Kunming Transportation

There are plenty of taxis in Kunming (about 6000 or 6700 to be exact, the extra 700 licences were issued after the 1999 expo). They are usually 10 year-old cars with real worn out seats. Sometimes the seat cover is a towel. Other times you think your butts are touching the road. But they are available anywhere. You can flag one down easily. Fare starts from RMB8, or RMB7 for smaller cars which will be phased out by the end of 2004 I think.

There is a 20% surcharge after 10pm. Fare starts from RMB9.60 , and the unit rate after that has already included the surcharge. Hence you pay according to the fare displayed on the meter.

Kunming international airport is in the south east of Kunming city. Takes about 30-45 minutes to get to the city centre, depending on the traffic condition (yes, there are enough cars to cause a traffic jam).

Taking a taxi into the city is very easy. The taxis wait right outside the airport, and they run on meter. Flag fare RMB 7. It costs about RMB 25 to RMB 30 to a CBD location, say the Green Lake. No taxi ticket/pass whatever. You pay cash to the driver upon arrival on your destination. No surcharge on luggage etc except for a 20% midnight surcharge after 10pm, which is already built into the meter reading. So you still pay what the meter says.

The nearest flight to Kunming from Malaysia is via Bangkok. It is a mere 2-odd hours flight from Bangkok.

The airport is small - nothing much to offer, but what amused me most to see when the plane landed to see several rows of planes dressed in weather proofed covering....

Bus rides cost RMB 1 per trip to anywhere within the city. A real bargain.

Taxis start at RMB 7 upon boarding. A ride around the city cost between RMB 7 - RM 12.

Kunming boasts the cheapest airport taxi ride. Another bargain at RMB 20 - RMB 30 per trip. Remember to bargain.

Nothing really special about the airport in Kunming but I thought the miniature model town was interesting. And yes, that is the lighting at the airport...must be some sort of energy saving fixtures.

One positive, the airport is very close to downtown Kunming.

In my Lijiang transport tips, I mentioned there is a luxury bus service that operates out of Kunming.

YNTAC (I don't know what that stands for) operates Volvo buses equipped with airconditioning, and a television with DVD/VCD. Here are the cities served and prices as of July 2003:

Dali 103 yuan
Lijiang 151
Gejiu 60
Kaiyuan 50
Chuxiong 30
Yuxi 21
Qujing 35
Xuanwei 50

Of course these prices are higher than regular buses, but it is up to you to decide if the extra price is worth it. I took the bus to Lijiang and was very satisfied with the experience and got a free lunch at a nice hotel along the ride in Dali. So if you don't mind spending the extra money, it is a good way to travel in comfort.

The "Tourism Service" desk at the arrival level of Kunming Airport is worth visiting to experience how poor customer service can get in this day and age.
One particular woman (always at the central desk, not the one by the elevators) is outstandingly rude, arrogant and unhelpful.
Whether you speak Chinese or not, she will bark "Mei You Yingwen" at you, because she simply doesn't listen and assumes you are speaking English.
Try taking some of the hotel brochures from her. She will reach over and snatch them back. She refuses to let you look at the map. She is an absolute disgrace. I have passed through Kunming Airport five times in the last month and she has been outstandingly unhelpful on three of those occasions. I try to see the best side of everyone, but this woman has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

There are plenty of ticketing agents in Kunming, ready to sell you train tickets for a commission.

You may find that, upon enquiry, that the ticketing agent tells you a train schedule which the Kunming Train Station itself does not have. This is the typical "chartered train" ie some big travel groups charter the entire train, and let the agents sell the leftover seats.
This type of coach does not have "soft sleeper".

The "public seat" tickets sold by Kunming Train Station are released for sale now (Dec) until 3 days before departure time. You can buy these from both the ticketing agents as well as at the train station itself.