Xian Transportation

Xi'an is a vital gateway city to western China, and is well-served by transport links. Xi'an Xianyang International Airport offers flights to most of China's major cities and to destinations in Asia, Europe, Oceania and America. Xi'an Railway Station is a vital part of China's rail network, as the city lies on the main east-west rail route that joins Shanghai in the east with the far western border of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Connections from Xi'an to all the major cities in China are possible. The flat terrain of this part of China, together with Xi'an's importance as a transport hub means that road access to the city is excellent, and long-distance buses are a popular form of economical transport, serving over 300 cities and counties. There is good transportation system for a Xian tour.

Xi'an's in-city transportation, while comprehensive, is currently over-stretched, with crowded buses making taxis a better option for most round-town trips. A new subway system is under construction, the first line of which is due to enter service in 2011.

By Air

Xi'an Xianyang International Airport is situated in the suburb of the city of Xianyang, 50 kilometers from downtown Xi'an. It takes about 80 to 100 Yuan and less than one hour to go to the airport from central Xian by taxi. As the fourth largest airport in China,there are several flights to and from Xi'an to the major tourist stops such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Urumuqi and other cities. There are also a few flights to Lhasa and international flights to Hong kong, Macao and Japan. The airport shuttle bus runs from 5 a. m. until 6 p.m. Five bus routes connect the airport and Xi'an. The departure times of the buses depend on the arrival times of the flights. The bus fare, regardless of route and direction, is 25 Yuan per person. At 3 pm ,in front of the Meilun Hotel, opposite the Drum Tower or Gulou ?there is also a bus leaving for the airport. For further information, please dial 029-88791384 or 029-88798780.

Route 1: Airport - Gulou (Meilun Hotel) - Xi'an Hotel

Route 2: Airport - Qingfeng Hotel - Train Station (Liberation Hotel)

Route 3: Airport - Qingdu Hotel - Xishaomen - Torch Tower (High-tech Economic and Development Zone)

Route 4: Airport - Tang City Hotel - Oriental Hotel - International Trade Center

Route 5: Airport - Queen Hotel - Jianguo Hotel

It is easy to take a taxi to the airport in Xi'an, the fare is between 80 and 100 Yuan.
 

By Train

The Xiyan Railway links Xi'an and Yan'an - the city in the north famed for its glorious revolutionary history. The Xikang Railway goes southwards to the heart of Sichuan Province. The Xi'an Railway Station has long distance trains to almost all the important cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanning and Zhengzhou.. For trains K42, K126, K562 and K440, travelers should book sleeper tickets five days in advance with their ID cards at any of the 14 ticket offices in Xi'an.

The Railway Station lies in the north of Xi'an and close to the Shangde Gate. From the city center, it takes about 30 minutes and 10 Yuan to get to the station by taxi. Alternatively, Buses No. 5, 9, 13, 14, 25, 42 and 603 also go to the station.

Train Ticket Offices in Xi'an: All branches or offices of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) offer train ticket booking services.

Xi'an Train Station Information Office: 029-87275071
 

Long Distance Bus

Xi'an is a key point in China's central and western national highway system; important expressways passing by are the Xibao, Xitong and Xiling Expressways. Xi'an also has many long distance bus stations:

Fengqing Road Bus Station

Address: 13# Fengqing Road; can be reached by bus No. 43, 502, 405 and 521

Tel: 029-84261906

This bus station mainly offers bus service to other provinces including Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Inner Mongolia as well as to Hanzhong, Baoji, Zhouzhi and Hu County in Shaanxi province.

Xi'an City Bus Station

Address: The West of the Xi'an Train Station Square; bus No. 3, 5, 9, 13, 14, 20, 228, 41, 42, 103, 105, 201, 205, 307, 610 and 611 pass the station.

Tel: 029-87412541

It offers bus service to other provinces including Ningxia, Gansu, Hubei, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei and Shandong as well as to some cities in Shaanxi.

Xi'an Nanguan Bus Station

Address: Outside the Zhuque Gate;can be reached by bus No. 6, 706, 608, 610, 512, 402 and 707

Tel: 029-88413477

This station can be reached by buses No. 6, 706, 608, 610, 512, 402 and 707. Travelers can take buses to the cities of Ankang, Shiquan, Xunyang, Hanzhong, Yan'an and Yunlin etc from here.

 
Xian in-city Transport

Xian Public Buses

Xi'an has a very convenient and advanced public bus network. Ordinary buses, whose first numbers are 1, 2 or 6, charge one Yuan per person, while buses with air-conditioning ask for two Yuan. Mini buses, whose first numbers are 5 or 7, charge 50 cents for the first three stops and an additional 50 cents for another four stops. Service hotline: 029-9600135

Xian Sightseeing Buses

Being a important tourist destination, Xi'an currently offers seven tourist bus lines whose numbers starts with the Chinese character "游" (the pronunciation is "you"), which mean "a sightseeing Bus".

Bus No. 1

Route: From the train station to the Mt. Huashan
Service hours: 7: 30 am – 5:00 pm
Fare: 18 Yuan?

Bus No.2

Route: From the train station to the Taibai Mountain via the Fameng Temple
Service hours: 7: 30 am - 5:00pm
Fare: 18 Yuan?

Bus No. 3

Route: From the train station to the Qianling Mausoleum
Service hours: 7: 30 am - 5:00 pm
Fare: 12 Yuan?

Bus No. 4

Route: From the train station to the Hanyang Mausoleum
Service hours: 6: 30 am - 6:00 pm
Fare: 3 Yuan?

Bus No. 5

Route: From the train station to the Terra Cotta Stone Warrior Army, passing by such famous tourists sights as the Li Mountain, Huaqing Pool, and the Mausoleum of the First Emperor
Service hours: 7: 00 am - 7:00 pm
Fare: 5 Yuan for one way and 8 Yuan for round trip

Bus No. 6

Route: From the Qujiang Campus of the Northwest Industrial University to the train station, passing by the Iron Stove Temple and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Service hours: 6:00 am - 8:00 pm
Fare: 1 Yuan for ordinary bus and 2 Yuan for air-conditioned bus

Bus No. 7

Route: From the train station to the west entrance of Keji Road, passing by the Drum Tower, Big Mosque, City Wall of the Southern City Gate and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Service hours: 7: 00 am - 7:00 pm
Fare: 1 Yuan for ordinary bus and 2 Yuan for air-conditioned bus

No. 610

Rtoue: Starting from the train station and passing by Beixin Street, Revolution Park, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Guangji Street, Zhuque Gate, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Nanshao Gate, Daxinshan Temple, Shaanxi Historical Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Mausoleum of the First Emperor.

Service hours: 7: 00 am - 7:00 pm
Fare: 1 or 2 Yuan subject to the distance

Xian Taxi

About 10, 000 taxis are now running in Xi'an. The starting rate of a VW Santana taxi is 6 Yuan plus 1.6 Yuan per kilometer after three kilometers. For taxis of other car types, the fares are 5 Yuan and 1.4 Yuan respectively. The night rate (applied from 10 pm to 6 am) is 7 Yuan for the first 3 kilometers and 30 cents added to the normal additional kilometer rate. Tourists can also rent a taxi for a whole day inside the city of Xi'an at the cost of 200 Yuan. A taxi for a day to ?Hua Mountain or the Famen Temple costs 300 Yuan, and one to the Taibai Mountain cpsts 350 Yuan. There are a number of taxi stops in the city zone where one can easily call a taxi. When deciding to rent a taxi on a daily basis, tourists should negotiate the fare with the driver before coming to a final deal. Taxi Service Hotline: 029-84264509