What's the easiest way to ride the metro in China?

Use the QR code inside Alipay or WeChat (city transit mini-program) — no paper ticket needed. Scan to enter and exit. Have your passport ready if asked.

Is DiDi safe and foreigner-friendly?

Yes. DiDi is the local ride-hailing app, works with Alipay/WeChat pay, and has an English interface. Input destinations by pinning the map or pasting the Chinese name from your hotel.

Can I use foreign cards for transport apps?

The metro/bus QR via Alipay or WeChat works with a bound international card. Standalone bike apps may need a Chinese phone number, so bikes are optional.

City centers, older districts, and riverside areas are great on foot. Use Amap for walking routes and watch for scooters in bike lanes.

How do I get from the airport to the city?

Most major airports connect via metro (e.g., Beijing's Airport Express, Shanghai's Metro Line 2 / Maglev) or Didi. Use the official taxi queue and insist on the meter; avoid unlicensed touts.

Getting Around Chinese Cities: Metro, Didi, Bikes & Walking

Chinese cities are built for moving — dense metro networks, cheap rides, and walkable cores. Once you know the three moves below, getting around feels like any other big city, just faster and cheaper.

Move 1 — Metro (the backbone)

China has metro systems in 55+ cities. The trick for visitors: you don’t buy a ticket — you scan a QR code from your phone.

Open Alipay or WeChat → find the Transit / 出行 mini-program → select the city → complete one-time identity verification → you get a metro/bus QR code.
Scan it at the gate to enter and exit. Fares are distance-based and cheap (a cross-town ride is often under ¥10).
At some stations you can also buy a single-journey token at a machine, but the QR code is faster and avoids cash.
Peak hours (roughly 7:30–9:30 and 17:30–19:30) get crowded — build in buffer time.

If the transit mini-program asks for a local number you don’t have, use the station’s token machines or a staffed window for a paper ticket.

Move 2 — DiDi (ride-hailing)

DiDi is China’s Uber, and it’s the safest, most predictable way to get a car.

Switch the app to English mode; pay via Alipay or WeChat (bound international card works).
Set your destination by pinning it on the map or pasting the Chinese name from your hotel — English names often don’t resolve well in the app.
Confirm the plate number on the app matches the car before you get in.
For the airport, use the official taxi queue and insist the driver uses the meter; licensed taxis are metered, and unlicensed touts at arrivals are best avoided.

Move 3 — Shared bikes & walking

Shared bikes (Meituan, Hello, DiDi bikes) are everywhere. Standalone bike apps may require a Chinese phone number, so treat them as optional. Great for short hops along bike lanes.
Walking is genuinely pleasant in old districts, pedestrian streets, and riversides. Use Amap for walking routes, and watch for electric scooters sharing the bike lanes — they’re quiet and fast.

Small habits that save you

Keep your hotel’s name and address in Chinese in your notes — show it to drivers and staff.
Download offline maps (Amap/Baidu) before you rely on them; indoor mall and station maps help underground.
Carry a little cash for the rare vendor or machine that won’t take a foreign card.
Metro before Didi in rush hour — surface traffic in big cities crawls at peak.

Accessibility & help

Major stations have elevators and staff; don’t hesitate to ask uniformed staff (“工作人员”) for the platform or exit. Most signage includes English in big-city metros, with Chinese always present.

Master the transit QR code and DiDi, and you’ll go from “lost at the airport” to “navigating like a local” before your first noodle bowl.