You land at Beijing Capital Airport at 9am. You have two choices. A taxi queue that currently has 40 people in it and a journey that could take 90 minutes in morning traffic for ¥150. Or the Airport Express train that runs every 10 minutes, takes 50 minutes to the city center, and costs ¥25. The Airport Express wins. Every time. Full transport context: China Transportation Guide.
Key Takeaways
- Beijing Capital (PEK): Airport Express to Dongzhimen. 50 min, ¥25.
- Beijing Daxing (PKX): Daxing Airport Express. 30-40 min, ¥35.
- Shanghai Pudong (PVG): Maglev to Longyang Road (8 min, ¥50) or Metro Line 2 (60 min, ¥8).
- Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA): Metro Lines 2 and 10 direct. 30 min to city center.
- DiDi beats metered taxis everywhere. DiDi guide.
- Domestic flights: Full domestic flights guide.
Beijing Airport Transfers
Beijing Capital Airport (PEK): Terminal 2 and 3
The Airport Express train runs from Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 to two central stations: Sanyuanqiao (Line 10) and Dongzhimen (Lines 2 and 13). Dongzhimen is the more useful stop: Line 2 connects to the entire city ring. Journey time: 50 minutes. Cost: ¥25. Runs every 10 minutes from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Pay with Alipay, WeChat Pay, or cash at the platform machines. The Beijing Capital International Airport has clear English signs to the train from each terminal.
Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX)
Daxing handles a growing share of Beijing flights, particularly on Hainan Airlines and some international routes. The Daxing Airport Express runs north to Caoqiao (Line 10) and Lize Business District (Lines 14 and 16). Journey: 30 to 40 minutes to Caoqiao. Cost: ¥35. From Caoqiao on Line 10 you can reach Sanyuanqiao (for Airport Express to Terminal 3) or loop to any central station.
Shanghai Airport Transfers
Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG)
Two options. The Maglev runs to Longyang Road in 8 minutes at 431 km/h. It costs ¥50 one way. At Longyang Road, transfer to Metro Line 2 for the city center. Total to The Bund area: around 40 minutes. Metro Line 2 alone runs from Pudong Airport all the way to Hongqiao Station in one line. It takes 60 minutes and costs ¥8. The Maglev is worth doing once for the experience. Line 2 is the sensible daily choice. Full Maglev guide: Shanghai Maglev Guide.
Shanghai Hongqiao Airport (SHA)
Hongqiao is the domestic terminal and is metro-connected with Lines 2 and 10 directly inside the station. 30 minutes to People’s Square on Line 2. The Hongqiao hub also contains Shanghai Hongqiao high-speed rail station, which is how most G-train passengers arrive.
Other Major Airport Transfers
| Airport | Best Option | Duration | Cost |
| Guangzhou Baiyun (CAN) | Metro Line 3 to city center | 45 min | ¥12 |
| Chengdu Tianfu (TFU) | Metro Line 18 to city | 50 min | ¥12 |
| Chengdu Shuangliu (CTU) | Metro Line 10 to city | 35 min | ¥8 |
| Xi’an Xianyang (XIY) | Metro Line 14 (new 2025) | 38 min | ¥8 |
| Hangzhou (HGH) | Metro Line 1 to city | 40 min | ¥10 |
| Chongqing (CKG) | Rail Transit Line 10 | 35 min to center | ¥8 |
Frequently Asked Questions
For the domestic flights context: China Domestic Flights. For the Shanghai Maglev specifically: Shanghai Maglev Guide.