All Things Transportation
InterCity Travel
Choices for travelers comes down to four modes of transportation (three public and a fourth privately-hired): airplane, train, bus, and a private vehicle with driver. For all intents and purposes, long distance car rental and self-drive by non-resident foreigners is not practical nor recommended, hence we will not deal with it further in this FAQ. The optimal travel mode between any two points will be a function of availability, budget, comfort desired, and ticket availability for your dates of travel. For most A to B travel, there are always multiple possibilities, which the traveler should be aware of since there are times when China domestic travel requires a Plan B or even Plan C.
Please refer to our detailed Master Transportation Thread for details on each of the following options. In general, consider deploying each method for these scenarios:
Flights
Time-limited itineraries, itineraries with very distant destinations, city pairs where ground transport options are lengthy and convoluted or require transfers, Chinese holiday periods when train tickets are especially difficult to procure, passengers too tall to fit in a train sleeper berth (>1.8 m or 5-10”).
Trains
Short distance trips especially if CDG fast service available, longer distance trips where sleepers can be procured, budget travelers, “scenic” route desired, “meet the natives” experience desired. Note that train travel is a difficult option at holiday times and particularly the Chinese New Year +/- 3 weeks.
InterCity Buses
Itineraries where trains run infrequently or at odd hours, where train is slower and routing more tortuous, where good expressways exist, where there is no other inexpensive option, budget travelers on overnights can use sleeper buses (recommend for those under 1.8 m tall only).
Private Vehicle (Car, Van, etc)
For relatively short-distance travel where public transport options are limited or non-existent, where itinerary is highly customized for uncommon sights or on a specific and inflexible time frame, “loop” itineraries hubbing out of a single city, travelers with significant mobility issues, parties of 3 or more that can split the expense. Probably best limited to geographic distance of 250 km (150 miles).
Local Area Transport
Transportation in and around most Chinese towns and cities is plentiful and cheap, but many travelers are not aware of all the options, or are reluctant to use public transport except for taxis. Options include: Airport shuttle buses, taxis, light rail, subway, bus, special tourist modes, and bicycle. At a minimum, an average Chinese city will have airport shuttles, taxis, and buses, with quite a few also having subway systems.
The best option for a specific situation may depend on:
• Purpose of journey (business or leisure)
• Local destination
• Time of day and availability of options
• Weather
• Group size
• Fitness, stamina, mobility or fatigue issues
For most foreign short-term visitors, all options are inexpensive so relative pricing or budget impact is a lesser issue.
Please again refer to our Master Transportation Thread for a detailed discussion of the ins and outs of these various options.