GETTING AROUND BEIJING Print E-mail
If you are heading out from your hotel, it pays to ask the staff there the best way to get where you are going.  It’s possible there is a cheap and convenient subway or bus line nearby, and when traffic is particularly bad, it can be faster to walk, or to way part way either to bypass a particularly ugly intersection or to get on the correct side of the street for the direction you are going.
 
Taxis
 
It's a big city...
The same rules for taking a taxi from the airport apply to taxi a taxi in town: 
 
1.  Make sure the driver uses the meter.  It is rare, but get out of the taxi if the driver refuses.  Flag fall on all meters regardless of company starts at 10 RMB, and you are responsible for any bridge or expressway tolls.
 
2.  Very few taxi drivers speak English so make sure you bring your destination written out in Chinese characters. Bring the phone number too, as it is a common practice to have someone at your destination talk your cab driver in.
 
3.  When you pay your fare, be sure to take the computerized receipt printed from the taxi meter.  The receipt will have the company’s phone number and the taxi number, in case you left something behind or wish to register a complaint.
 
4.  There is no tipping so pay exactly what appears on the meter.
 
A couple of additional tips for catching taxis downtown:
 
5.  Taxis cannot stop anywhere they want (although they frequently seem to), especially on and around Jianguomen/Changan Jie, around any major intersection, and sometimes in the area directly in front of tourist destinations (so the cabs do not block the gate area).  If you are having trouble hailing a taxi, try walking 100 meters back from the intersection or entrance gate, or finding a nearby side street.
 
6.  If you know which direction you want to be going, catch a taxi on that side of the street, even it if means taking a pedestrian overpass or walking to the intersection.  Major streets are often divided and have few options for making a U-turn, and in some areas one way streets make looping around a hassle, so this can save you a lot of time.
 
 
Subway/Buses
 
The subway in Beijing is cheap and easy to navigate, the system has been expanded in preparation for the Summer Olympics.  The latest additions are Line 10, which runs along the East Third Ring Road and then continues west to Haidian, running just north of the North Third Ring Road, and the Airport Line, which costs 25 RMB and connects Terminal 2 and 3 with the subway system at San Yuan Qiao (Line 10) and Dongzhimen (Line 2). 
 
You can buy tickets for the subway (2 RMB per ride) at the automated ticket booths just before you descend to the platforms (the machines are in Chinese and English).  If you have a single ride card, you swipe the card to enter and feed the card into the automatic turnstile to exit.  
Subway map
 
 
 
 
 
The buses are definitely cheap (1-2 RMB per ride; 0.40 RMB per ride with a prepaid card) and can be a good way to travel if you have the extra time. But unless you read Chinese (and sometimes even if you do), it can be difficult to decipher the routes.  There are few dedicated bus lanes in Beijing, so when traffic is bad, taking the bus does not save you time.  Go with a bus if someone tells you which bus number to take, where to get on, and can write down in Chinese for you the stop where you need to get off so you can show someone on the bus.
 
 
Bicycles/Walking
 
Sleeping in a rickshaw
In certain neighborhoods, cycling and walking are still a good option for exploring or getting around.  For example, cycling through the hutongs gives you the same flexibility of making stops and detours as walking, but allows you to cover more ground.  The distances around the imperial axis are also short enough that you could ride your bike from Tiananmen Square, around the Forbidden City up to Houhai and around through the hutongs around the Drum Tower and Lama Temple.  However, if you wish to explore the inside of the Forbidden City, you must do this on foot (no bikes allowed inside), so will have to return to where you entered to retrieve your bike.  There are a few companies that do guided bicycle tours around Beijing, but beware that they often combine groups together so you are riding in herd. 
 
If you do choose to bicycle beyond the hutong areas and across town, be very cautious.  The days where the bicycles ruled the roads in Beijing are long gone.  Cars far outnumber bikes on the road and even dedicated bike lanes are often ‘shared’, with little yielding to cyclists or pedestrians.  And even if you rent a dumpy bike, be sure to lock it securely to a fixed feature.
 
 
Getting to the Great Wall
 
The
It is very easy to get out to the Great Wall on your own.  Hiring a car and driver allows you to schedule your trip flexibly and enjoy the remoteness of being on the Wall by avoiding a large tour group.  Most taxis drivers are willing to make the trip for about 500 RMB to Mutianyu and 800 RMB for the longer drive to Jinshanling and pick up from Simatai.  You are responsible for any road tolls, and additional stops on the way will cost more.  Hotels are generally more than happy to help arrange a taxi/driver for you.