Taking the Bus in Beijing is Easy

Local buses are found everywhere in Beijing but for foreigners, it can be a bit difficult to figure out the bus stops and routes. Here you will get brief information about Beijing busses. I hope this post will enable you to take the Beijing bus easily. 

Which bus to take?

In Beijing, you will find many bus lines at the same bus stops. At every bus stop there is a metal sign for each line with the bus number, stops, and its origin and destination name. For long routes, you may not find all stops signs. However, for foreigners, these signs are not easy to figure out because they are in Chinese characters. 

When you step onto the bus, you will find a sign that lists the name of all stops in pinyin and characters. Most Beijing busses have a voice system and an electric displayed screen that proclaim the next stop in both Chinese and English. 

However, you can find the bus on Google Maps apps. When searching for your route, selects the public transmission option which will provide you the bus number for your direction. If you can speak or read Chinese you can also use any Chinese app. 

Tip: 

Once you reach your destination, capture the bus signs on your phone. This way you will save the bus number and stop name. Now you can easily compare the bus number or stop name when you are finding a bus outside the supermarket. This tip will help you a lot to find the right bus for your route.

Buses are cheap

In Beijing, regular busses usually cost 2 Yuan for a ride and 1 Yuan when paying with the transport card. You can’t bargain on the fare and have to put the complete fare into a box next to the bus driver. 

For a longer route, the fare is higher and depends on the number of stops. Long travel busses often have the assistance that collects fare. When you are using a transport card you have to swipe it again when getting off the bus. With Yikatong, you can get big deals and discounts. 

Bus Etiquettes

Once you get onto your bus, you have to swipe your Yikatong or put the exact fare into the box next to the driver. There are usually two doors on a regular bus. You have to enter from the front door and exit from the back door. When you are getting onto the three-door bus, you have to enter from the middle door. However, if there is too much crowd and hard to move, you can get out through the adjacent door. You just need to be quick before new passengers are getting in. 

If you are young, you should get up and offer your seat to someone who is disabled, older, or traveling with kids. 

Is it safe to travel on a Bus?

In Beijing, the local busses get crowded during rush hours. Though I never had any issue such as unwanted touches and pickpocketing in Beijing like anywhere else. But if you are carrying valuable things, you should keep them close and be careful. There are many stories about pickpocketing. So you have to be careful. 

In Beijing, most buses are pretty new and well maintained. There are handrails to hold that are very helpful if you are standing on the bus. Traffic is not always even in the city, so you may experience unexpected braking. 

Taking the Bus to Get out of Beijing

If you want to get out of Beijing you have to take a long-distance bus. As compared to regular city buses the long-distance buses work a bit differently. The fare for a long-distance ride can be higher and depend on the distance. Long-distance busses have more facilities as compared to city busses.