Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tracimcg]

My boyfriend and I are going to Beijing on Sunday. We have a motel lined up but they want to charge us $31 a piece for a ride from the airport. This can't be worth it. I've read several places to be leary of scamming taxi drivers and am wondering if there's a better way or a way to get a non-scamming taxi. Oh, my boyfriend's on crutches so city buses are probably not a good idea.
Also, I am wondering about the tours. The day tour to Forbidden City, wall, summer palace. yea or nay? I also heard there is a gondola that goes to a section of the wall--is this true? anyone taken it?
Thanks, in advance, for your replies.

[I-am-me]

I am doing a home stay and its $28 a night. The taxi shouldn't be more than $12 to downtown. I am taking the airport shuttle bus. When you get there just ask several taxi's for their prices. Offer them 12 and see what they say.

[jen_the_great]

I took the airport bus. It's similar to the airport limosense busses we have hear, so they're cheap and fairly comfortable. That money would get you a nice Peking Duck dinner in Beijing, so look out for a better deal.

It don't think it's necessary to take a tour. When I went I found it pretty easy to get around on your own and taxis to the major attractions are cheap.

I haven't heard of the gondala, but the section of the wall I saw had a rip line thing. It was a bit of a distance away, but definitely worth it. The section closest to Beijing is supposed to have a KFC and ferris wheel in it. It sounds like a complete tourist trap. I can't remember the name of the section I saw offhand, but it was beautiful and had no other tourists when we left at sunset on Chinese New Year. It made for some awesome pictures.

I hope you have a great time. Also, if you have some extra days, splurge for a better hotel. Going from motel to 4 star hotel isn't that big a deal in China, at least from where we stayed.

[kat2]

You don't need to take a tour anywhere except to the wall. Taxis are dirt cheap. The subway is also dirt cheap and easy, although maybe mroe difficult on crutches.
We went to the Mitianyu section of the wall. Fewer tourists, beautiful setting. It's a lot of climbing steep stairs though, so i'm not sure how your boyfriend would fare. There is a ski lift type thing to the wall, so you don't have to hike up. We left at 6am and were there by 8am, so there were very few tourists. Your hotel/hostel should be able to set up transport. we paid 150 RMB/person which included the wall entrance fee.
I can't remember how much our taxi cost exactly, but it was less than $US20 from the city center to the airport. Just take a taxi when you get to the airport. Remember to go to the official taxi stand though and make sure the driver uses his meter. don't let one of the sketchy taxi drivers approach you and talk you into taking his unregistered taxi.

[pugwall]

Little tip when in China. When you get in a taxi look for a drivers reference number which should be clearly displayed in the passenger seat. Copy it down and let the driver see you doing this. You will definitely be charged the correct fare.