Harbin Transportation

Don't accept the 200 or so yuan prices the taxi drivers offer you at first. No matter what they offer, the going rate from the airport to the city center is about 120. Now, there is a toll booth enroute to the airport/city, at which you must pay an additional 20 yuan. Sometimes the taxi drivers are willing to take the rate of 120 and pay the 20 out of that. We had a private driver who offered us his serivces inside the airport and with whom we agreed on the price of 120, then, before we got to the toll booth, he asked us for the additional 20. We said no, and he pulled over and we switched to a taxi.

If you agree on a price, pay that and only that. If they don't think to mention that extra 20 yuan, that's their fault. Hand them 20 yuan if they refuse to go any farther, but subtract that from what you agreed on when you pay the final fare. It leads them on a bit, but they weren't straight and honest with you, either.

We also had a taxi driver, who took us to the airport, demand 20 yuan to pay the toll for him to drive out of the airport... double dipping. We told him no. We pay him to get us there. After we depart company, he's on his own. If he waited around for a little while, he could get another fare... Anyway, you must be firm.

I've begun to take the mindset that these guys aren't very honest. Usually they aren't bad, but sometimes... and for those, you have to be willing to fight them (by only paying what you agreed on (heck, or with fists if they refuse to give you your bags, for example...)) so you don't get cheated.

If you agree on a price, pay the price and only the price you agreed on. If you use the meter, it might be best to pay the toll as well.

If people start to pay the 200 yuan, that will become the going rate. So go with the 100-120 yuan price that I'm quoting and the Lonely Planet quotes also. There is also a bus that costs only 20 yuan and can take you to certain stops in town.

From our place to the airport cost 105 yuan by the meter. We live south of town.

Just be firm.

At various street corners around the city, at some bus stops and driving around you will see many motorcycles. Often these are available for hire, with driver. I don't know the pricing, and by the way these guys seem to drive, it might not be worth it, but if you need a quick way around, and don't mind taking risks, this might be for you.
It may not be the safest way of getting around, and there is no room for luggage or much room for a backpack, but it may be a good way to go, and give you even more of a local experience.

I'll get an image soon.

At various street corners around the city, at some bus stops and driving around you will see many motorcycles. Often these are available for hire, with driver. I don't know the pricing, and by the way these guys seem to drive, it might not be worth it, but if you need a quick way around, and don't mind taking risks, this might be for you.

Visited Oct 2007,
TAXI is the best mean for transportation. However be careful about cheating. Many drivers tend to cheat by offering so called discount prices, and not turning on the meter.
Also, the meter are likely already adjusted to bill you astonishing price. e.g., from airport to Shangri-La usually cost 120 RMB, but I was billed 265 RMB by meter!!

Only way to defend is to call the hotel to ask about the how much is the fair price, and ask the driver to put you right in front of the hotel entrance, if they cheat, the hotel guy can help you.

Many drivers will find whatever excuse to put you some 100 meters away and let you walk with luggages.

Be careful, this is a region where business ethics are none existing.

Taxis are plentiful and useful. They are fairly cheap and they will get you to where you need to go as quickly as they can. They don't speak English, but show them the address (in Chinese) of the place you need to go and they'll get you there.

From the airport to the city center, 100 Yuan... no more. Use the meter.

If I find the taxi driver that took us... from the airport...

Local bus routes are both convenient and timely. While on occasion we have to wait a while for a bus, they are somewhat regular and, at least for most routes, there seem to be plenty of buses. Many of the maps I've seen have routes and route termini on them for the various lines. As soon as I can find detailed route information, I will post it.

Be prepared to politely yet firmly push and shove your way onto and off of the bus. They are often crowded, especially during peak times.

It is polite to offer your seat to an older person, though not everyone does. This is nice to do as many of the bus drivers either missed the physics class or don't think inertia applies to their bus and thus ignore the importance of braking early to avoid jamming on the brakes at the last second, throwing everyone forward.

Or maybe the brakes are just bad and they have to do what they have to do... regardless, hold on tight.

But they are generally good drivers and you should get where you need to go without issue.

Maybe in the high tourist season, if Harbin has one, there are pickpockets on the buses. I haven't seen any yet, and don't think that it is too common because of a lack of tourists on buses.

Case 1: We're all native Chinese speakers and look Chinese though not local. Taxi from the airport to Zhongyang Dajie should only be 110-120 RMB, plus 20 RMB highway toll paid by passengers. Either bargain beforehand (100-120 RMB excluding toll) or go by the meter. However, our meter showed an amazing 170 RMB when we arrived plus 20 RMB toll thus 190 RMB total. I told them to take all our baggage and get out, then politely asked if we could have a discount. He asked for 150 RMB total and I offered 140 RMB (fair enough). Some reluctance but he took it anyway.

Case 2: This was much uglier. Our hotel helped arrange for a taxi to the Unit 731 Base in Pingfang district, quite a distance from town. I've been there before and know it's potentially difficult getting back. The agreed price was 90 RMB for return, perhaps more than usual but acceptable to us. No mention of any limit on waiting time. When we got back after sightseeing, I saw that the meter was running but didn't ask about it, although on hindsight I definitely should've; since we'd already agreed on a price it shouldn't be running at all. We then chose to go directly to Snow Expo on Sun Island via a detour at Zhongyang Dajie instead of going back to the hotel. Upon arrival, he demanded that we pay 170 RMB in all, 80 RMB over our agreed price. We refused and offered a max of 100 RMB. I called the hotel to ask for assistance but to no avail. Finally I had enough of the whole drivel and told my friends to leave paying the driver nothing, as I'd just promised. (We were 3 girls and 1 guy.) Just before we got to the main gate, he ran up, grabbed my male friend and was going to assault him had I not stepped in and made a scene. We finally paid 160 RMB and took down his licence number, name and company name. Some might say that I was wrong to refuse to pay, but the fare was substantially higher and unacceptable. Even if we added the extra fare from Zhongyang Dajie to the Snow Expo on Sun Island (AFAIK only about 20 RMB), there's no reason for it to cost that much.

Horse carriage ride from Sun Island back to the other bank of Songhua River cost 10 RMB/carriage after bargaining. However I somehow foolishly gave the woman collecting money 2x 10 RMB notes, thought it was strange once I turned around (not 5 seconds later) and she refused to admit that she collected extra money from me at all, despite the fact that all my other 3 friends saw that I'd given her 1 extra 10 RMB note. This isn't the 1st time that I've had trouble with horse carriages -- drivers saying that they'll drive you to Sun Island and then dropping you in the middle of the river for you to walk across the path across the river! Buyer beware!