MODES OF TRANSPORTATION IN BEIJING

One thing that caught my attention while touring around Beijing was it various modes of transportation and other vehicles on the road.

Getting around the city is not rather a big problem. You can choose from a cab to a city bus and even subways. Compared to taxi fare in Shanghai, the flag down rate in Beijing is 5 RMB only. 

In fact, before wandering around the place, you have to know the bus number before getting on it. Certain buses go to particular destinations. The fare of the city buses start from 1.5 RMB according to the distance of your route. When we were there, we just used the reloadable Beijing Smart Card. It was convenient and less hassle especially we had to transfer from one bus to another. 

a double-decker bus going to a bus terminal for Badaling Great Wall

Some pedestrian tunnels are built going and transferring to different subway stations. Others are connected by escalators for a faster access to other subway lines. 

Touring around China is very convenient and easy. You just have to have the complete information of its major railway train terminals and other modes of transportation. At times, trains are unavailable due to unexpected circumstances; however, you can choose via air or by bus. Some people rent a taxi cab coming from some areas of the country all the way here in Beijing, but of course it would be a lot expensive.

Changchun Railway Station

The fare varies according to what type of train you will take. We took Z Train, a direct express train from Changchun, Jilin Province to Beijing. It directly ran to our destination with a few stops somewhere else. The train has major sections: seats and sleeper. The seats are soft but you cannot lie and rest for a distant destination, so we chose sleeper. Sleeper is air-conditioned and more comfortable than seats. The mattress was firm, the bed sheet and the blanket were clean and fresh from the laundry, and the pillows were soft and free of stain. We were able to sleep and never felt the jerk while the train was going all the way to Beijing.

The sleeper type has 3 levels and at that time, I was at the middle while my travel buddy was on the highest deck. It was kinda hard for me to climb up the ladder because the 6 steps or rungs were to narrow. There was no room for you to fully-bend your knees when going up and down your bed, and it would be the worst if you are on the third level.

Tip: If you think you cannot climb the ladder, you can request from the ticket personnel to put you on the lowest deck.

I never brought too much so I only had a backpack with me. There was no designated space for luggage in this section of the train, so I just put it just right beside me while sleeping. If you think you have some valuables in your bag like wallet, some gadgets, and ticket, better put them near you instead of putting them under the first deck making them out of your sight. You may end up losing everything or leaving you nothing when you wake in the morning.

Approximately 9 hours from Changchun to Beijing

Beijing Railway Station