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Stranded at Mutianyu - how worried should I be?

Stranded at Mutianyu - how worried should I be?

Old Apr 5, 2014, 8:09 pm
  #61  
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Originally Posted by catflyer
I agree, don't take a taxi.

Check out Simon Xiao (http://simon-service.com). Describe your whole itinerary, he'll quote you an exact amount up front, no bargaining needed. He'll take care of tolls, parking, show you exactly where to go, watch your luggage/etc. while you are on the wall. Loan you his spare phone with the "call Simon" button and help you navigate Beijing with his excellent English.

He'll meet you at the airport with a sign with your name and maximize your time for touring.
If you've read this thread, you should know that a car service of any sort is not an option for the OP.
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Old Apr 6, 2014, 3:32 am
  #62  
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Originally Posted by catflyer
I agree, don't take a taxi.

Check out Simon Xiao (http://simon-service.com). Describe your whole itinerary, he'll quote you an exact amount up front, no bargaining needed. He'll take care of tolls, parking, show you exactly where to go, watch your luggage/etc. while you are on the wall. Loan you his spare phone with the "call Simon" button and help you navigate Beijing with his excellent English.

He'll meet you at the airport with a sign with your name and maximize your time for touring.
Already recommended in post #29

As moondog has said, not an option.

Have no interest in the detached from reality "Lost In Translation" style of tourism.

Every trip I take with my daughter on public transport is a pleasure and a privilege, generally an experience that enriches our lives. Car trips are something we endure. Started learning to drive, hated it, have no wish to drive or own a vehicle, am perfectly happy this way.

- As an aside, should be able to reduce the cost of luggage storage at PEK by popping all our cases into a gigantic bag (which we already own).

Have been tutored on how to pronounce 不用 谢谢

Looking forward to munching on the regular muddy Chinese grass fields with the rest of the cattle!
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Old Apr 6, 2014, 4:57 am
  #63  
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Originally Posted by LapLap

Have been tutored on how to pronounce 不用 谢谢
不要 (no need for the "谢谢") is more effective, LapLap.
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Old Apr 6, 2014, 9:03 pm
  #64  
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Originally Posted by moondog
不要 (no need for the "谢谢") is more effective, LapLap.
Oops! Thanks for the correction!

byo is what I meant. An additional 谢谢 will depend on the context, I guess.
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Old Apr 10, 2014, 11:40 pm
  #65  
 
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Tried to follow your plans here lap lap but have become confused.

Is your intention to do this itinery?

Leave luggage - Airport Express downtown - Bus to great wall - bus back to downtown - Airport Express to collect luggage - Airport express back to downtown - subway to hotel.

For the price of left luggage and those extra trips on Airport Express you can get a room at the AC Embassy Hotel in Dongzhemen for 400rmb which is directly across from the AE entrance and bus station.


You seem pretty dead set on doing things your own way but I would urge you to consider doing all this straight from arrival. I presume an early arrival means you've had an early start to make your flight, coupled with a 4 hour round trip on a public bus and climbing the wall. With a small child. You're a braver person than me!

Also given your flight arrival time I can't see you making it to the wall before 4pm which doesn't give you long there and from a safety point of view I would not take that bus trip back with the light fading on my own, let alone with my daughter.


If you can make it another day, the Schoolhouse Lodge runs a shuttle from the Kempinski Hotel for 132rmb per person ( 5 min walk from Liangmaqiao subway, line 10). It appears to only run sat and sun though.


http://www.theschoolhouseatmutianyu....school_bus.pdf


I could possibly arrange for you to store your stuff for free in Dongzhemen but you probably couldn't collect after 6pm as the place would be closed until the next morning. Don't know if this is of any use to you.
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Old Apr 10, 2014, 11:47 pm
  #66  
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Originally Posted by LOUDNOISES

Is your intention to do this itinery?

Leave luggage - Airport Express downtown - Bus to great wall - bus back to downtown - Airport Express to collect luggage - Airport express back to downtown - subway to hotel.
No, she's planning on leaving her luggage at the airport between when she arrives and when she departs the next day.
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Old Apr 11, 2014, 12:15 am
  #67  
 
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Aaah that makes sense, forgot this was just a 72 hr jolly.

