trueblu

I think you will find the public transport options far, far more stressful than negotiating for and paying a taxi/ driver. Especially with an 'active child' in tow. However, it's your money, and you have to balance the pros/ cons.

You don't need to pay anywhere near 2100RMB, but I think the 300-500 RMB estimates are also on the low side. We live near-ish zhonguancun, and although we now drive to the wall, about 18 months ago, a return trip was ~650 RMB. There is a well regarded driver on this board, Simon, (look at driver thread), and apparently he charges ~800RMB for BJ-Wall-BJ including wait time, and he speaks English.

I don't think you'll have any luck getting a taxi to stay on the meter to the wall, and with the new taxi meter rates, they are paid far more for 'waiting time', so not sure it will end up cheaper.

However, it is perfectly possible to do the whole thing with public transport, although if going from the airport, with even a little luggage in tow, that's going to be a real pain on the wall itself.

Do report back on how it goes and good luck!

tb

LapLap

Oooooh, curiouser and curiouser.

Now I have the same morbid curiosity about experiencing public transport in Beijing as I did about seeing for myself how bad the rush hour in Tokyo can actually be (yep, very, very crowded)or what that 3rd class train journey down from Bangkok to Cha Am with a not quite 2 year old would be like (the 4 hour trip took well over 7 hours and was a major highlight of the holiday, beautiful, beautiful people, exact same experience could well have been hell for someone else).

I do feel more and more certain that anything other than a straight metered taxi ride is out of the question for us.

Anyway, have taken on board the inconvenience of getting out at Dhongzimen for the return leg of the trip. I looked at the last bus stops for the 916Express:

16彩各庄
17太阳宫桥
18西坝河
19三元桥西站
20左家庄
21东直门枢纽站

And noted that stop 19 is Sunyuanqiao West Station (West of Sunyuanqiao station?)
That should let us get to Maizidianxiu station on the 10 line (I'll assume there will be a bit of a hike to reach it) which gives us direct access to hotel.
I notice there are some upscale hotels in this area so I'll be able to use their services if I run into any difficulties.

I'll keep Badaling as an option and keep details of the itinerary. I may not feel 100% when I reach Beijing so I will definitely go with that choice if I'm not bristling with energy that day. Very grateful for all the details regarding this suggestion.

Great Wall visit HAS to be on day one as my daughter will be spending day two with her friend who is travelling in to Beijing with his parents specially to see us. Nice short hop from Tokyo HND so we'll be fresh and hungry for adventure.

travelinmanS

To me it's simple: Figure out how much you can afford to spend, make that your ceiling and negotiate a rate with a taxi for the whole day, there and back. It should be around 500. If you can't stomach 500 RMB for a whole day worth of taxi and waiting, for a visit to one of the world's top tourist sites, then perhaps you should reconsider your plans altogether.

The train to bus to wall to bus to airport combo wont work smoothly and will completely suck, ruining your day at the wall.

LapLap

This is starting to get insulting.

jiejie

Others have offered up comments on the Mutianyu/private transport/taxi option so I'll add info on the alternate Badaling option--Subway in Beijing, as long as you avoid rush hours and Line 1, is not that bad and particularly if you've experienced Tokyo busy stations and times. Buses on a mid week GW visit may or may not have some people standing on the way back...but usually traveling with a child you can get some sympathy and a seat if the buses happen to be busy. I've been on Thailand's 3rd Class trains, and the Chinese local running between Beijing and Badaling is better than that..and Chinese trains are far more punctual than Thai ones. Chinese trains in seat classes are usually very social.

LapLap

Thanks jiejie
Never feels as if I've really been anywhere unless I've visited whatever is used as a supermarket and travelled on the local transit options.

Those places in the world where you can't travel safely unless you engage the services of a chauffeur of some kind hold little interest for me as a tourist.

moondog

While I get where you're coming from, I want to say one last time (and then I'll shut up) that the minibus/bus/walk/line2/line4/walk is a really, really bad idea on multiple levels. I sincerely hope that you opt for Badaling instead.

LapLap

I took your very sensible advice on board and noted that the Dhongzimen transfer should be avoided.

That is why my plan is now to get off the 916 Express at Sunyuanqiao (West of the station?) and walk from there to Maizidianxiu station on the 10 line.

Cheers ^

One last point from myself, I now know that there is a police station near the entrance point to the Mutianyu part of the wall. This means that there is somewhere to approach if my worst fear in all this (that I was left stranded without any transport options whatsoever) were to be realised.

Taipei

I agree and also use a Taxi as other have mentioned. As someone who lives part of the year in Beijing, I always suggest a taxi to visitors/customer. I have used bus and train, and bus is not worth the hassle unless you have lots of time 9or really short on cash?), more so if going from the airport. Taxi's are very safe in Beijing (I would like to say in China, Beijing taxi's are ones not so much to cheat you, I have had some refuse tips as sometimes I feel sorry for the traffic and low fares). You can make a deal about RMB500-550. We have done this many times, last time to the Ski area by the Great Wall, ski all day and have a nice ride back. Also most drivers are nice. If you want to experience local transit, take the subway RMB2 to go anywhere (though rush hour to some lines such as #1 not very nice these days) after you trip to the Wall.

