city-specific physical card (e.g. Shanghai Public Transport Card). Reloadable at machines in stations. Useful for heavy daily users.
• Single-journey ticket — token bought at machine. Cash or WeChat Pay. The slowest option but always available.

Metro apps: Metro大都会 covers Shanghai and other cities with English support. Beijing Subway app covers Beijing. Both allow QR code generation for entry. Alternatively, just use WeChat's built-in transport payment mini-program.

Intercity bus

Intercity buses fill routes that high-speed rail doesn't serve — particularly:

• Provincial routes between smaller cities (e.g. Anji → Hangzhou, Yangshuo → Guilin)
• Routes to national parks and scenic areas where rail stations are distant
• Night buses for budget long-distance travel (sleeper buses on major routes)

Book at the bus station in person (passport required) or via Trip.com for routes it covers. Payment at the station is cash or WeChat Pay. English at bus stations is minimal — have your destination written in Chinese characters.

Domestic flights

China's domestic aviation network is extensive and prices are competitive, though high-speed rail has made flights unnecessary for routes under 800 km.

Carriers

• Air China, China Eastern, China Southern — the three state carriers. Reliable, decent service, Star Alliance / SkyTeam membership for points.
• Hainan Airlines — consistently rated highest for service quality among Chinese carriers.
• Shenzhen Airlines, Xiamen Air — good regional options, often cheaper than the big three.

Booking

Trip.com (English) is the easiest platform for foreigners — accepts international cards, sends English confirmations, has English customer support. Check-in is via the airline's app or at airport kiosks (passport scanning). Domestic flights require passport for boarding.

Luggage note: Chinese domestic carry-on allowance is typically 5–8 kg — significantly less than international standards. Check your specific airline's policy and weigh your bag before the airport.

Bike and scooter sharing

Chinese cities have exceptional bike-sharing coverage. Meituan Bike (yellow), Hello Bike (blue), and Didi Bike (orange) are the main operators. Docking is GPS-based — pick up and drop off anywhere within the operating zone.

Setup for foreigners

• Meituan Bike — accessible via the Meituan app or WeChat mini-program. Add a foreign credit card or top up via Alipay. Unlock via QR code scan. ¥1.5–2.5 per 30 minutes.
• Hello Bike — accessed via the Hello (哈啰出行) app or Alipay mini-program. Similar pricing. Better coverage in smaller cities.

Electric scooters (e-bikes) are available through the same platforms in some cities — a helmet is legally required and provided in a box attached to the bike.

Note: Bikes must be parked within designated zones shown in the app (painted rectangles on the pavement). Parking outside these zones incurs a fine charged to your account.