Getting around China is easy — once you know how.

01The four ways to move

For a typical visitor, almost every journey in China falls into one of four modes — and you rarely need to drive yourself. The headline is that high-speed rail plus DiDi covers 95% of what you'll do, with metros for getting around within a city and the occasional flight for the longest hops.

Notice what's missing: self-driving. Foreign and international driving licences aren't valid in China, and the cities are dense and unforgiving to drive. Between the rail network and DiDi, you simply won't need a car — see can foreigners drive in China? for the full picture (and cycle touring, which is a different story).

02China's high-speed rail

China's high-speed rail (HSR) network is the largest on earth — over 45,000 km of track linking more than 550 cities — and it is the backbone of any multi-city trip. Trains run at up to 350 km/h, are punctual and spotless, and beat flying once you count airport time: Beijing to Shanghai is about 4.5 hours city-centre to city-centre. For visitors it is the single best way to travel China.

You'll see train numbers prefixed by a letter. The letter tells you the class:

• G trains — the fastest (up to 350 km/h). The ones you'll use most.
• D trains — high-speed but slightly slower (up to 250 km/h).
• C trains — short-distance intercity high-speed.
• K / T / Z trains — older, slower conventional trains, often overnight with sleepers. Much cheaper, much slower.

Seat classes on a G-train are Second Class (perfectly comfortable, what most travellers book), First Class (wider, 2+2 seating), and Business Class (lie-flat, premium). Second Class is excellent value.

Fares are fixed by distance and class — there's no surge pricing — so the only reason to book early is that popular routes sell out, not to save money. Plan your route alongside our China itinerary planner.

03Booking tickets: 12306 vs Trip.com

There are two sensible ways for a foreigner to book high-speed rail. Both let you use your passport as your ticket; they trade a small fee for a smoother experience.

12306 is China Railway's official app and website. It has a working English mode and charges no booking fee, so it's the cheapest route. The catch is that foreign-card payments can be temperamental and the registration step (verifying your passport) occasionally needs patience.

Trip.com charges a small fee per ticket but the English interface is excellent, foreign cards work reliably, and customer support is in English. For most visitors the few yuan is worth it. Check train times and fares on Trip.com (English interface, foreign cards accepted). For the full walkthrough, see how to book China train tickets.

04At the station

Chinese rail stations are large and airport-like. The flow is consistent, and once you've done it once it's effortless:

• Security first. Bags go through a scanner at the entrance; you show your passport. Allow time at big-city stations during peak hours.
• Find your waiting hall. Departure boards (with English) list your train number and gate. Gates open a few minutes before departure and close strictly on time.
• Tap to enter. At the platform gate, tap your passport at the orange automated readers. If a gate rejects it, use the staffed lane beside it — staff scan it manually.
• Coach & seat are on your booking. Platform signs show where each coach stops, so you can stand in the right spot before the train arrives.

05City metros & tap to ride

Every major Chinese city has a clean, cheap, English-signed metro, and it's almost always the fastest way across town. Paying has become dramatically easier for foreigners:

• Tap to ride. Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and a growing list of cities now let you tap a foreign contactless Visa or Mastercard straight on the gate — no app, no ticket. Guangzhou added this in late 2025.
• Alipay metro QR. Open the metro mini-program inside Alipay, show the QR at the gate. Works nationwide once your card is linked.
• Single-journey tickets. Vending machines (with English) sell a token or card for one trip if you prefer cash-free simplicity.

Fares are typically ¥3–¥10 a ride depending on distance. Set up Alipay before you fly and you'll never queue at a machine.

06DiDi & taxis

For door-to-door trips, DiDi — China's equivalent of Uber — is the easiest option for visitors, and it solves the language barrier completely because you enter your destination on a map.

• English interface. The DiDi app has a full English mode. You can also hail a DiDi inside Alipay or WeChat as a mini-program, with no separate download — see how to use DiDi in English.
• Foreign cards work. Link a foreign card in the app or pay through Alipay. No cash, no haggling, no being overcharged.
• Cheaper than street taxis and with a record of the route — useful if there's ever a dispute.
• Need a driver for the whole day? For airport runs with luggage or a day of sightseeing with stops, a pre-booked chartered car can be easier than hailing — book a chartered car on Klook (English, foreign cards).

07Maps & navigation: use Amap, not Google

Google Maps does not work in mainland China — and not just because it's blocked. Even over a VPN, your blue dot lands 50–500 m off the real street, because China requires a shifted coordinate system (GCJ-02) that Google's position marker doesn't correct for. The roads are also years out of date. The local app everyone actually uses is Amap (高德地图, also branded AMap), and as of 2025 it has a proper English version aimed at exactly your situation.

• English mode. Amap launched China's first English-language map app in early 2025 ("AMap Global"). Menus, search and POI names work in English for airports, stations and major attractions. Set it in Settings → Language. Street names sometimes stay in Chinese, but search and navigation work.
• No Chinese number needed. Basic maps, directions and search all work in guest mode without signing up. iPhone users can sign in with their Apple ID; on Android you can skip login entirely.
• It does far more than directions. Real-time bus arrivals, full metro maps with platform-crowding and transfer guides, walk/drive/transit routing, traffic-light countdowns, indoor maps for big stations and malls, and built-in ride-hailing that compares DiDi and local taxis with price estimates. It also surfaces nearby restaurants and attractions with ratings.
• Pair it with a backup. For the deepest restaurant reviews, locals use Dianping (大众点评); Baidu Maps is a good second map app when Amap can't find an obscure POI. On iPhone, Apple Maps in China actually runs on Amap's data, so it's accurate too.
• Every city page has a shortcut. Our city guides include an "Open in Amap" button that drops a pin on the city in the app — no typing Chinese required.

08Flights & long distance

For the longest hops — say Chengdu to Shanghai, or reaching the far west and south — domestic flights still win on time. Book them the same way you'd book anywhere: Trip.com lists domestic flights in English with foreign-card checkout.

A rule of thumb: under ~5 hours by train, take the train (city-centre to city-centre, no security marathon); beyond that, compare with a flight. For overnight long hauls on a budget, the older sleeper trains (Z/T/K) are a cheap, characterful option.

09Frequently asked questions

Affiliate disclosure — the Trip.com and Klook links on this page may earn us a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes the transport facts or guidance above. Read the full policy.