Your four options
| Option | Cost | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro / airport rail | Cheapest (¥5–30) | Fast in traffic | Light luggage, daytime |
| Airport bus | Cheap (¥15–30) | Slower | Cheap, direct to key stops |
| Taxi (official rank) | ¥80–250 | Fast | Luggage, late arrival |
| Ride-hailing (DiDi) | Similar to taxi | Fast | If you have data + the app |
Never accept an unsolicited “taxi” from someone approaching you inside the terminal — use the official taxi rank or a licensed app.
Step by step
- Get data (eSIM on, or buy a SIM) and test it.
- Follow signs to Metro / Taxi / Bus — they’re in English at major airports.
- Metro: buy a ticket at a machine (English option) or use Alipay.
- Taxi: queue at the official rank; the driver should use the meter.
- Ride-hailing: set the pickup point shown in the app, not “the terminal”.
Show the driver
Keep this on your phone:
请送我到这个地址：[hotel name + address in Chinese]
- Have the hotel address in Chinese ready (screenshot).
- Ask the hotel for a card with the address at check-in — useful all trip.
Major cities at a glance
| City | Airport | Into town |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing | Capital / Daxing | Airport Express (~¥25) / Daxing Express |
| Shanghai | Pudong / Hongqiao | Maglev + Metro / Metro Line 2 |
| Guangzhou | Baiyun | Metro Line 3 |
| Chengdu | Tianfu / Shuangliu | Metro Line 18 / Line 10 |
| Xi’an | Xianyang | Airport bus or Metro Line 14 |
| Guilin | Liangjiang | Airport bus (~¥20) |
Confirm the current line/route and last-train time in your map app on arrival.
Classic arrival mistakes
- No data on landing → can’t map or pay. Fix this before you fly.
- Unofficial taxi → overcharging. Use the rank or DiDi.
- No Chinese address → the driver can’t find the hotel. Screenshot it.
- Cash-only assumption → many counters prefer QR; have Alipay ready.
- Late arrival → check the last metro/bus time; take a taxi if needed.