China > General information > Region and city guide > Getting around Guangzhou

Getting Around Guangzhou    Despite its size, population and increasing vehicle ownership, Guangzhou is a fairly straightforward city to get around. There has been much investment in public transport infrastructure of late and the subway subway system makes for easy access to many of the city’s key attractions.    By Subway  Guangzhou’s modern subway system (www.gzmtr.com) now has four lines. Lines #1 and #2, which intersect at Gongyuan Qian, are of most use to visitors. Line #1 runs from Guangzhou East Train Station to Xilang in the west, while line #2 extends from Sanyuanli in the north past Guangzhou Train Station to Wanshengwei in the southeast.     The system is still expanding and, having reached Panyu in the south, it will eventually extend north all the way to the new international airport at Baiyun. The above-ground symbol for stations looks like a Y, which has been vertically divided in two and is usually yellow on a red background.     Ticket prices depend on the length of your journey and can be bought from the easy-to-use machines, which accept small bills and coins. Tickets come in the form of small plastic disks which you scan at the entry gates and deposit on exit. There are line maps on the trains, but stations are poorly marked from the carriages so listen for the stops being announced in English. Both train stations have subway stops.    By Bus  Guangzhou has an extensive and cheap bus network, although destinations are only marked in Chinese, so knowing the bus number you need is of key importance. Tickets are bought on the bus. The main bus depots are just outside the two train stations. From Guangzhou Train Station bus #103 runs to Liuersan Lu for Shamian Island, bus #30 heads east to Huanshi Dong Lu and #271 goes to Guangzhou East Station. Bus #209 runs from Guangzhou East Train Station to Liuersan Lu.      By Taxi  Guangzhou’s metallic green taxis are abundant. Minimum charge is ¥7 for the first two km (1.2 miles) and ¥2.2/2.6 (non ac/ac) for every km (0.6 miles) after that. Most taxi drivers don’t speak much English so it’s essential to take along your destination written in Chinese.    By Bicycle  Guangzhou isn’t a good city to negotiate by bike although there are cycles and tandems for rent on Binjiang Lu .  Guangzhou travel guide homepage   Getting to Guangzhou,   Guangzhou attractions (part 1): Shamian Island, Temples and Churches  Guangzhou attractions (part 2): Parks, Zoo, Museums and music  Guangzhou pictures maps of Shenzhen and Guangzhou    Back to     Cities and regions of China homepage    China Travel Guide homepage