China Travel Pulse
Guide category
Rail, metro, air, taxi, ride-hailing, cycling, and driving guidance.
A foreign driving licence or an International Driving Permit is not, by itself, permission to drive in Mainland China. Short-term foreign visitors generally need a Chinese temporary motor vehicle driving permit appropriate to the vehicle, plus the underlying valid foreign licence and required supporting documents.
China Railway's official 12306 website and app support foreign travelers using valid passports. The system uses real-name ticketing, so the passenger details on the booking must match the original travel document used at the station.
Foreign travelers may be able to book ride-hailing through DiDi Greater China or through service entries inside Alipay and WeChat. Government guidance says the DiDi Greater China app supports foreign mobile numbers and international credit cards, but actual registration and payment success still depends on the current app, issuer, account verification, and location.
Hong Kong and Mainland China operate separate immigration systems. Permission to enter Hong Kong does not automatically permit entry to Mainland China. Before comparing transport, check the Mainland entry document, visa-free arrangement, or transit policy that applies to your passport and route.
The fastest timetable is not always the fastest door-to-door journey. Compare the complete trip: travel to the terminal, check-in or security, waiting, the scheduled journey, delays, baggage handling, and the final transfer.
Install apps by task, not by popularity. A useful setup covers payments, navigation, rail, ride-hailing, translation, communication, and access to official entry information. Every app should have a clear purpose and a fallback.
A first trip to China is easier when you separate official entry requirements from practical setup. Confirm your own entry basis first, then prepare payments, connectivity, transport, accommodation, and a small offline backup kit.
Metro systems are usually the most predictable way to cross a large Chinese city. Networks, fares, accepted payment methods, first and last train times, and security procedures are local, so use this as a workflow rather than a promise about every city.
Plan an airport transfer using the exact airport, terminal, arrival time, and final address. Large Chinese cities may have multiple airports, and the last metro or airport-rail departure can be earlier than a delayed international arrival clears immigration and baggage claim.
Shared bikes can be one of the easiest ways to cover a short distance, but registration, phone-number support, identity checks, deposits, payment, and parking controls are not identical across every city or app version. Treat any tutorial that says one method “always works” as temporary.
Plan with your actual itinerary
Answer one question at a time and compare the published options that may fit your passport, dates and route.