Beijing

By bus

Long-distance buses from areas as far as Shanghai and the Mongolian border connect to Beijing. You can reach areas as far as Harbin or Xi'an on a single bus ride. Beijing has over 20 long distance bus stations, but what you need to do is go to the bus station located on the edge of the city in the direction you want to travel.

Xizhimen Long Distance Bus station

Handles buses heading north and west. Destinations include Anshan, Baochang 宝昌 Bǎochāng, Baotou, Binzhou 滨州 Bīnzhōu, Boshan 博山 Bóshān, Changchun, Chengde 4.5 hrs, Chifeng 赤峰 Chìfēng, 12 hrs, Daban 大阪 Dàbǎn, Dazhangzi 大仗子 Dàzhàngzǐ, Fengshan 凤山 Fèngshān, Harbin, Hohhot, Huimin 惠民 Huìmín, Jinan, Jining Shandong 集宁 Jíníng, Shandong Province, 7 hrs, Jinzhou, Kuancheng 宽城 Kuānchéng, Lindong 林东 Líndōng, Linhe 临河 Línhé, Luanping 滦平 Luánpíng, Ningcheng 宁城 Níngchéng, Pingzhuang 平庄 Píngzhuāng, Qinhuangdao 7.5 hrs, Tieling 铁岭 Tiělǐng, , Leling 乐陵 Lèlíng, Pingquan 平泉 Píngquán, Xilin 锡林 Xīlín, Shenyang, Shacheng 沙城 Shāchéng, 5 hrs, Shanhaiguan, Shenmu, Shizuishan, Tangshan 唐山 Tángshān, 5 hrs, Weixian 蔚县 Wèixiàn, 8 hrs, Wudan 乌丹 Wūdān, Xuanying 选营 Xuǎnyíng, 7 hrs, Xinglong 兴垄 Xīnglǒng, Yinchuan, Yingxian 应县 Yīngxiàn, Yulin, and Zhangjiakou 张家口 Zhāngjiākǒu.

Zhaogongkou Long Distance Bus Station

Handles buses heading south and southeast. Destinations include Cangzhou 沧州 Cāngzhōu, 3.5hrs., ¥70, Jinan 5.5hrs., ¥114, Tanggu 塘沽 Tánggū, 2.5hrs., ¥45, Tianjin 1.5hrs., ¥35.

By bus

Most of the buses from the Long Distance Bus Stations will be regular or express buses, which take the expressways; cost from ¥200-600 per trip, have comfy seats, and most rides do not take more than 6-12 hours, but sleeper buses are also available.Sleeper buses, with bunk beds in rows, average about ¥100 per trip, but many go really slowly up hills, avoid expressways, stop at every city or town, provide "meals" which you have to pay extra for, take the potholed National roads to save money, and a bus ride can take up to 24 hours. The average speed is only 40 km/hr on the moderately fast sleeper buses, and the range could be from 25 to 60 km/hr. It may be a good authentic taste of how less wealthy Chinese people travel.

By bike

Long distance cyclist-tourists will find national road 109 is a pleasant way to enter or leave Beijing, though lots of work. It immediately enters steep hills on the edge of the city, but sees little traffic, is well maintained and passes though lovely landscape of farmland and forests. It's remarkable how close to Beijing you are, and how far it feels.

By train

See also: Trans-Siberian Railway

Beijing has many railway stations. Most trains arrive at the central, West, South or North stations.

Beijing Railway Station 北京站 Běijīng Zhàn. In the heart of the city, served by Subway Line 2. Destinations include: Changchun, Chengde, Dalian, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Jilin, Nanjing, Qiqihar, Shanghai, Shenyang, Suzhou, Tianjin, and Yangzhou. The trains for Mongolia Ulaanbaatar, Russia, and North Korea also leave from here.

Beijing West Railway Station 北京西站 Běijīng Xīzhàn. Presently the largest. Train destinations from Beijing West include: Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Datong, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Hefei, Hohhot, Hong Kong, Kunming, Lanzhou, Lhasa, Ningbo, Qinhuangdao, Sanya, Shenzhen, Taiyuan, Urumqi, Wuhan, Xi'an, and Xiamen. This station has no immediate connection to the metro system. See below for transport options leaving the station.

Public Buses. There is an immense amount of packed public buses that reach most destinations around downtown Beijing - however this can be difficult to navigate. These leave from several locations including directly out the front of the train station, east of the train station there is a largish bus station here and on the opposite side of Lianhuachi Donglu. If you are desperate to get on the public bus, there is a large sign indicating the routes close to the bus stops on the Beijing West Station side of Lianhuachu Donglu.

Taxi. There is an underground taxi rank, which usually has at least a ten minute queue. Taxis may however be the most expensive way to leave the station, especially if you have that tourist stench about you. Inevitably a tout will offer to take you out of the queue for an agreed price, but be aware that this will result in a significantly higher fare.

