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Useful tips for Beijing bus groups with ‘what to see’ and ‘what to do’ items and ‘bus- friendly’ or must see tourist sites in Beijing. Check our list of attractions before planning your bus tour with a stop or departure in Beijing. Let us know if your favourite attraction or ‘bus-stop’ is not there and you think we should add it to our list of Beijing highlights.
Beijing is a huge city and the traffic never seems to stop. Lights flash everywhere and roads become car parks during rush hour times. Taxis are very affordable and a convenient way to get around the city, as long as you can stop one and find a driver that understands your destination. We"ve helped you out with some tips about taking a taxi in Beijing.
There are over 60,000 taxis in Beijing but there are not many different taxi companies. Most taxis are the kind that you must flag down in the street and the driver won"t speak English. However, there are a few companies that have specialised their services for foreign visitors and they will provide either an English speaking driver or a driver who understands enough English for you to reach your destination.
Private taxis are pre booked and are particularly useful if you are going to more than one destination in a day. Companies like Beijing Eastern Taxi Service have both sedan cars and luxury taxis and provide English interpreters if the driver doesn"t speak English. For a whole day hire you will pay around €70. Our site lists different taxi companies, like Beijing Beiqi Kowloon Taxi Company on Jiuxianqiao East Rd, and you can pre book all your taxis through our site. That"s a lot easier than shouting at a taxi driver that can"t understand your destination.
“Nihow?” “Nihoo?” Or perhaps you pronounce it “Nihoow?” Nobody knows and whatever you say taxi drivers tend to look at you blankly. Communication is a major barrier with flagging down a taxi so you must make sure you have the destination written down in Chinese symbols. All taxis by law must use the metre, and if they don"t put the metre on you can point at it to ask them to use it. That"s easier than trying to say the Chinese word for metre.
Beijing taxi drivers are a sneaky bunch and will refuse to take people during extreme traffic. It can be extremely difficult to hail a taxi during rush hours (7-9am and 5-9pm), or at popular attractions like the Forbidden City. Taxis all have a two tone colour design, and the tell take taxi sign on the roof. Some colours look okay, like the blue and yellow taxis. Others should never be put together, like the mustard and maroon coloured taxis. They"re all the same style of vehicle, a local Chinese brand with space for 4 passengers. It costs around €2 for the first 3km, and €1 for every 3 kilometres after that.
Get your hotel to write down the name of your destination in Chinese symbols. And make sure they"re not pulling a practical joke and writing down a chat up line. If you pre book a taxi you can request an English speaking driver to avoid confusion.
Beijing has a problem with illegal taxis and they stand around popular areas where there are likely to be tourists. If you get approached by a tout offering a taxi you should avoid them, as this will be an illegal taxi charging well over the normal rate. In some cases you will pay five times more for an illegal taxi.
Sharing a taxi is allowed in Beijing and you make hail a taxi and find there is already passengers inside. It is 40% cheaper than a private taxi ride.
Unlike other cities it"s easiest to find a taxi in Beijing when you"re not in the most popular areas. The best advise for hailing a taxi is to stand on a main street going in the direction of your destination.
Cab services are one way to get around Beijing. If you are looking for other ways to travel around Beijing, take a look at car rentals with driver in Beijing or mini bus hire in Beijing options. For more information and tips about China, visit the travel services page. Get ideas for trips in and around Beijing on the transport in Beijing page.
Requesting quotes is free! Start comparing cab services in Beijing today by using our form.
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