Travel China - China Travelling and Trip Ideas

Travel China - China Travelling and Trip Ideas

Transportation in China

Considering the large area of China – over nine million square kilometres, it is a challenge for anyone who wishes to see this country as much as possible. Thankfully transportation in the country is well developed and allows you to cover large distances comfortably – a far cry from the times when people travelled by foot and took months to reach their respective capitals to appear for the imperial exam to become part of the government.

Today the country has an enviable transportation system. An aggressive approach by the Chinese government since 1949 has resulted in development of superior infrastructure covering all modes of transportation – from railways to air travel and from highway travel to water transportation. From 1950 to 1998, the available railway lines have increased from 21,800 km to 57,600 km. Whilst International airlines link China to 58 international cities. The staff is also efficient and matches up to international standards and speak both English and Mandarin.

Hop on the plane then and travel to China - the land where time is harnessed by bright ideas, galloping technology and fabled story tellers!
Transportation in China will tell you all you need to know about travelling in and around China. Use our China Destination Guide or click on our China Country Guide if you want to know more about travelling to and within magnificent China.

To China by Air

Airlines in China provide safe and good quality service for travellers to China. The aviation industry comes under the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which successfully operates around 1,000 domestic airlines covering 140 cities. Beijing is central to these airlines. Besides domestic flights there are 130 international airlines which take you to over 40 countries. China’s international airlines offer rates which are very competitive and they are always lower than other foreign international air companies.

China’s major airports are all equipped with superior facilities and even the smaller airports in provinces have recently been modernized and made efficient. These airports may be closer to the smaller towns and reaching here could give you an instant introduction to the ‘real China’. Air China has the distinction of being one of the safest air companies in the world.

Currently an airport tax of 90 yuan, payable in cash, is levied on passengers who are departing from any of the international airports in the People's Republic of China. However, passengers holding diplomatic passports, transit passengers who stop over for less than 24 hours, and children under the age of 12 are exempt from paying the airport fee. Flights to Hong Kong and Macau are also treated as international flights.

For passengers with a first class ticket, the free luggage allowance is 40 kg and it is 30kg for a business class ticket, and 20kg for an economy class ticket. Babies have to pay 10 percent of the adult fair and are not given any free luggage allowance.

To China by Train

Trains are a popular mode of transport as they are 25% less expensive than airfares. Depending on your budget you can opt for one of the four classes of seats available. The categories available are soft-sleeper, soft-seat, hard-sleeper and hard-seat.

Hard seats are the least expensive and contrary to what the name implies, these seats are upholstered, except that these seats are crowded and not always very clean. Soft seats are more comfortable as they are less crowded and have plenty of leg room. The hard sleeper carriage consists of compartments which have beds in three tiers on each side. So each doorless compartment can accommodate six passengers. Sheets and pillows are provided on the train. Soft sleepers have just two tiers and the sheets and blankets provided are also good. However, this comes at a charge and the fares are often as much as the airfare to the destination.

Dining cars are present in trains which travel very long distances. Toilets are not very hygienic and it makes sense to carry your own toilet paper.

China City Buses and Taxis

Chinese urban transportation is very convenient and offers an array of public buses, tour buses and taxis. While buses can get crowded, taxis are perhaps the best way to get around. The fare is metered and depends on the distance. Taxis will charge you extra for waiting and a taxi will charge you an extra 20 percent above the basic fare after 11 pm. Minibuses also run the route of public buses. They successfully alleviate the pressure caused on bus transportation during peak hours. The tickets cost a little more than those on a regular bus service.

Source: http://www.chinahotel-link.com/china-transportation