If you can do without a stroller overnight laplap send me a pm and I will try and arrange for it to be stored in Dongzhemen (10 minute walk from the Airport Express).
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Old Apr 11, 2014, 1:44 am
  #68  
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Duplicate post - deleted

Last edited by LapLap; Apr 11, 2014 at 4:41 am
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Old Apr 11, 2014, 1:54 am
  #69  
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Thanks LOIDNOISES

I've spent considerable time in a wheelchair in the past because of my back and we will have a lot of luggage with us. Absolutely safest option for me is to keep it at the airport along with the stroller. Appreciate the offer though ^

In summary:
Day 1
11:30am plane lands
Pass through customs, etc, decant luggage into large bags and stash bags at left luggage counter.
12:30 Buy Yikatong SMART CARD, board Airport Express (20 minutes)
Find bus bay (10 mins) , wait for bus (every 10-15 minutes)
13:10 Board 916 Express Bus at Dongzhemen (60-70 mins)
14:20 Bus arrives Huairou
14:25 take metered taxi (or a minivan that "feels" right) to Mutianyu
14:50 arrive at Mutianyu gate to Great Wall

That's the theory, the reality is that I'm actually expecting to arrive at Mutianyu by 3:30pm or so.

From the itinerary, it's the 11:30am to 12:30am part - clearing customs, stashing bags, buying SMART card - that I suspect will be inaccurate and take me longer rather than the public transport segments.

---
For the record:
Day 2
Morning in Beijing, meet Chinese friends who are arriving from nearby town and spend time sightseeing with them. R&R at the hotel pool with the children in the evening.
Strap very tired daughter onto back, return to airport, collect bags, depart at 01:30 (after midnight)
Visiting family stay in the hotel (booked using Priority Club points with Point Break offer)

---
I know this is an alien viewpoint for many, but it seems I need to make my point clear:
The 916 Express bus isn't a means to an end, but (for us) a worthwhile and important part of our visit to Beijing. Consider it an "intangible cultural experience" from my perspective. The gongfu tea ceremony I've already been expertly introduced to, it's the "Beijing bus trip with locals" that cannot be replicated in any shape or form in London nor viewed on the internet. To do this whilst accompanied with a sociable child still at an age where language is no barrier really is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The more I've thought about it, the more I've realised how much I'd regret giving it up.

Last edited by LapLap; Apr 11, 2014 at 4:47 am
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Old Apr 11, 2014, 8:49 am
  #70  
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Originally Posted by LapLap
Thanks LOIDNOISES

The 916 Express bus isn't a means to an end, but (for us) a worthwhile and important part of our visit to Beijing. Consider it an "intangible cultural experience" from my perspective. The gongfu tea ceremony I've already been expertly introduced to, it's the "Beijing bus trip with locals" that cannot be replicated in any shape or form in London nor viewed on the internet. To do this whilst accompanied with a sociable child still at an age where language is no barrier really is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The more I've thought about it, the more I've realised how much I'd regret giving it up.
If the public transport is such an important part of you avoiding a "lost in translation" experience in the city I'd recommend you just ride around Beijing on busses all afternoon and evening. You'll get a great feel for the city and it's locals and can probably see most of the interesting sites right from the bus window. There's a great ride down the Chang An street that goes right between the forbidden city and Tiananmen Square. Since the bus ride seems more important than actually getting a decent amount of time at the Great Wall, perhaps you can just skip the Wall entirely and bus it around the city. You can probably reach all the districts via bus in 8-10 hours. That's a trip most people definitely wouldn't be able to top! If you're really planning on making it from the airport to Mutianyu in 2:20 all via public transport that's very optimistic so why not just kick back on the public bus, relax and take a tour of Beijing all for 2 RMB!
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Old Apr 11, 2014, 2:14 pm
  #71  
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Like this guy?

http://motherboard.vice.com/en_uk/bl...beijing-subway

Hmmmm... One full day on the buses or getting a private hire car to the Great Wall. It's obviously "either"/ "or". In this binary way of travelling I can just leash my child to me and jog on and on and on across the Chinese landscape, following the wall and its remnants until time and endurance runs out.

