Guangzhou
has convenient and quality public transportation system. To
make it easier for you to use public transportations, it’s
wise to get a Guangzhou Public Transport Card (Yangchengtong
card), available in any metro station. It comes with a 30
yuan deposit, which means if you pay 100 yuan, the pre-paid
amount is 70 yuan. You can get the deposit back at some Metro
stations, such as the station at Gongyuanqian exit J.
All Metro lines, all buses and some taxies
accept this card. You can always add more money onto the card
at Tian Tian Laundry in many Metro stations.
 Metro
Subway in Guangzhou is the newest one in China with modern and elegant facilities. All the metro maps and announcement are bilingual, which makes the subway the most convenient and popular way to get around the city. Currently, there are 4 lines running through the city. By 2008, there will be 8 lines, covering all the prosperous areas.
Subway Line 1 of Guangzhou has been in operation since 1999. It runs from Xilang in the Fangcun District in southwest Guangzhou to the East Railway Station. Ticket prices range from RMB 2 to RMB 5.
Subway Line 2 runs from Sanyuanli in the Baiyun District to Wanshengwei in the Haizhu District. The ticket prices vary from RMB 2 to RMB 6.
Subway Line 3 runs from the East Railway Station to Panyu Square; its branch runs from Tianhe Bus Station to West Tiyu Road. The ticket prices range from RMB 2 to RMB 8.
Subway Line 4 runs from Wanshengwei to Huangge including the Daxue Cheng (University Town) Special Section which has only five stops from Wanshengwei to Xinzao. The ticket prices range from RMB 2 to RMB 8.
On-line guidance on how to travel by metro in Guangzhou! Click here.
Tickets
It is strongly advisable to buy tickets from a ticket vending machine which automatically calculates the fare according to the destination station you specifies. However, general knowledge of how the fare is calculated will be helpful. You can check the fare online here.
Coins are convenient for you to buy tokens through the Ticket Vending Machine. You can get coins at a bank or a change maker. Banknotes of CNY 5, 10 and 20 are also acceptable.
Taxi
Taking a taxi can be fast and convenient in Guangzhou. Most cabbies know their way around and expertly negotiate the city's busy traffic. Taxis are usually readily available, but hailing one in rush hours on Monday is difficult and on rainy days almost impossible.
Yellow, red, light blue and green are the taxi colors you will see most frequently, as they are the logo colors of the city's four biggest taxi companies in Guangzhou.
Real taxis have a logo light on the top of the car. Around the driver's seat is a transparent shield protect the driver from robbery and a drive ID card with driver's photo, name and ID number on it. A meter and an illuminated vacancy disk on the dashboard are also necessities for a cab. Without all these things, the taxi is probably unlicensed and you should avoid it, even if the driver solicits you. You have no rights if injured in an unlicensed taxi.
The minimum fare is 7 yuan and then 1.6 yuan is charged for every additional kilometer. After 10 kilometers, the fare jumps 50 percent - to 3 yuan for every additional kilometer. Being stuck in a traffic jam bumps up the bill. Five minutes of waiting time costs the same as a kilometer.
How to Read a Taxi Receipt
Remember to take the receipt. The slip will contain information on the taxi, including its plate number and the taxi company. In case you leave something in the car, the receipt will give you clues to find it.
Bus
Bus may be not the best transport for foreigners, but having some knowledge about it will give you an option when you come across a traffic problem, especially when you cannot find a taxi on a rainy day or have no idea where the Metro station is.
Guangzhou buses can be extremely crowded in rush hours. But buses on busy shopping streets or connecting major attractions are in excellent condition and during off-peak hours it is a pleasure to ride in them. Plus, the bigger windows of a bus will give you a better view of the city than taking taxis or subways.
If you have to take a packed bus, take care of your pockets and backpacks. It is wise to take down the pack from your shoulder and carry it in your hands, which can save space on the bus and keep it away from pickpockets.
Fares
The bus fares are cheap, compared with subways and taxis.
Most of the city's buses charge a flat fee, no matter how far you go. Fares on plain buses are 1 yuan (12 US cents) and air-conditioned ones charge 2 yuan. Most buses running on downtown streets are air-conditioned. Some buses running long routes may charge 4 yuan. But you will figure out the fare when you get on, which will be displayed on the machine by the front door.
