RSSOverland buses are the most important means of transport in many parts of China, especially where there is no railway line. By 1999, over 1.352 million km highway has been put into use. The overall length of expressways has reached 9,083 km. Now, all counties, towns and townships are easily accessible by road.
Bus is the cheapest means of transport, but also is correspondingly slow. Long distance buses can be divided into soft-seat and soft-sleeper buses. Some are equipped with TV, air conditioning and a toilet. Compared with the train, travel by bus is more flexible as there are regular breaks during the journeys.
Seats on the bus are numbered, so it is advisable to book a ticket and seat well in advance. The booking could be made through the travel agencies and hotels.
City Buses: All China's major cities have good transport networks. As well as public buses, there are the tour buses, mini buses, and taxis.
Buses in Chinese towns are always crowded. The fare depends on distance, and is payable to the conductor.
A taxi is often the most convenient means of travel in the city. They are available at airports, railway stations and hotels and can be flagged down in urban areas. The total fare depends on the starting meter price, which can range from 5 to 12 yuan, and the distance. Extra fees are charged for waiting and low speed driving during traffic jams. If you take a taxi after 23:00 pm, a 20 percent surcharge applies over and above the basic fare.
The minibus is a compromise between the relatively expensive taxis and crowded public transport. Charges are a little more than on the bus, about 2 yuan or more depending on distance, but it is very convenient for it can stop at any point you want along the route.
Tour buses are managed by travel agencies, hotels and airports and are provided for short tours. They are normally equipped with air conditioning and TV. A tour guide is usually present on such buses.
Trains: The rail network forms the backbone of the Chinese transport system and serves most of cities. Visitors can explore much of China by train and many find it an efficient and inexpensive means of travel. The cost is around 25 percent less than comparable air services.
In China, the accommodation on the trains is divided into four categories, namely, soft-sleeper, soft-seat, hard-sleeper and hard-seat.
Hard Seats: Contrary to what the name implies, the seats are upholstered. These are the less expensive seats. These seats tend to be crowded and are not always very clean.
Soft Seats: These seats cost rather more but are very comfortable, with plenty of leg room. The carriages are less crowded than the hard-seat carriages.
Hard Sleeper: The hard-sleeper carriage is made up of door-less compartments. Each one contains six beds in three tiers. Sheets, pillows and blankets are provided and it somewhat resembles a budget hotel. Comparing with the soft-sleeper, hard-sleeper is less comfortable and accordingly, the price is lower than that of the soft-sleeper. Competition for hard-sleepers has become keen in recent years, so if you get one, you are very lucky.
Soft-sleeper: The soft-sleeper carriages are divided into separate compartments and each compartment has two lower and two upper berths. Sheets and blankets are provided and are generally of good standard. Western style washrooms and toilets are located at both ends of the compartment. Soft sleeper costs twice as much as hard sleeper and almost the same price as flying. Therefore, soft sleeper tickets are more easily available.
There are washrooms on the trains. The toilets, irrespective of class, are not usually very hygienic and it is a good idea to bring your own toilet paper! Boiled water is available on trains and dining cars on long distance routes only.
Reservations should be made in advance, especially during the holidays and travel season. Tickets may be purchased directly from rail stations or booked a few days in advance from your travel agencies, hotels, or ticket office.
