How to Use the Metro, Taxis and DiDi in China

Metro, taxi or ride-hailing

The metro suits journeys with a clear route and avoids road congestion. Licensed taxis are useful at airports and railway stations, or when walking between connections is inconvenient. Ride-hailing services such as DiDi let you see the licence plate, route and fare in advance. Whichever option you use, have the destination in Chinese and a working payment method ready. On a first visit to a city, you do not need to study every ride code. If you can buy a single-journey ticket, join the licensed taxi queue and request a vehicle through one service, you can manage your arrival.

Metro: when the destination is near a station, you have limited luggage and services are still running.
Taxi: when there is a clearly marked queue, you need door-to-door travel or the network is unreliable.
Ride-hailing: when the pickup point is clear, your phone has data and the app and payment method are configured.
Bus: when you know the route or have help from a local map, with a QR payment method, transport card or change ready.
Late-night arrival: check the last service and your accommodation's reception hours in advance; do not leave the final plan until after landing.

There is no nationwide metro or bus ride code

Guidance issued by the Ministry of Commerce and other authorities in 2025 states that foreign travellers can buy single-journey metro tickets and, depending on the city, obtain a transport card or activate a ride code in a payment app. Buses may accept renminbi cash, transport cards or certain mobile payments. The actual methods accepted are set by each city's operator. A QR code activated in one city may not work directly in another, and support for real-name verification and overseas bank cards can change.

A few cities, including Beijing, already allow overseas bank cards to be tapped directly at gates on some lines, but this should not be assumed elsewhere in China. At the station, follow the signs actually shown on the gates, ticket machines and service counter. If you cannot activate a ride code, buying a single-journey ticket is the most reliable option.

Prepare a Chinese address card before going out

Save the destination's full Chinese name, district or county, street address and phone number.
Use a map for mainland China to verify the branch, hospital campus, station and entrance.
Check the last metro service, transfer distances and the correct exit.
For ride-hailing, save the exact pickup point as well as the destination.
Complete login and payment setup for a ride-hailing service in Alipay, WeChat or DiDi.
Carry a small amount of renminbi cash, and make sure your phone has data and plenty of charge.

How to use the metro and buses

For a single-journey ticket, select the destination station for the correct end of the line at the ticket machine or service counter, and keep the ticket or QR code for both entry and exit. For a ride code, confirm the current city, then complete the identity and payment steps shown on screen. Use the same phone and the same fare method to enter and leave. Whether you scan on both boarding and alighting, and whether the fare varies by distance, depends on the vehicle and the city's instructions.

Before entering, check the direction of the line and its terminus.
After security, check the platform again rather than guessing the direction from the colour.
During a transfer, follow the line number and direction signs.
Before leaving the station, check the exit number and the final walking route.
If the gate rejects your ticket, do not scan it repeatedly; ask the service counter to check the order or ticket.
Keep backup cash or a physical card so a phone problem does not prevent you from completing the journey.

How to use taxis and ride-hailing

At airports and railway stations, use the signed taxi queue and do not follow people soliciting passengers in the arrivals hall. Show the driver the address in Chinese and check that the meter has started. If there is a dispute over motorway tolls, parking charges or other supplements, keep the receipt or trip record. For ride-hailing, enter the pickup point and destination through Alipay, WeChat or DiDi and wait for the system to assign a vehicle.

Before getting in, check the licence plate, vehicle model and driver details.
At a major transport hub, check the floor, zone and pillar number of the ride-hailing area.
Do not enter a vehicle whose licence plate differs from the one in the app.
Monitor the route during the trip, while allowing for reasonable detours caused by road restrictions or differences between entrances.
Before getting out, check your phone, passport, wallet and luggage, and save the electronic trip receipt.

When the driver cannot find you or payment fails

A location error of a few dozen metres may put you on a different floor or across a road at an airport, shopping centre or hospital. Send the pickup-point number, the Chinese name of a nearby business and a photo of the entrance, then take a safe route to the designated area. Do not wait in a traffic lane. If you cannot call, use the app's preset messages or ask a member of staff nearby to explain your location.

If a ride-hailing payment fails, check whether the order is complete, awaiting confirmation or attempting an automatic charge. Do not pay repeatedly using several methods at once. You can switch to another card, mobile payment or cash, but before paying offline, ask the driver to confirm it in the order. If a taxi refuses the journey, tries to negotiate a fare or does not use the meter, record the licence plate, time and place and report it through the local transport complaints channel. For an immediate threat to personal safety, call 110.

Differences between cities and accessibility needs

Fares, transport cards, ride codes, overseas-card access at gates, bus scanning and late-night service all vary by city. If you have large luggage, use a wheelchair or pushchair, or have limited mobility, check station lifts, accessible exits and booking services in advance. The nearest exit shown on a map may not have a lift. For long intercity journeys, do not substitute ordinary urban ride-hailing rules for a legally operated charter vehicle or rail arrangements.

Scope of verification

The metro, bus and ride-hailing access described here is based on guidance issued by the Ministry of Commerce and other authorities in 2025 and was verified through 2026/8/4. Local transport operators, station signs and the ride-hailing app's page on the day of travel take precedence for payment methods, interfaces, fares and operating hours. For complaints, record the order, licence plate and proof of payment, then use the local 12345 service or the published channel of the transport authority.

Using the Metro, Taxis and DiDi in China