Located in the very center of China and being a prime destination connecting the east
and west, Xi"an is today one of the best connected cities in China in terms of travel.
There are numerous national and international flights in and out of the city airport and
the rail and bus services operating in the city are also good. By plane:
The city airport, Xiguan is approximately 40 km northwest of Xi"an.
Northwest Airways, China United Airways and Dragon Air all operate out of the airport.
There are daily flights to and from Xi"an to Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Guilin and Qingdao. There are a few
flights a week to Lhasa
and flights are now running to Hong Kong, Macau and Japan. China Northwest Airways run a minibus service between the airport and their Xi"an
booking center downtown on Laudong Lu. The bus runs every 50 minutes and costs
RMB20. A taxi to the airport will cost approximately RMB150. By train:
The train station in Xi"an is situated in the northeast of the town and is just outside
the city walls. This is a major stop for trains heading either west or east and the line
actually splits here. Some trains head north to Beijing and others east to Shanghai. There are direct
trains from Xi"an to Beijing (16 hours), Shanghai, Guangzhou (27 hours), Chengdu (17
hours), Hefei, Qingdao
and Urumuqi. There is a
foreigners ticket office on the second level of the train station which is open from 8.30
-11.30 and 2.30 -5.30. Make sure you bring your passport with you as you need this
document to register. You can also buy hard seats at an office on Lianhua Lu and most of
the major hotels will book train tickets for you, although they will charge for this
service. By bus:
The main long distance bus station is opposite the railway station in the northeast of the
city. There are buses from here to Huashan
Mountain (12 hours), Zhengzhou
(12 hours) and Yinchuan
(15 hours). City transport:
The easiest way to see the sights around Xi"an is either to join an organized tour (ask in
CITS or your hotel) or to take the excellent (and cheap!) Green Bus tour.
These buses leave from the Bell Tower
in Xi"an at regular intervals throughout the day. Riders purchase one ticket which allows
them to hop on and off as many of the buses as they choose in one day. Buses pass through
the major sites approximately every ten minutes and this is a great way to see the sites
at your own pace. The Eastern trip can be done in one day and includes:
the Ban Po Remains, the Huaqing Springs , Qin Shi Huang"s Mausoleum and the Terracotta Army. The Western trip
is further so allow a long day for this one! To the west the Green bus passes through:
Xianyang City, the Imperial Tombs, Yang Gueifei"s tomb and the Famen Temple. |