Ways to move around even when you cannot say the destination out loud.
You can hail a taxi on the street in China, but using a ride-hailing app is far safer: you set the destination on a map and the app handles the fare and the payment, which removes most of the language problem and much of the room for dispute.
Getting a taxi in a Chinese city is not hard. The problems are communicating the destination and agreeing the fare. Drivers often speak no English, so explaining an address means reaching for a translation app.
With a ride-hailing app you drop a pin on the map, the fare is calculated in the app, and payment happens there too. You never reach for cash or a card, so there is less to argue about.
If an app is not an option, street hailing works. Follow this order.
The most reliable trick is having the destination written out in Chinese. Ask your hotel reception to write the property name and address in Chinese, and it will serve you all day.
A hotel card with the name, address and phone number is especially handy: if the driver cannot find the place, they can call the hotel directly.
Do not follow drivers who approach you at airport or station exits. Queue at the official taxi rank or use an app instead.
If a driver refuses the meter and wants to negotiate, get out and take another car. If someone insists on cash only, ask for a receipt.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Driver soliciting at the exit | Use the official rank instead |
| Meter refused | Take another car |
| Cash only demanded | Ask for a receipt |
For late-night or suburban journeys, an app is safer: the vehicle number and the route are recorded in the app.
For long trips the fare grows, so check the estimate in the app before requesting. Airport runs in particular are worth checking in advance.
Airport locations and traffic vary city to city, and on a tight itinerary city transfers are the biggest variable. An operator running its own vehicles in China, such as JoyoTour, links airport, station and hotel with a private car.
JoyoTour offers pickup in whichever Chinese city you arrive, with a dedicated guide alongside. The tighter the schedule, the more a private car is worth.
Updated: 2026-10-09 · Getting around
DiDi is effectively the standard ride-hailing service in China. Setting up one app covers most cities.
It varies by vehicle. With an app the payment is handled in the app, which sidesteps the card problem.
Showing the destination written in Chinese is the most reliable. A hotel card lets the driver call the hotel for directions.
Use the official taxi rank or an app. Do not follow drivers soliciting at the exit.
Foreigners can book and board domestic flights in China using their passport. Enter the name and number exactly as they appear in the passport, and present the passport original at the airport as your ID. Baggage allowances vary by airline and fare class, so the reliable move is to check the conditions of the specific flight you booked.
Read the answerChina does not have a tipping culture in the sense most travellers know. Tipping in restaurants and taxis is not the norm and no service charge is added to the bill. Thanking your guide and driver is entirely up to you and never required, and costs not included in your quote should not be asked for at all.
Read the answerThe right measure is not how many cities you list but how much time transfers eat. Distances in China are long, and every extra city costs roughly half a day of travel. For a first visit, two cities in 7 to 9 days is a reasonable start; focusing deeply on one region works in 5 to 7 days.
Read the answerAim to start at least two to three months ahead. The usual order is to fix flights first, then build hotels and intercity travel around those dates. Chinese public holidays compress availability sharply, so either avoid those windows or start much earlier.
Read the answerAlways re-check the latest conditions on the official sites before you travel.
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