A "decent amount of time at the wall"? How long do YOU think that will be as far as a four year old child is concerned?

You already insulted me in post #18, now you are doing it again.

Bya. Bya.

Last edited by LapLap; Apr 11, 2014 at 2:22 pm
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Old Apr 11, 2014, 2:41 pm
  #72  
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Originally Posted by LapLap


Like this guy?

http://motherboard.vice.com/en_uk/bl...beijing-subway

Hmmmm... One full day on the buses or getting a private hire car to the Great Wall. It's obviously "either"/ "or". In this binary way of travelling I can just leash my child to me and jog on and on and on across the Chinese landscape, following the wall and its remnants until time and endurance runs out.

A "decent amount of time at the wall"? How long do YOU think that will be as far as a four year old child is concerned?

You already insulted me in post #18, now you are doing it again.

Bya. Bya.
I love public transport but I think it's extremely bullish to think you'll make it from PEK to Mutianyu in 2:30 factoring in Beijing traffic and other things that will probably delay you. Even I as a public transport lover would think about hiring a car from the airport at the very least.
Cheers
Howie
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Old Apr 12, 2014, 1:49 am
  #73  
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Originally Posted by stockmanjr
I love public transport but I think it's extremely bullish to think you'll make it from PEK to Mutianyu in 2:30 factoring in Beijing traffic and other things that will probably delay you.
Originally Posted by LapLap
That's the theory, the reality is that I'm actually expecting to arrive at Mutianyu by 3:30pm or so.
I did very seriously think about using a taxi to get to Mutianyu from the airport. I hammered the idea firmly into my head and then found myself hyperventilating about it. Realised again that forcing a known anxiety trigger into an itinerary is not the best option for me. The only rational explanation I can give is that I won't have a child seat or booster seat with me and I wish to keep miles in a taxi/hire car down to a minimum - the taxi ride between PEK and Huairou seems like one that would be driven at high speeds. But it's not just that.

-----

Would really love to learn about anyone who actually used the 916express bus or airport express who experienced significant delays.

Have combed through lots of accounts of people who used the 916 express bus, have yet to see any one flag up an issue.

The whole point of this thread was to learn about what I should be worried about and what the actual dangers are in planning a trip to Mutianyu using public transport.

72 posts in and all I've got is a nebulous, vague consensus that: public transport = bad, taxis/hired cars = good

It was exactly the same message when I went to Bangkok.

There have been a couple of contributors who have offered some meaningful advice and assistance (which I treasure, thank you!), another who at least genuinely tried to, but for the rest (particularly when it has come to snide remarks) this has been an excellent reminder about how important it is for me to go with my gut instincts and do what works best for me. The message that taxis are an anxiety trigger for me and that I enjoy using public transport has fallen on deaf/dismissive ears.

I'm pretty much done with this thread.

It has not been a waste of time, I have got something unexpected and valuable from it and will keep this experience very much in mind whenever I answer queries about parts of the world I do know a little something about.

Last edited by LapLap; Apr 12, 2014 at 2:07 am
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Old Apr 12, 2014, 8:08 am
  #74  
 
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Originally Posted by LapLap
Thanks LOIDNOISES


From the itinerary, it's the 11:30am to 12:30am part - clearing customs, stashing bags, buying SMART card - that I suspect will be inaccurate and take me longer rather than the public transport segments.
.
Actually you are inaccurate after this. You are probably buying your smart card at 12h30 but you'll have to wait for the next train 10 to 20 minutes. Then the ride to Dongzhimen is 35 minutes. Then figure 15 minutes to exit and find the bus (I am being optimistic on this last part).
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Old Apr 12, 2014, 1:56 pm
  #75  
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Originally Posted by JPDM
Actually you are inaccurate after this. You are probably buying your smart card at 12h30 but you'll have to wait for the next train 10 to 20 minutes. Then the ride to Dongzhimen is 35 minutes. Then figure 15 minutes to exit and find the bus (I am being optimistic on this last part).
I'm using T3, not T2, interval time between trains is supposed to be 12 minutes but it wouldn't surprise me if it was a little longer in the afternoon.
Thanks for pointing out the longer estimated journey time, I may not have realised this if I was flying into T2 at PEK.
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