Getting to Beijing

By Air

Beijing Capital International Airport

Airport Code: PEK

Location: Beijing Capital International Airport is situated in the Shunyi District of the city, about 25 km northeast of Tiananmen Square, and is China's busiest and most important international airport. The airport consists of 3 terminals, with terminal 1 used for domestic flights, and terminals 2-3 used mainly for international flights by over 50 airline companies.

Airport Transportation

By Car or Taxi
Four different expressways lead to the Beijing Capital International Airport. Journey time to Beijing downtown is about 45-60 minutes, depending on traffic conditions. Taxi fares will generally be around 80-120¥. An additional Highway toll will be charged for using some of the expressways. Metered taxis are available at the airport’s officially designated taxi stands.  

The airport Express Line
The Airport Express Line of the Beijing Subway serves the airport from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 and then takes passengers to Dongzhimen via Sanyuanqiao. This line was opened just prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics. It carries passengers to the airport in twenty minutes from the city center, covering a distance of 28 kilometers. The airport express line can be boarded at Dongzhimen station (Subway line 2) or at Sanyuanqiao station (Subway line 10). For a Beijing subway map, click here.

Airport shuttle bus
Several shuttle bus lines connect the different terminals with various inner city locations, such as the Beijing Railway Station, Beijing West Railway Station, Xidan, Nanyuan Airport and others.

By Train

There are 3 major train stations in Beijing, offering nation-wide and international variety of lines. Beijing Trains time-table can be found at this web-site.

Getting around in the city

By Taxi

Beijing’s official taxi cabs are State operated, and offer 24/hrs service. Every Beijing licensed taxi has a meter. When you start your taxi ride, the driver should pull down a lever to start the meter. Base rate start at ¥10 and include the first 3 km (¥11 after 10pm), and steadily increase per km. Taking a taxi during night time or for a long distance drive will offer higher charge per km.  
Most taxi drivers do not speak any English. Be sure to take with you your hotel’s and destination’s address.
Getting a Taxi on rainy days can be difficult, especially when going to the airport, as some taxi drivers will not agree to make a long distance drive.

By Subway

Beijing’s subway system offers travelers an accessible and economical means of traveling in and around the city. Being the 5th busiest city subway system in the world, Beijing subway offers to travelers 9 lines, with first trains starting around 5am and last trains leaving around 11pm.
A flat rate of ¥2.00 with unlimited transfers applies to all lines except for the Airport Express, which costs ¥25.00. Children below 1.2m in height ride for free when traveling with a paying adult.
Tickets can be bought at every station, either for a single ride or a multiple ride rechargeable card, called Integrated Circuit Card (IC Card). The IC Card can be bought and recharged in all subway stations, and can also be used to pay for city bus and taxi fares.