For visitors from abroad

Trains, flights, metro and taxis

China's high speed rail network is the fastest way between almost any two cities within 1,500 kilometres, and the easiest part of travelling here once you know the routine. Inside cities, the metro and ride hailing cover everything.

Checked 2026-11-01. Rules change often; confirm anything that matters with an official source before you travel.

High speed trains

Trains numbered G (up to 350 km/h) and D (up to 250 km/h) link every provincial capital. Beijing to Shanghai takes four and a half hours, Beijing to Xi'an four and a half, Shanghai to Hangzhou under an hour. Tickets go on sale 15 days ahead and popular routes sell out at weekends and holidays.

Book on the official 12306 app or website, which has an English interface and accepts foreign passports. Register once with your passport number, and the booking is tied to it: there is no paper ticket. Trip.com sells the same seats with a small service fee and better customer support.

  • Classes: second class is comfortable, like economy on a plane with more leg room; first class has wider seats, two plus two; business class is a lie flat seat at airline prices.
  • Arrive 30 to 40 minutes before departure. You pass security (bags scanned, no knives, limited aerosols), then wait in the hall until the gate for your train opens about 15 minutes before departure.
  • At the gate, foreigners use the staffed lane marked for manual check; the officer scans your passport. Many stations now have gates that read passports directly.
  • Luggage: no weight limits are enforced, but there is limited rack space. Two medium suitcases per person is comfortable.
  • Food: hot water dispensers in every carriage for instant noodles, a dining car with meals around 40 yuan, and you can order delivery to the seat on some routes.

Flights

For distances over 1,500 kilometres (Beijing to Kunming, Shanghai to Urumqi, anywhere to Lhasa), fly. Air China, China Eastern, China Southern and Hainan Airlines are the big carriers; Trip.com shows them all. Domestic flights are often delayed in summer afternoons; take a morning flight if you have a connection. Check in with your passport and allow two hours for security, which also scans lighters, power banks and every liquid.

Metro

Over 50 cities have a metro and all follow the same pattern: 2 to 8 yuan per trip, signs and announcements in English, bag scan at every entrance. Open Alipay, tap Transport and generate a metro code for the city you are in; scan it at the gate on entry and exit. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and several other cities also accept foreign contactless cards at the gate, and every city sells single ride tokens from English language machines.

Taxis and ride hailing

DiDi is the Uber of China and works in English inside Alipay. Set the destination by typing the Chinese name or choosing from the map, and the fare is charged to your linked card. Most trips inside a city cost 15 to 50 yuan.

Street taxis are metered, cheap and honest in most cities, but drivers rarely speak English. Show the destination in Chinese characters: every place page on this site has a card for exactly that. The flag fall is 10 to 14 yuan.

  • At airports and stations, follow the signs to the official taxi queue and ignore anyone offering a ride in the arrivals hall.
  • Drivers may decline cash; pay with the QR code on the headrest or in the app.
  • Seatbelts in the back are legally required but often missing or hidden under a seat cover.

Buses, bikes and long distance coaches

  • City buses cost 1 to 2 yuan and accept the same Alipay transport code; routes show up in Apple Maps and Amap.
  • Shared bikes from Meituan (yellow) and HelloBike (blue) unlock through Alipay for 1.5 yuan per half hour, after a one time passport verification.
  • Long distance coaches reach places trains do not, including most mountain parks. Buy at the bus station with your passport; tickets are not usually sold online to foreigners.

Common questions

Can I buy a train ticket at the station on the day?

Yes, at the ticket windows with your passport, but the fast trains between major cities are frequently full. Booking a few days ahead on 12306 avoids a wasted trip to the station.

Is the sleeper train worth it?

Overnight D trains between Beijing and Shanghai or Beijing and Xi'an save a hotel night and are clean and quiet. Traditional green trains with hard sleepers are slower but cheap and a window on everyday life.

Do children need tickets?

Children under six travel free without a seat; from six to fourteen they pay half fare. Register each child's passport in 12306 as a passenger.