Subway. The Military Museum formally Junshibowuguan subway station Line 1 is around 15 minutes walk north from Beijing West Station. To reach it, cross to the north side of Lianhuachi Donglu there is a large overpass just near the entrance of the station after emerging from the main entrance to the station. Then walk west for about 5 minutes to Yangfandian Lu the street is well signposted. Walk north along here for 15 minutes flat, easy walk and turn right at Fuxing Lu well signposted. The Military Museum subway station is about 200m from the intersection, and it will cost ¥2 to get into central Beijing.

Beijing South Railway Station 北京南站 Běijīng Nánzhàn. The current and future destination for high-speed trains. presently offers 70 high-speed services every day to Tianjin, Tanggu, Jinan, Qingdao, and Shanghai, the last which can be reached in under 5 hours with new services starting 30 June 2011. Served by Line 4.

Beijing North Railway Station 北京北站 Běijīng Běizhàn. Small compared to the previous three, but you might end up here if you are coming in from Inner Mongolia. Destinations include Chifeng 赤峰 Chìfēng, Fuxin, Hailar 海拉尔 Hǎilāěr, Manzhouli, Hohhot, Longhua 隆化 Lōnghuà, Luanping 滦平 Luánpíng, Nankou 南口 Nánkǒu, Shacheng, Huailai 沙城 Shāchéng, via Badaling, Tongliao 通辽 Tōngliáo, and Zhangjiakou 张家口 Zhāngjiākǒu. It also offers tour train services to Yanqing and the Badaling Great Wall. Served by Lines 2, 4 and 13 via the adjacent Xizhimen station.

Beijing East Railway Station 北京东站 Běijīng Dōngzhàn. One daily service to Chengde only.

Huangcun Railway Station has just reopened. It is in southern Beijing on Beijing Subway Line 4. If having trouble getting tickets to one of the major Beijing stations, try getting a ticket to Huang Cun Railway Station instead. If taking a night train, you're a bit far, but the subway opens at 5:30 am.

By car

Since the Olympics in 2008, foreigners are allowed to rent vehicles while in China.

Beijing is the hub of several expressways heading in all directions. The following is a list of the expressways and their destinations:

Jichang (Airport) Expressway

Beijing (Sanyuanqiao - Siyuan - Beigao - Xiaotianzu - Beijing Capital International Airport).

Jingcheng

Beijing (Taiyanggong - Wanghe Bridge - Gaoliying - Huairou - Miyun - Gubeikou - Luanping 滦平 Luánpíng, in Hebei - Chengde).

Jingtong/Jingha

Beijing (Dawang Bridge - Sihui - Gaobeidian - Shuangqiao - Huicun - Tongzhou District).

Jingshen

Beijing (Sifang Bridge - Shiyuan Bridge - Huoxian County, Tongzhou - Xiji - Xianghe Hebei - Jixian County Tianjin - Jinwei - Tangshan Hebei - Beidaihe - Qinhuangdao - Shanhaiguan - Jinzhou Liaoning - Shenyang).

Jingjintang

Beijing (Fenzhongsi - Shibalidian - Dayangfang - Majuqiao - Caiyu - Langfang Hebei - Tianjin Yangcun - Central Tianjin - Tianjin Airport - Tanggu District/TEDA).

Jingkai

Beijing (Yuquanying - Daxing - Huangcun - Panggezhuang - Yufa - China National Highway 106)).

Jingshi

Beijing (Liuliqiao - Wanping - Liulihe - Shijiazhuang Hebei) {Also known as the 'Jingzhu Expressway' Beijing - Zhuhai}.

Badaling (Jingzhang) Expressway

Beijing - Badaling Expressway - Donghuayuan - Huailai - Xiahuayuan - Zhangjiakou.

11 China National Highways 国道 Guódào also link into Beijing:

G101 - Jingshen Road Beijing - Shenyang, Liaoning.

G102 - Jingha Road Beiling - Harbin, Heilongjiang.

G103 - JingJinTang Beijing - Tanggu, Tianjin.

G104 - Nanyuan Road Beijing - Fuzhou, Fujian.

G105 - Beijing - Zhuhai, Guangdong.

G106 - Beijing - Guangzhou, Guangdong.

G107 - Beijing - Shenzhen, Guangdong.

G108 - Jingyuan Road Beijing - Chengdu - Kunming, Yunnan.

G109 - Fushi Road Beijing - Datong - Yinchuan - Xining - Golmud - Lhasa, Tibet.

G110 - Beijing - Zhangjiakou - Hohhot - Baotou - Yinchuan, Ningxia.

G111 - Beijing - Jiagedaqi, Inner Mongolia.