Public Transportation
Taxis
Taxis are one of the most easily accessible methods of public transportation in Beijing. They are fairly cheap with the average cost between RMB 10 and RMB 25. They are highly recommended. Almost of the taxis are operated by the state-owned companies and officially licensed. The travelers can identify official taxis by the large card with a photograph of the driver on the dashboard. These characteristics - together with the taxi-meter below the license card are the hallmarks of a truly trustworthy Beijing Taxi. Please do not get on unlicensed taxi as you might be cheated.
Taxis are easily found in Beijing, mostly available at the airport and the hotels. You can just wave to stop them when you see the sign of “vacancy” in the taxi. During rainstorms, snow, public holidays and rush-hours, getting a taxi may take more time.
Getting around in Bejing by taxi is not hard, as long as you are prepared. Assume your driver will not speak English. Keep the name of your hotel written down in Chinese characters. A brochure, business card or receipt may work or have the hotel staff write it down for you. Then you can easily show it to a driver. Some guidebooks have destinations and hotels written in Chinese. Also a little phrasebook may suffice. You can also learn to say the name of your hotel and other destinations in Chinese.
Taxis are modern, metered, and cheap, costing 10 Yuan = $ 1.50 to start, but the fare goes up very slowly from there. Most rides of several kilometers are only about 15 Yuan. The Chinese taxi drivers don't understand verbal or written English, despite the government's push. You must point to a map with Chinese language on it, or have other pictorial or written documentation in Chinese.
Note that taxis cannot stop anywhere they want –usually if there is a solid white line and it’s a busy place with police around, they are likely to ignore your hailing. Try a side street or look for a taxi stand. If you know which way you want to be going, catch a taxi on the correct side of the road as it will be faster.
Useful tips for the travelers when riding taxis in Beijing:
- Make sure the meter of the taxi is switched on before the taxi drives away.
- Most taxi drivers do not speak English. Please ask the tour guides or hotel doorman or concierge to translate the destination to the driver. Or make sure to have the destination written in Chinese on the cards or bring a hotel card to communicate your return destination.
- Please bring a map of your destination area. If a problem occurs or the driver is headed the wrong way, travelers can simply point the destination out to the driver.
- Always ask for a taxi receipt. With the receipt travelers can locate the driver if something was lost in the taxi or can complain to taxi companies if you are not satisfied with the services.
Subway 
By the year of 2010, there are totally 8 subway lines in Beijing, namely Line 1, Line Batong (above-ground light-rail line), Line 2, Line 13 (above-ground light-rail line), Line 4, Line 5, Line 10 and Line 13, up to 300 kilometres. For international tourists visiting Beijing, some basic knowledge of the main subway lines, like Line 1, Line 2, Line 4 and Line 5, is quite helpful and resourceful. These four subway lines take you to almost all the major attractions in Beijing.
The subway stations are clean and have English signs directing tourists to the exits near places that you are likely trying to find. Here is a list of the top 10 attractions near subway stops: 1. Tiananmen Square 2. Forbidden City 3. Ancient Observatory 4. Lama Temple and Confucius Temple 5. Shichahai Hutong Tours 6. Junshibowuguan (Military Museum) 7. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) City Wall Relics Park 8. Temple of Heaven 9. Beijing Zoo ( Panda ) 10. Financial Street and CBD area.
However, the subway is PACKED especially during the rush hours. Paying for the subway is not automated at all, i.e., the subway does NOT take tokens or cards and there is no gate. You buy paper tickets at a booth, and then employees stand at the entrance to each station and take the tickets!
Subway map
http://www.johomaps.com/as/china/beijing/beijingmetro.html
Bus
There are hundreds of bus routes in the city. Bus signs are written in Chinese characters and the drivers and change collectors rarely (if ever) are able to speak English. Some of the buses in Beijing have a box near the driver in which you can insert change. Payment on these buses is usually one yuan no matter how far you go. An IC card (bus pass) is also available for a monthly fee.
To take the bus in Beijing is an experience in itself. Yes, very often, they are over-crowded, and sometimes getting a seat is impossible. So get ready to squeeze in or stand. But it's interesting to visit the Great Wall or have sightseeing in the city center by taking a public bus like the locals, so don't be afraid of it. The bus service is not very punctual, so make sure to have patience for your bus trip.
