Road

Text : A Chinese driving licence is required to drive in China and driving is illegal for those on a tourist visa. Foreign residents may bring their own cars into the country but this involves a huge bureaucratic effort. Holders of resident's permits may apply for a Chinese driving licence but again this is involves a great deal of bureaucracy.

Sometimes statistics speak loudest; 3.04 million cars were sold in China during the first 10 months of 2006, up 40% year on year - 80% of which were snapped up by first-time owners. Driving is chaotic, traffic can get extremely congested during morning and evening rush hours and little attention is paid to rules and regulations. Road signs are in both Chinese and English, though the translation quality is inconsistent (something the authorities are addressing pre-2008). Therefore, all foreigners who want to travel by car within China are recommended to hire a car with a local driver.

Emergency breakdown service:
There is no breakdown service in China. Drivers have to rely on assistance from other passing vehicles.

Routes to the city: Main routes out of Beijing are denoted by city names such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Expressway, Beijing-Shijiazhuang-Taiyuan Expressway, Beijing-Shenyang Expressway and Beijing-Chengde-Zhangjiakou First Class Road.

Driving times to Beijing: From Tianjin - 1 hour 30 minutes; Chengde - 3 hours 30 minutes; Taiyuan - 6 hours.

Coach services: Coach and bus travel can be very slow and rather uncomfortable and, due to Beijing's inland location (a long way from the major east coast cities), ranks a distant third to air and rail travel. However, bus tickets are cheaper than rail fares and easier to buy because of the lower demand. There are few facilities at the bus stations and tickets should be bought in person at the ticket office. Generally, the four main long-distance bus stations in Beijing are situated on the perimeter of the city in the direction of their destination. Dongzhimen, Dongzhimen Xiejie (this station is currently being upgraded into a transport hub ready for 2008), serves the northeast and cities such as Chengde; Haihutin, Nanyuan Lu, serves the south; Beijiao (also known as Deshengmen) is for the north; and Majuan, Guangqumenwai Dajie, serves the east. In addition, buses to Tianjin depart from Zhaogongku, near the intersection of Nansanhuan Donglu and Puhuangyu Lu. 

    

      

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