Beijing Airport is connected to an express train service and special bus routes running to several locations in the city centre.

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Taxis are the most popular means of transport.

Taxi

You can only get to the airport by official taxis. Services such as Uber, Grab or Bolt do not operate here.

There are clearly signposted taxi ranks in front of both terminals. Please note that due to the extraordinary popularity of this mode of transport, queues often form, with waiting times of up to 45 minutes.

However, travelling by taxi is the most comfortable option and, if there are more than three of you, it may also be the cheapest.

Most taxi drivers do not speak any English at all, so ideally you should have your destination written in Chinese on your mobile phone to show the driver.

Taxi fares and payment

All official taxis operate on a meter. If the taxi driver refuses to switch on the meter, get out and take another taxi.

The easiest way for foreign tourists to pay the fare is in cash.

You can also pay via the Alipay, UnionPay or WeChat Pay apps. You cannot pay with Visa or Mastercard.

The fare is calculated based on the distance travelled and the time spent on the journey.

• Tiananmen Square –120 CNY
• Beijing West Railway Station –160 CNY
• Beijing East Railway Station –140 CNY

Train and underground

A special airport train service runs to both terminals, connecting to the regular Beijing metro network at several stations.

The clearest official information can be found on the airport’s website:en.bcia.com.cn/train.

• Sanyuanqiao – change to the metro circular line (number 10) running along the outskirts of the city
• Dongzhimen – change to the inner circular metro line (line 2) and line 13
• Beixinqiao – change to Line 5

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The express train station is located near Terminals 2 and 3. 

Trains run every 10 minutes from approximately 06:00 to 22:30 (from the airport from approximately 06:30 to 22:50). Journey times vary depending on the terminal and direction of travel:

• Terminal 2 → Dongzhimen: 21 minutes
• Dongzhimen → Terminal 2: 35 minutes
• Terminal 3 → Dongzhimen: 30 minutes
• Dongzhimen → Terminal 3: 16 minutes
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Tickets and travel cards

A single train ticket costs 25 CNY.

If you’re changing to other metro lines and travelling further around Beijing on public transport, it’s worth buying a ‘Yikatong’ travel card.

You can buy the card at the ticket office before entering the platform.

The Yikatong Card costs 20 cny and if you return it to the ticket office before your departure, you will receive a full refund. You can top up the card with any amount, which will be deducted gradually with each metro or bus journey.

The average cost of a metro journey in Beijing ranges from 10 cny to 15 cny, depending on the distance.

Buses

Special airport bus services also run from both terminals to several destinations within Beijing.

Please note that on the journey to the airport, the buses make significantly fewer stops than on the journey from the airport.

You can find clear maps of the bus stops in each direction on the airport’s website:en.bcia.com.cn/bus.

• Beijing West Railway Station Line – runs every 30 minutes; on the journey from the airport, it also stops in Beijing’s historic centre
• Beijing South Railway Station Line – service every 60 minutes
• Gongzhufen Line – runs every 30 to 60 minutes
• Tongzhou Line – every 60 minutes

Tickets and fares

Prices range from 20 cny to 30 cny depending on the distance travelled.

You can buy tickets at the kiosk before boarding the bus travelling from the airport.

If you are travelling to the airport, you can buy your ticket from the driver.

You can pay in cash or via the Chinese apps WeChat Pay, UnionPay or Alipay. Payment by Visa or Mastercard is not accepted.

Transport to Beijing Daxing Airport

If you need to travel to Beijing’s second airport Daxing PKX , you have several transport options.

Taxi

Taxis are the most comfortable, but also the most expensive, option.

Depending on traffic, a taxi fare ranges from 350 cny to 400 cny.

Bus

A direct bus service currently runs only three times a day, and a ticket costs 55 cny.

You can find the exact timetable on the airport’s website:en.bcia.com.cn/bus.

Underground

The most complicated route is by train and metro, which involves three changes.

• Capital Airport Express – travel to ‘Sanyuanqiao’ station
• Metro Line 10 – travel to “Cao Qiao” station
• Daxing Airport Express – takes you all the way to Daxing Airport

The total fare will be approximately 65 cny, and the journey time, including changes, will be around 75 minutes.