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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  China

International Airports Beijing/Peking (BJS/PEK) airport (Capital International Central) is 28km (18 miles) northeast of the city (travel time – 40 minutes by bus and taxi). Guangzhou/Canton airport (Baiyun) is 7km (4 miles) from the city (travel time – 20 minutes). Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) airport is 13km (8 miles) southwest of the city (travel time – 25 to 40 minutes). Shanghai Pudong (PVG) airport, in the eastern financial district, is 30km (19 miles) from the city centre (travel time – 50 minutes by bus or taxi). Pudong is a major international airport with a magnetic levitation train and an underground link (due for expansion in 2005, when Pudong will be connected with Hongqiao). Facilities at the above airports include taxis, public and shuttle buses, duty-free shops, banks/bureaux de change, post offices, business facilities, bars and restaurants. There are also airports at other major cities. Departure tax: RMBY90. Children under 12 and transit passengers (proceeding within 24 hours) are exempt. Back to Top Air Travel The national airline is Air China (CA) (website: www.airchina.com.cn). Airlines serving China include: British Airways, Finnair, KLM, Lufthansa, Northwest Airlines, Singapore Airlines and many others. Note: Travellers should ensure that they re-confirm their return flight reservations, as overbooking by airlines has led to people being stranded in China. Most long-distance internal travel is by air. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) operates along routes linking Beijing to over 80 other cities by 14 regional airlines, covering all major cities and some sites. CAAC controls several other private carriers including China Eastern, China Northern, China Southern, Great Wall and Yunnan Airlines. Tickets will normally be purchased by guides and the price will be included in any tour costs. Independent travellers can also book through the local Chinese International Travel Service (CITS), which charges a small commission, or alternatively buy tickets in booking offices. It is advisable to purchase internal air tickets well in advance if travelling during May, September or October. The tourist price for a ticket is 70 per cent on a train ticket and 100 per cent on an air ticket. There are many connections to Hong Kong from Beijing/Guangzhou (Peking/Canton) as well as other cities. Safety records are variable. Note: Where possible, travellers are advised to fly in UK or North American aircraft which are used by larger airlines. Departure tax: RMBY50. Approximate flight times: From Beijing to London is approximately 10 hours, to New York is 22 hours, to Los Angeles is 12 hours, and to Sydney is 12 hours. Back to Top Travel By Water Principal seaports are Fuzhou (Foochow), Guangzhou (Canton), Hong Kong/Kowloon, Qingdgo (Tsingtao) and Shanghai. Pearl Cruises operates over 20 cruises a year to China. Other cruise lines include Holland America, NCL Asia Cruisetours, Princess, Seabourn and Silversea. There are regular ferry services linking most Chinese ports with Kobe in Japan and the west coast of Korea (Dem Rep). Ferry services operate between Weihai, Qingdao, Tianjin and Shanghai in China to Incheon in Korea (Dem Rep). All major rivers are served by river ferries, especially the Yangzi. Coastal ferries operate between Dalian, Tianjin (Tientsin), Qingdao (Tsingtao) and Shanghai. There are regular ferry services between mainland China and Hong Kong, conditions on which vary. Back to Top Rail International services run from Beijing to Moscow (Russian Federation), on both the Trans-Mongolian Railway (via Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia) and the Trans-Manchurian Railway (via Zabaikalsk in northern China). There are also services from Beijing to Pyongyang (Korea, Dem Rep). Owing to demand, it may be necessary to book up to 2 months in advance. A regular train service runs from Hong Kong to Guangzhou (Canton), and is of a higher standard than internal trains in China. There are several trains daily. Services between Shanghai-Kowloon/Hong Kong (travel time – 29 hours) and Beijing-Kowloon/Hong Kong (travel time – 30 hours) both run on alternate days. There are twice-weekly trains from Almaty in Kazakhstan to Urumqi. There are three types of fare: hard sleeper, soft sleeper and deluxe soft sleeper. Railways provide the principal means of transport for goods and people throughout China. The routes are generally cheap, safe and well maintained. The major routes are from Beijing to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Harbin, Chengdu and Urumqi. There are three types of train, of which Express is the best. There are four types of fare: hard seat, soft seat (only on short-distance trains such as the Hong Kong to Guangzhou (Canton) line), hard sleeper and soft sleeper. Children under 1m (3ft) tall travel free and those under 1.3m (4ft) pay a quarter of the fare. Note: Travellers on the Trans-Mongolian or Trans-Manchurian Railways are strongly advised to search their compartments and lock the doors before departure, owing to an increase in smuggling via this route. Back to Top Travel By Road The principal road routes into China follow the historical trade routes through Myanmar, India, the former Soviet republics and Mongolia. It is also possible to travel from Pakistan to Xinjiang on the Karakoran highway. It is possible to reach 80 per cent of settlements by road. Roads are not always of the highest quality. Distances should not be underestimated and vehicles should be in prime mechanical condition as China is still very much an agricultural nation without the mechanical expertise or services found in the West. From Beijing to Shanghai is 1461km (908 miles), and from Beijing to Nanjing (Nanking) is 1139km (718 miles). Traffic drives on the right. Bus: Reasonable services are operated between the main cities. Buses are normally crowded, but reach parts of of the country that trains do not. There are some more expensive luxury buses. Car hire: Available, but most rental companies’ policy of retaining the driver’s passport makes self-drive car hire impossible in practice for visitors. Cars with a driver can be hired on a daily or weekly basis. Driving standards are erratic. URBAN: There is a metro system in Shanghai and limited metro services in Beijing and Tianjin, and tramways and trolleybuses in a number of other cities. New lines are under construction in Beijing. Guides who accompany every visitor or group will ensure that internal travel within the cities is as trouble-free as possible. Most cities have public transit systems, usually bus. Taxi: Taxis are available in large cities but can be hard to find. It is best to check if the taxi is metered. If not, then it is important to agree a fare beforehand, especially at railway stations where it is best to bargain before getting into the taxi. Visitors should write down their destination before starting any journey. Taxis can be hired by the day. Most people travel by bicycle or public transport. In most cities, bicycles or other types of rickshaws are available for short rides. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Beijing to other major cities/towns in China. Air Rail Tianjin 0.50 1.40 Wuhan 1.45 16.00 Xian 1.55 22.00 Nanjing 1.40 15.30 Shanghai 1.50 20.00 Chengdu 2.25 60.00 Kunming 3.20 80.00 Guangzhou 3.00 37.00 Urumqi 4.00 95.00 Back to Top

Car Hire China

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout China.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in China