China’s vast size means that travel by air is the only truly feasible option for visitors with limited time to reach destinations that are thousands of miles apart. Airports range from the small and simple facilities handling a limited number of flights, to the huge international airports of cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. That being said, travel by railroad affords views of stunning scenery and ways of life away from the big cities.

Beijing International (PEK) is located 17mi to the northeast of the city centre. This is a very busy airport featuring two terminals and handling around 20 million passengers annually. Overseas flights arrive from destinations in North America, Europe and Asia. All amenities essential to passenger needs are available here, including banks, currency exchanges, ATMs and a post office. There are several dining options and refreshments can also be found at a number of cafés. A range of shops and duty-free outlets are also featured.

Ground transport to the city is available by  taxi and bus – and transport overall was improved for the 2008 Olympics. Shuttle bus service to the centre takes around 45 minutes. If you’re planning on taking a taxi, it’s a good idea to have the address of your destination written in Chinese to avoid confusion. The trip by taxi to the city centre takes under an hour.

Shanghai Hong Qiao Airport (SHA), is the older of the two facilities servicing the Shanghai region, and is located much closer to the city than the newer Pudong airport. Most flights handled by the Hong Qiao airport are domestic services. Taxis are available in front of the arrivals area but it can be confusing to locate the right taxi stand. There are also buses providing connections to the main rail stations and to the People’s Square; many of the larger hotels also offer shuttle service.

Pudong Airport (PVG) is Shanghai’s newer and larger facility, and handles most all international services and some domestic flights.  This is now one of the country’s main transportation hubs, serviced by approximately 50 airlines, with flights arriving from nearly 60 domestic and 70 international points of origin.

The airport is well-organised, and equipped with a full range of facilities and services. A good choice of eateries, coffee shops and bars are provided, as are plentiful shopping opportunities – with a full mall on level three of the terminal. An extensive section for duty-free shopping is located in the departures area.

The airport is connected to Shanghai's metro by the high-speed Maglev. Taxis are available, but tend to be quite expensive, and take at least an hour to most destinations in the city.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) was opened in 2004, and is a large facility that covers a ground area of six square miles. A new subway line connecting the airport with the city is under construction. All the amenities that passengers require are provided for at the airport, including banking services, a currency exchange, ATMs and postal services. Several restaurants are featured in both the arrivals and departures halls; and there are plenty of shopping opportunities, including duty-free outlets.

Taxis and limousine services are readily available; and express buses run from the airport to various destinations both in the city – including major hotels - and also to numerous destinations around the Pearl River Delta.

Transport in China takes on a variety of forms depending on whether you’re in a large urban area, smaller city or relatively rural area. There is a vast network of bus and train routes that connect main population centres all across the country, with the most frequently scheduled services available in the more economically developed areas – often along the seacoast or major rivers.

Taxis and individually-owned cars are fast becoming the major means of transport in the big cities, replacing the ubiquitous bicycle as the standard. In smaller urban centres and small towns, however, bicycles still dominate.

Taxis are usually easy to find, can be hailed on the street, and are clean and quite comfortable. Most drivers will automatically turn on the meter, but if this doesn’t occur, it’s best that you request that they do so – or choose another taxi. Most drivers don’t speak English, and it’s always a good idea to have the address of your destination written down in Chinese.

Public buses are the most common form of transportation throughout the country. The buses tend to be clean and the fares cheap: you’ll pay the same fare in a metropolitan area regardless of how far you’re going. You’ll find that the majority of the city buses are air-conditioned. 
Long-distance buses are good means for covering longer distances, although they can be quite crowded. 
Trains are an even better choice, now reaching most every province with faster and relatively cheap service. Trains can be quite crowded as well, however, particularly during the holidays.

Metros – or subway systems – are not common in China, except in the largest cities such as Shanghai and Beijing. Even in these cities, the networks are not well developed, and you’ll most likely need to rely on some form of surface transport to reach your final destination.