Foreign visitors to Beijing can usually afford to take a taxi everywhere they want to go. The price ranges from 10 - 35 RMB for most destinations. Airport can set you back up to 140 RMB. Still, when you convert it back into local currency is still cheaper than most places in the world. The main problem is communication. Be prepared to have your destination written in Chinese characters to hand to the driver. English is almost non-existent and even place names all have their own unique Chinese name.

The subway in Beijing is rather limited at the moment with just 4 lines in operation. It costs 3 RMB to most destinations, with outlying suburbs costing 4 or 5 RMB, but this will change within the next few years. By 2008 there is likely to be 13 lines in Beijing covering the whole city and the airport. Right now, the subway is a great way to beat the growing Beijing traffic chaos.

This is for the real adventurous people out there. There are many different kinds of buses with prices starting at 1 RMB for a non-airconditioned crowded bus. 2 RMB might buy you some air conditioning and a few less people. Of course, the language is a major problem as there are virtually no buses with any English information. Our tips to the left might help you though.