Taxis are newcomer's first point of contact in Beijing. At the time of writing, there are some 70,000 cabs on the city roads, enough for casual hour services. If you have done your homework, it is a breeze to navigating the city by taxi. Most of the drivers in Beijing can deal with the basics in English, but you should always carry paper identification for your hotel in Chinese. That would be most helpful for the drivers to get you back safely. You may also learn to pronounce the name of your hotel and your destinations from the hotel staff. Make sound recording on these information when necessary.
Beijing Taxi Fare
| Current fares for daytime operation (5:00-22:59) | |||
| Distance (1 km=0.62 miles) | 1-3 km | 3-15 km | Above 15 km |
| Fares (CNY) | 10 | Add 2 per kilometer | Add 3 per kilometer |
| Current fares for night operation (23:00-4:59) A 30 percent night surcharge applies from 23:00 to 4:59 |
|||
| Distance (1 km=0.62 miles) | 1-3 km | 3-15 km | Above 15 km |
| Fares (CNY) | 11 | Add 2.4 per kilometer | Add 3.1 per kilometer |
Note:
1. Every 5 minutes will be charged as one km in slow traffic.
2. Every 5 minutes will be charged as one km while standing.
3. Sharing a taxi ride results in each additional passenger getting charged 60% of the total fare
4. A fuel surcharge of CNY3 will apply on a trip over three km.
5. Reservation charges of CNY3 will apply on advance booking.
6. Taxi fares should be negotiated for suburban destinations, where taxis´ meters habitually are absent or not running, before passengers get onboard. The passenger will also foot the bill for road tolls.
7. It averages CNY100-200 from different parts of Beijing Capital International Airport to downtown Beijing such as Tiananmen Square or Wangfujing Avenue. The cost from Beijing city proper to Badaling Great Wall is around CNY200 if the taxi is metered; add on any toll fee and slow-drive.
8. Most travelers would charter a taxi for a day trip to the attractions in the suburban areas such as the Great Wall and Ming Tombs, and the costs differs a lot based on the distance to different sections of the Great Wall from the city center. Normally, it is approximately CNY500 to Badaling, CNY600 to Mutianyu and Huanghuacheng, and CNY700 to Simatai.
9. Remember to ask for the receipt when getting off a cab, for it bears the contact information of the cab which is useful to tracing loss and found.
How to hail a taxi in Beijing?
First, you have to identify whether it is legit, since on non-regulated taxis can prove most costly. The legal cabs display a taxi sign on top and the fare on the rear left or right window. The taxi license plates prefix with "Beijing B" and their taxi light are always on at night. Second, a cab can take you anywhere you want, but they can’t cruise in the city. So always hail a cab at a taxi stand or on side streets. If you know the right direction, you save both time and money by avoiding a U turn on a cab when you first get on it.
