| Taxis/Rickshaws tips and photos posted by real travelers and Beijing locals. • 1 Photos
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Taxi scammers will be on your case, as soon as you step out of the customs and you make your way out. The taxi people shouting for your attention are not honest drivers. The dishonest people you will identify in that they will approach you while you are walking somewhere and will tell you prices. The legal drivers do not tout for custom, so the best way to get an honest taxi driver is to go to the taxi queue at the airport.
A regular taxi drive to the city centre (around Tiananmen Square) should cost around CNY100. There is road toll costing CNY10, which you will be asked to pay too, and do insist on the toll receipt unless the driver gives it to you automatically.
To make the trip as smooth as possible, make sure you have the destination written in Chinese, and a phone number to call in case the driver does not know the place.
When arriving, follow the exit signs with taxis on them. There will be drivers trying to get your attention as soon as you get out of the customs, but just say no thanks and walk towards the exit and the taxi signs.
When you come out, cross the first street and (most likely) to your left you will see an area that has been poled off for queueing. Most likely you will not be the only one queueing for a taxi so stand in line. When you get closer to the end, there is large (at least was when I was there) sign on a pillar to your left with typical fare prices for going to various big hotels in Beijing.
There will be lots of taxis with proper taxi signs, and a guard in a uniform will show you to one. If he does not follow you all the way to the car, be sure to hold on to your baggage until you reach the car, where the driver will put your bagage in the trunk.
Also be sure to take the brochure the guard will give you. He writes down the taxi ID number on the brochure, and the brochure itself contains information about taking taxis in Beijing, as well as a phone number to call in case you get into trouble. Make sure you have your destination address in Chinese. The guard will probably ask to have a look and then instruct the driver. The driver may also want to have a look, but will give it back to you once he does not need it.
As long as you follow the official signs and official guards, you will be fine. I find legal taxi drivers are honest. The authorities have been clamping down hard on dishonesty, so a mere gesture of writing down the driver ID number visible in the front window, complete with the driver's photo and name, will get dishonest legal drivers getting back to the straight and narrow.
Good luck!
Bus transfer to the hotel, a personal pick-up...
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When entering a Beijing taxi and the ride starts, always ask the driver to turn on the meter. Otherwise you'll end up paying at least 30% higher price.
However, even if you do this, there can be unpleasant surprises. OK, this one is rare, but we encountered it.
Near the Summer Palace, we were approached by a driver who offered his services (which they usually don't do - they're constantly on the move). His car was black Volkswagen (not red, as most Beijing taxis) and had no stamp stating the price per kilometer (they always have one on a window). Nevertheless, he had a meter. The meter though was running in an accelerated rate; when we pointed this out, the driver pretended he didn't understand English (funny, he invited us in...). Anyway, we got out after a while.
ALWAYS make sure the taxi has a blue label with price on its side window (1.20 or 1.60 per kilometer) AND a functioning meter. Leave a Comment
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When you head for the airport exit, it is likely that you'll be approached by pushy taxi drivers or dispatchers offering a ride to the city for ridiculous prices (350 yuan + ). They never forget to show some dirty paper which says "Beijing Capital Taxis" or something of the kind.
Just skip them! There are shuttle buses to the city centre as cheap as 20 yuan (or less), and an official taxi will cost you about 70-100 RMB.
Bargain down the price. Quite possible. Just know that the target is 70-100.
But better continue to the exit.
Official taxis, or the shuttle service.
In the official taxis, don't forget to tell the driver to turn on the meter. Leave a Comment
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In the main touristic places, you may find some smart taxi drivers who will try to negotiate the ride before you come in the car.
If you are not tired of negotiating yet, take your chance... but know that you will be paying much more that the ride normally worths, even if you think you have gotten a "reasonable" price.
Try to lower down the price the more you can...
If you foresee the "trap" coming, leave the taxi and go somewhere else and try to take a regular taxi (with meter!). Leave a Comment
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Taxis that do not have a sticker in the back window saying:
1.20 or 1.60 or 2.00
are NOT legitimate taxis. However, if you have an idea of how much it costs to get somewhere, negotiate with the driver BEFORE you get in the taxi. We negotiated with a non-regulated taxi driver and he took us back to our hotel from Summer Palace for LESS than what we paid to get there in a legitimate taxi. Leave a Comment
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When you arrive at Beijing Capital Airport, ignore the touts who might offer you a ride into the city in their private car. They charge a ridiculous amount, about 300yuan for a normally 80yuan taxi ride. Get a cab from the queue.
Also, on your way out of Beijing, there are people at the departure area who pose as porters and who without your asking will grab your bag from the taxi driver and load them into their carts. The authorized porters wear uniforms, you pay 10yuan at the collectors counter, not to the porter, and they issue a receipt.
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When taking a taxi in Beijig, make sure the driver puts on the meter as this will always be cheaper. If he wants you to agree a price with kindly tell him "qing kai dabiao". This means please start the meter. If the driver is insistent on negotiating a price (which does not happen so much in Beijing) then simply walk out and take another taxi. Usually the only drivers who try this kind of trick are those parked in front of touristy places, and even then they usualluy will not try this if you speak Chinese to them. Also make sure to ask them a receipt to make sure they do not try and cheat you on how much you should pay.
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When you go to the airport by taxi, we have to go through the airport toll (10 RMB) and it is the passenger who has to pay for it. So, the taxi driver would just pay and then add 10 RMB to the taxi charge.
BUT some dishonest taxi drivers would ask 20 RMB saying that they have to go back downtown. Argue with them !!! They should only get 10 RMB !!! Leave a Comment
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If a taxi driver offers you a fixed fee to drive you from a tourist site such as the Summer Palace avoid them at all costs.
If you decline their fixed fee they will say they will use their meter but in fact their meters have been tampered with so it actually costs a lot more than even their fixed fee. I paid about 60 yuan to go to the Summer Palace. Was offered 100 yuan to take me back. I thought it should cost about 80 yuan because it was peak hour traffic time. The meter read 236 yuan!!!!!!!
Avoid the tricksters at all costs. Find a taxi not touting for business.
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We arrived at the central train station and knew our hotel was not far away. We asked the taxi driver how much to hotel: his response 200 Yuan.
No-one else wanted to take us to hotel so we caught the subway and then walked in 3 degrees temperature but it only cost us 6 Yuan.
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