Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Taxis are much more expensive but will probably still feel relatively cheap compared
to back home. The minimum you'll pay to get in a cab is RMB10. A typical fare within
the inner city is RMB20-30, and to get from the inner city to the airport will cost around
RMB70-100, including road tolls. There are plenty of black taxis around town, which will
do their best to try to extort you. Expect them to push an RMB20 fare up to RMB60-80
when it's raining.
Driving costs add up and really depend on your usage. Gas is about RMB8 per liter, and
annual fixed expenses, such as registration and compulsory insurance, are RMB8,000. An
English-speaking driver is likely to cost RMB4,000-5,000, excluding gas and tolls. Parking
is fairly cheap by the hour if you're just at a shopping mall or restaurant, and may only cost
RMB10 after a few hours. Where it will build up is for long-term or residential parking.
If you plan to travel around the country, trains are a little cheaper than flying, but some-
times the discount doesn't seem enough to warrant the extra time it takes. A return trip to
Xi'an from Beijing (about 11 hours each way), will cost about RMB850 in a soft sleeper,
while a round-trip economy flight (2 hours) can cost RMB1,000-2,500.
Your annual round-trip flights home will likely be much more expensive and may cost in
the vicinity of RMB6,000-11,000, the latter price especially at Christmastime. Shop around
for prices. Individual airline sites are usually, but not always, the most expensive option.
Local online travel agencies
www.ctrip.com
and
www.elong.com
are English-friendly and
often offer heavily discounted prices that the airlines themselves can't match.
Of course, this is going to vary greatly depending on your tastes and lifestyle. There are
plenty of national parks on the outskirts of town, which cost next to nothing to go for a
hike in, and then there are horrendously expensive gyms that cost more than four times a
local teacher's monthly salary. The city is scattered with amusement parks, KTV venues,
museums, ice skating rinks, gyms, and scenic spots, so there are plenty of options. Giving
just a very rough stab at prices, you're looking at spending roughly RMB100 to get into any
major venue these days. At the start of 2013, for example, Beijing's answer to Disneyland,
Happy Valley, was RMB100 for kids and RMB160 for adults, and Beijing's most popular
ski resort, Nanshan, started at RMB120, which covered skis, chairlifts, and two hours of
skiing.
The key to cutting costs with entertainment is discovering the discount systems.
Groupon-like group-buying sites are extremely popular and can offer huge discounts on en-
tertainment, including fine dining, drinking, travel (and almost anything else you want to