Also I live at SanYuanChiao Station (where airport express and line 10 meet), not sure about the bus you mention 916, the ones that pass near here do not service great wall, so anyways double check make sure its correct if using the bus?

BuildingMyBento

In Shenzhen and Beijing, while with my manager, I've waited more than forty minutes for a cigarette-wielding taxi driver to attempt to rip us off. Then, if he doesn't drive off after spontaneously flipping on the not in service sign, it's bad form to try and wear a seat belt, should one even exist. If the driver is over the age of 35, get used to obnoxiously loud talk radio. You won't get mugged, but you might get "robbed" of something.

Interestingly enough, those are still more wholesome taxis than those in Kaohsiung, which have tvs installed by the driver seat.

travelinmanS

Great plan! Enjoy the trip to one of the world's most impressive tourist sights and I'm sure the cops will be very helpful if you get stuck up there.

Taking public transit the whole way will be much more difficult and time consuming than taking the taxi, but this seems to be what you want so all I can say is enjoy Please report back on how it goes for those other public transport enthuasists on the board.

LapLap

I suspect that first paragraph is dripping with sarcasm, but I'll take the second paragraph at face value. Thank you!

I do not know anything at all about the entrance area to the Great Wall at Mutianyu except for a reason that people choose to come here over other parts; that it is relatively deserted. The scenario that I wanted to avoid is one where the gate staff have gone and there is absolutely nobody, not one soul, around. The presence of a police station just indicates that this zone is very unlikely to be completely deserted at 5pm. Good to know for someone like me who doesn't use (and doesn't much want to use) a mobile phone.

moondog

Sarcastic or not, my impression of Chinese police officers is generally favorable as long as you drop your expectation that part of police work entails putting oneself in harm's way on occasion (I've witnessed numerous violent episodes in Beijing and Shanghai and only on one occasion did the police actually intervene... to prevent an actual murder from taking place).

Mrgolfer21

I don't know how cheap you are trying to go, but beings I just visited this spot a few months ago, I would personally hire a car service. Simon is very good and very helpful. He took us from downtown Beijing to the wall and back for 600rmb and also did airport pickup for 200rmb. I'd be willing to bet if you asked for airport pickup direct great wall and then to hotel, he will give you a good price. you can leave the stroller with him in his car and he will wait for you while you are there (and also give you all kinds of information on where to go and whatnot). We spent a little over 2 hours at the wall and that was not a problem for Simon. I personally wouldn't want to mess with buses and all that. Anyway...that's my advice based on very limited experience.

LapLap

600rmb is an AWFUL lot of money for us. This might be useful information for someone else looking to make this trip, on their behalf, thank you.

For myself, I'm even veering away from an initial taxi ride from the airport, even though this would be the most efficient way to get to my destination.

I get freaked out by taxis in Tokyo (seriously) why put myself through an experience I am deeply uncomfortable with in Beijing? And for what? The sake of an hour?

So here is my final plan:

Leave stroller at airport (checked in with the rest of the luggage)

At Beijing Airport go to Airport Express ticket desk and pick up a Yikatong SMART card (20RMB refundable and gives a 60% discount on bus journeys) fill it up with cash.
Take Airport Express to Dhongzimen (20 minutes) and change there (potentially a 15 minute walk and 15 min wait) for the 916快 Express bus (70 minutes) to Huairou. At Huairou get transport to Mutianyu (20 minutes)
Estimated journey time from 2 to 2.5 hours
Costs: 25RMB + 6.5RMB + the minivan/taxi variable (should be no more than 40RMB)

Entrance to Great Wall 45RMB + cable car & slide 65RMB = 110RMB

Get minivan/taxi back to Huairou (20 minutes + approx 40RMB)

Get 916快 bus back and get off at SunyuanQiao (60 minutes + 6.5RMB) then walk to Maizidianxiu station and get on line 10 Subway to hotel (2RMB)

Total round trip transport costs: 130RMB (could be less) and this includes the airport to hotel transfer - albeit in a drawn out circuitous way - which would have cost 27RMB

Child is 105cms tall so rides and enters for free.

With this way, even if I do get ripped off by a taxi driver, I should still be able to limit our losses to no more than 30 or 40RMB.

As a FYI, here's what our hotel concierge had to say when I had declined their suggestion of paying 500RMB for an airport transfer and then the 1,600RMB for the round trip to Mutianyu saying I would like to go there directly from the airport:
"If you call Taxi from airport to Mutianyu is not safety.
Because Great Wall is far from city, No taxi one way go to Great Wall.
And no receipt. Probably more than 2100RMB."