A Public Transportation Card cannot be swiped twice on the same bus or Metro station. So prepare coins if you have a card but your companions don't.
Getting on and off
Guangzhou buses have no conductor. You should get on by the front door and put money into a box beside the driver. The back door is for getting off.
You'd better keep some loose change. The box will not return change if you give it a big note and the drivers are not allowed to handle cash. If you want to test your Chinese and courage, you can throw in a 10-yuan bill and ask the driver to allow you to collect other passengers' money as your change.
Train
There are two train stations in Guangzhou; the old one in the center of town, namely Guangzhou Train Station, and a newer one, namely Guangzhou East Station to the east of the city in Tianhe District. Make sure you check which station your train departs from! Trains leave from both stations for Beijing, Shanghai, Qingdao, Kunming, Chengdu and Xi'an. Tickets can be bought at the travel agency or inside the station itself- this however is not a good option as the station is usually very busy and it's not a nice place to hang about. Your best bet is to get tickets through a hotel- you'll have to pay for this service but it is a worthwhile luxury!
China has been raising train speed limits since 1997, when most were running at a mere 60 kilometers per hour. The new speed boost is scheduled for April 18.
After the speed boost, trains will run at speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour on the Beijing-Harbin, Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing-Guangzhou railways. In some sections the speed can be raised to 250 kilometers per hour, the international railway speed upper limit.
ZXXXZhida – Straight Fast Train |
Non-stop, special fast train
|
TXXX Tekuai – Special Fast Train |
Special fast
train, only stops at the capital city of provinces going
through |
KXXX Kuaiche – Fast Train |
Fast train,
stops at the capital and big cities of provinces
|
NXXX Kuaiche – Fast Train |
Fast train,
stops at the capital and important cities. Nei,
literally internal, means train running within one train
bureau. Normally within one province, sometimes covering
surrounding important cities
|
XXX Pukuai – Normal Fast Train |
Stops at big or small train stops. Very often not on time. |
Train to Shenzhen and Hong Kong
From Guangzhou East Station (Transportation: take
metro line 1 and get off at Huo che dong zhan) frequent and
fast direct train runs between Guangzhou and Shenzhen, Hong
Kong. It will take one hour to reach Shenzhen and 2.5 hours
to Hong Kong.
Guangzhou - Shenzhen
The first train starts at 06.10 and the last ends
at 22.05. Train leaves every 15 minutes and it takes one hour.
80 yuan/trip.
Shenzhen – Guangzhou
The first train starts at 06.25 and the last ends
at 20.56. Train leaves every 15 minutes and it takes one hour.
80 yuan/trip.
Guangzhou – Hong
Kong Kowloon
The first train starts at 08.35 and the last ends
at 21.23. Train leaves every hour and it takes two and half
hours.
190 yuan for the 1st class /trip and 260 yuan for premium
class/trip.
Hong Kong Kowloon – Guangzhou
The first train starts at 07.30 and the last ends
at 19.15. Train leaves every hour and it takes two and half
hours. 190 yuan for the 1st class /trip and 260 yuan for premium
class/trip.
Get the ticket at least one day in advance to make sure you get a seat especially on weekend.
Boat and Ferry
Regular ferry services from different ports in Guangzhou leave for Hong Kong everyday.
New Nansha Port Dock
Location: 1.6km South from Humen Bridge, Nansha District, Guangzhou.
广州南沙区（虎门大桥南1.6公里处）
Information: New Nansha Port is 48 sea miles from Hongkong, 41 sea miles from
Macao. 6 liners (22 more during holidays) travel between Guangzhou and Hong kong
every day, the trip only takes 75 minutes. Passengers can take buses at White
Swan Hotel to the Dock, 3 runs per day.
Schedule:
| Nansha to Hong kong: 09:30 11:00 12:00 15:00 16:00 17:30 |
| Hong kong to Nansha: 08:00 08:20 09:00 13:00 14:00 15:30 |
| Tickets: Economic ￥116.00 |
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Car Rental Services
Avis - Guangzhou
Phone #: 20 37585080
Website: https://www.avis.com
Add: 9 Huali Road Tianhe District
Hertz - Guangzhou
Phone #: 20 87551608
Website: http://www.hertz.com
Fax #: 20 87553868
Address: 89 Linhe West Road Tianhe District
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