Getting around China: trains, buses, driving and domestic flights

Match the mode to the distance. Rail wins the middle of the country; planes win the edges; metros and DiDi cover the last few kilometres.

China's high-speed network runs about 45,000 km, and for most trips it beats flying once you count the airport transfer and the two-hour security buffer. Beijing–Shanghai takes 4 h 20 – 6 h depending on the service, at ¥550–680 in second class. Beijing–Xi'an, Shanghai–Hangzhou and Guangzhou–Shenzhen are all short enough to do as a day trip.

Tickets are real-name. Book with the exact passport you will carry, because the gate reads the document, not the name on a printout. Sales usually open about 15 days ahead, and seats on the first days of Spring Festival and the October holiday can go in minutes. Book as soon as your dates are fixed for those weeks.

Big cities have several stations, and the wrong one costs an hour: Beijing has Beijing South, Beijing West and Beijingbei among others, and Shanghai splits between Hongqiao and Shanghai Station. Check the station code on the ticket before you leave the hotel. At the station, allow 30–45 minutes for security and the walk to the platform.

Fly when the rail line does not go where you are going, or when the distance is too long for a day: Beijing–Chengdu or Beijing–Guilin runs 2–3 hours, and Urumqi or Lhasa about 4 hours. One-way fares sit around ¥500–1,500, and booking a few weeks out usually beats booking on the day. Afternoon departures are the ones most likely to slip because of air-traffic control, so take a morning flight if the day matters.

Overnight trains (Z, T and K services) are the other way to cover long legs and save a hotel night — Beijing–Xi'an and Kunming–Lijiang are the classic examples. A soft sleeper berth costs roughly ¥150–600. Book soft sleeper rather than hard seat if you want to sleep; hard-seat carriages are crowded and lit all night.

About 50 Chinese cities have metros, with English signs and announcements, and fares of ¥2–10 a ride. Trains run roughly 05:30 to 23:00, so plan a taxi or DiDi after that. Every station entrance has a security scan for bags, which adds a couple of minutes at busy hours.

Pay with the transit QR inside Alipay or WeChat Pay rather than buying a single ticket each time. Taxis are cheap — Beijing's flag fall is ¥13 and most city rides land at ¥20–60 — and DiDi, including the version inside Alipay, accepts foreign cards and translates messages between you and the driver. At airports, walk past the touts in the arrivals hall and use the official rank or the app.

Long-distance buses fill the gaps the rail network leaves, especially in mountain areas and smaller towns, at roughly ¥50–200 for a regional leg. In the west, buses pass police checkpoints, so keep your passport within reach rather than in a bag in the hold.

Do not plan on driving yourself. Foreign and international driving licences are not valid in China, and a rental car is not a realistic option for a visitor. Where you need a car — a day of scattered sights, a rural guesthouse — hire a car with a driver through your hotel or a tour operator. Temporary driving permits are possible at some airports but involve a Chinese-language test; treat that as a project, not a holiday plan.

Book rail and flights around the Spring Festival and the first week of October, when the whole country travels and seats disappear. Many museums and palaces close on Mondays, which changes which day you want to be in which city. Keep your passport on you at all times: it is your ticket, your hotel check-in and your ID at checkpoints.

Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and a working eSIM or VPN before you fly. None of them can be fixed at the airport, and without a payment app the metro QR, DiDi and most ticket machines are closed to you.