If you are living in Beijing and you don’t drive a car or you don’t have a driver, using public transportation may be a good option. The Beijing Municipal Commission of public transportation is doing a lot to improve the public transportation network, with easy access to public transportation for residence compounds and office buildings.
Beijing public transportation comprises of Subway lines and bus lines, airport transfert train and buses, as well as shared bicycles.
BEIJING BUS:
Official website: http://www.bjbus.com/- Bus lines:
- Urban lines (bus No.1 to No. 122)
- Night buses (bus No. 201 to 212)
- Suburban lines (bus No. 300 to No. 949)
- Air-conditioned buses (beginning with 8),
- Double-decker buses (beginning with 特- Te in Chinese means special)
- How to use the Beijing bus? Since most of signs are only written in Chinese, using public bus is not popular amongst foreigners who can’t read Chinese characters. For smartphone users (APPs) or people with Chinese speaking skills, using Beijing public buses becomes quite friendly. If some lines are extremely clouded at rush hours, it is not the case for all lines…
- Pay using your Beijing Smart Transportation card or Yikatong.
BEIJING SUBWAY 北京地铁:
- Official website: http://www.bjsubway.com/
- 15 lines in 2015; Beijing will have 27 lines by 2020.
- Beijing MTR Corporation Limited (BJ MTR)participates in the investment, construction and operation of BJL4 http://www.mtr.bj.cn/.
- How to use? Purchase a single ticket at one of the automates or get a Yikatong or IC Card (see below details).
BEIJING SHARED BICYCLES
- Website: http://www.bjjtw.gov.cn/bjggzxc/Home_index_1_1.html
Capacity: 1645 rental stations, totally 50.000 public bicycles in 2015- Cost: free for the first hour, then 1 RMB per hour (starting from the second hour), capped at 10 RMB per day.
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How to use? Passport or Chinese ID card, 200 RMB for deposit and IC card or Yikatong with minimum 30 RMB balance are required for 1st registration. You will need to fill a form at one of Beijing’s public bike registration office and you will receive a receipt (keep it if you want to get your deposit back).
AIRPORT TRANSPORTATION (train, bus):
- Official website: http://en.bcia.com.cn/traffic/
- Airport Express train: to Sanyuanqiao and Dongzhimen. Fast way to enter / leave the city center.
- Bus: Ticket offices in each terminal. Many local destinations (Beijing West Railway Station, Beijing South Railway Station… – check the website for roads and stops) as well as inter-region (Tianjin, Langfang, Baoding…). Price according to destination.
BEIJING TRANSPORTATION SMART CARD or IC Card or Yikatong
Yikatong 北京市政交通一卡通 can be used on all of the subway lines, city-buses and the Airport Express Train, as well as the Beijing Bicycle sharing system.- Where to purchase a Beijing Transportation Smart Card: Over 170 designated points in Beijing including ticket offices of all Beijing metro stations (05:30~23:00), some bus stations, supermarkets (e.g, Jingkelong Convenience Stores, Good Neighbor Supermarket) and Post Offices (09:00~17:00).
- Deposit: 30 RMB.
- Refill: fixed amounts can be used for refill CNY10, 20, 50, or 100.
Sources:
http://zfxxgk.beijing.gov.cn/
https://www.beijingtrip.com/transport/bus.htm
http://www.thebeijinger.com/forum/2008/02/18/using-beijing-bus-system
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