ChinApps
Getting Around
Metro, taxis, and the trains worth planning ahead for
5 min read
Why your usual map is wrong
Chinese law requires published maps to use a coordinate system offset from true GPS. Foreign map apps do not always correct for it, which is why your blue dot sits in the next street. It is not your phone.
A domestic map app fixes this and adds the things you actually need underground: which carriage to board, which exit to leave by, and how long the interchange walk takes.
The metro
Every large city has one, it is cheap, and signage is bilingual. Buy single-journey tokens from a machine, or generate a QR ticket inside a payment app and scan yourself through the gate.
Bags go through a scanner at every station entrance. Allow a minute or two for it, and do not carry open liquids — you may be asked to drink from the bottle to prove what it is.
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Taxis
Ride-hailing is the norm and removes the language problem: the destination is set in the app, payment is automatic, and no fare is negotiated. Drivers rarely speak English and generally will not phone you if they cannot find the pickup point, so place the pin carefully.
Street taxis are plentiful and metered. The obstacle is telling the driver where to go — show your destination in Chinese characters rather than saying it. Save your hotel's Chinese address on your first day.
The Address Card in this app is built for exactly this — fill it in and hold up your phone.
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High-speed rail
The train network is extraordinary and usually beats flying between neighbouring cities once airport time is counted. Popular routes sell out days ahead, so this is the one thing genuinely worth booking before you travel.
Booking with a foreign passport requires identity verification, and the first time you collect a ticket you may need a station counter to check your passport against the booking. Once verified, you walk through the gate with the passport itself — no paper ticket.
Start rail verification at least a week out. It is the slowest step in the whole trip.
Second class is comfortable. The jump to business class is rarely worth the price.