LapLap

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.

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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.