|
Originally Posted by mlasser
(Post 19924530)
C'mon Moondog. be honest with them about the taxi situation. My wife and I are experienced world travelers and she was in tears over not being able to get taxis in Beijing. Less of a problem in Xi'an and Datong, but still a problem. Taxis in Beijing will pass you to pick up a Chinese person routinely and it took us over an hour to get taxis to pick us up at tourist sites. Pretty much the only way we could get a taxi was to have a hotel or restaurant arrange one or to get an indie driver from Moondog which even then has reliability issues and significant expense. To be honest with the OP, as a non native speaker, Beijing was the second most difficult city we've traveled in after Delhi (Asia, Europe, S. America). It's not impossible, but it's quite difficult. A Chinese guide should uncomplicate your logistics and make your day go by more smoothly and should alleviate frustrations. On both my trips to China, we didn't see some things we wanted to as a result of difficult transportation issues and language is a massive issue.
|
Originally Posted by trueblu
(Post 19925920)
But equally, let's be honest that your experiences of China do not accurately reflect those of the vast majority of visitors -- either in experience itself (i.e. yes, getting cabs can be a pain, but not as bad as you suffered) or in perception.
|
Originally Posted by trueblu
(Post 19925920)
But equally, let's be honest that your experiences of China do not accurately reflect those of the vast majority of visitors -- either in experience itself (i.e. yes, getting cabs can be a pain, but not as bad as you suffered) or in perception.
Not to dispute that your trip was ruined -- but this does not necessarily mean that others will suffer the same fate or, importantly, have as bad a time. For any savvy FTer who has read the relevant threads, they will realise that a) most Chinese DO NOT speak English and b) taxis in Beijing are cheap, but getting them at peak times in peak locations can be tricky but c) neither of these two facts require one to either hire a private hotel car or a private guide to enjoy Beijing. tb I don't think they had such a uniquely unpleasant experience though. Shenzhen is equally frustrating (though since I used to live there, it's not as bad). Extending metro lines sounds nice, but then I remember which country they've been extended in... so buses, sadly, become my usual go-to (whereas most mainland cities don't have English on their buses- fair enough - Beijing, Shenzhen, and probably others increasingly do, not to mention also having announcements in local languages, depending on where in China you are). I'd pay double the usual charges for some mode of transit that didn't have a tv (often playing videos of East German circus troupes) or mobile access. Since (taxis), buses and metros all have both of those things, I guess that's why I learned how to walk. |
Originally Posted by BuildingMyBento
(Post 19929520)
Since (taxis), buses and metros all have both of those things, I guess that's why I learned how to walk.
I also find those Touch Media displays in the Shanghai taxis to be maddening (I'm not supposed to say this because apparently those guys are a business partner of ours, but I am human). Invariably, the one part of the touch screen that doesn't work is the volume/power button in the lower right hand corner. |
Originally Posted by mlasser
(Post 19924530)
Taxis in Beijing will pass you to pick up a Chinese person routinely and it took us over an hour to get taxis to pick us up at tourist sites. .
Originally Posted by PTravel
(Post 19929462)
I've never had cabs pass me up for a Chinese passenger. .
Step back 10 ft, have the 178 cm chic wearing Marc Jacobs with a thick LV bag, flag the cabbie. ^ |
I stayed in a hostel in Beijing twice in October.
The hostel provides a map (in Chinese) with directions, buildings and streets and subway stations labelled and marked, and a phone number. On both trips, the taxi driver from the airport got lost. The second time, the driver was on the phone with owner of the hostel, arguing that he was at the right hutong and right public toilet (he was not, even I was able to recognize that). When I booked a return car to the airport (very expensive), the hostel advised me to do so because they said even they (Chinese) frequently had long delays trying to flag down taxis on the main streets. (Dongsi and Chaoyangmen Inner Street). Fortunately the underground system is good. I don't like taking metered taxis, and I admit I've gotten spoiled in Asian countries where I can usually negotiate a fixed fare. |
Originally Posted by chollie
(Post 19935668)
When I booked a return car to the airport (very expensive),
|
Originally Posted by moondog
(Post 19935681)
You could have just reserved a taxi (this works pretty well for airport runs if you provide a bit of advance notice).
|
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 4:47 am. |
This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.