Originally Posted by
GordonGordon
Does anyone know how long it should take from PEK to InterContinental Financial Street and approximately how much (by taxi) after midnight? Are the taxi drivers tricky?
At that time of night probably around 40 mins, and probably around ¥120 to ¥130.
As for tricky drivers, at all costs avoid anyone who approaches you in the arrivals hall, as was suggested earlier, and go to the rank with the name of your hotel in Chinese characters. There are occasional problems, but for the most part the meter is started as you pull away, and you pay what's on it (plus variations mentioned in the earlier post) and that's that (there's no tipping). Most drivers will be happy to have someone going that far.
Originally Posted by
xooz
I have yet to find a taxi driver who had a clue about where the Hilton Beijing hotel
They all know the Hilton, as its one of the older up-market hotels. But they call it by its Chinese name: Xi'erdun. Say something approaching that and you'll end up on northeast third ring where you want to be.
Originally Posted by
tauphi
Possibly because there are two of them?
No, because they don't know 'Hilton', but know 'Xi'erdun'. And there are three of these (a fourth about to open at the airport), because there's one at Wangfu Jing, and because the Doubletree by Hilton begins the Chinese version of its name with 'Xi'erdun'.
Originally Posted by
tauphi
For the one that is known as the Beijing Hilton, say Hilton Yansha as it's in the Yansha (Lufthansa) area.
Although it has been open for nearly a couple of years, drivers are still getting used to the Wangfujing property, and saying 'Xi'erdun' will usually see you taken to northeast third ring. Saying 'Hilton Yansha' to most drivers will produce little result unless the 'Yansha' part is picked up. But then the hotel itself is inconveniently north of that.
Peter N-H