When
it comes to traveling in China, most tourist opt to either fly or hop
on a train. The reasoning is quite simple: flying is fast and trains are
cheap.
There are times, however, when China’s massive, intercity bus system
is your best option. Perhaps the flights are too expensive or the train
is too full. Maybe you want to save a few dollars or you’re heading to a
place that isn’t serviced by an airport or train station.
Whatever the reason, if you plan to take a bus in China,
this guide should provide everything you need to know before you travel.
Since it has ended up being a relatively long guide, I’ve divided this
into multiple “chapters” to help make it easy to digest and you can skip
to what you want to read using the table of contents here:
If you find this guide helpful, please leave a comment below or share it on social media. Thanks!
Pros and Cons of Taking a Bus in China
There are a number of reasons why you might want to take a bus in
China…as well as a few reasons you would potentially want to avoid it.
Over the decade, I’ve seen my fair share of both while traveling on a
Chinese bus.
Let’s start by breaking down a few of the reasons that a bus is a good option for tourists:
- Frequency: Chinese buses often run at a higher frequency than flights in China
or trains. Most of the time you don’t have to worry about booking in
advance because there will be a bus between two cities that runs every
20 minutes.
- Convenience: Compared to Chinese airports and train
stations, security at a bus station is a breeze. I rarely arrive at a
bus station any earlier than 30 minutes before my departure and I still
end up waiting for 15 minutes.
- Station Location: Most of the time, Chinese bus
stations are located in the heart of a city as opposed to airports and
train stations which are usually on the edge of town. This can not only
save you time, it also saves you the expense of a taxi into town.
- Availability: I have never bought a bus ticket
earlier than a day in advance and often I buy it on the day of
departure. Unlike flights and trains, China bus tickets tend to have
more availability, giving you the flexibility to change your itinerary
at a moment’s notice.
That’s what makes China bus travel good. Here’s a bit of what I don’t like about China bus travel:
- Unreliable Comfort: Sometimes you get a relatively
new bus but often you’ll find yourself riding a vehicle that has seen a
couple decades worth of use. It’s a gamble you take and sometimes it can
be quite uncomfortable.
- Unreliable Delays: Unexpected delays are possible
(or in China, rather probable) no matter what form of transportation you
decide to take. Unlike planes and trains, buses usually leave right on
time. The difficulty comes with the unpredictability of the roads. I
have been stuck in horrendous city traffic for hours, my bus has been
stopped on the highway for a security checkpoint, my bus has broken down
and I’ve run into road construction delays. It sucks but there’s
nothing you can do about it.
- A Different Kind of Traveler: Buses are the poor
man’s transportation, there’s just no way around it. Don’t get me wrong,
the people are great, but since it’s not a high-profile means of
transportation the rules don’t always get enforced. For instance,
smoking: it’s not uncommon to see people smoking on a bus despite
numerous signs saying it is forbidden. I’ve also seen a man walk onto a
bus carrying a car windshield. No joke. His seat mate was miserable
during the entire ride! These kind of things technically aren’t
permitted but the rules are much more relaxed on Chinese buses.
Hopefully I haven’t discouraged you from attempting to take a bus in
China, I just want to make sure you have a dose of reality. There are
plenty of good reasons to take a bus – and I hope you do! – but make
sure you set your expectations before buying your ticket.
A Peek Inside a Chinese Bus
If you’ve never had a chance to look inside a Chinese bus and you’re
afraid about what you’re getting into, allow me to walk you through the
average bus.
Generally speaking, there are two basic kinds of buses in China: the seated bus and the sleeper bus.
Seated Bus: the seated bus is exactly what it sounds
like. There are usually two sets of two seats with a middle aisle and
all the seats facing toward the front of the bus. As a tall guy, I’ve
never had a complaint about the leg room in a Chinese bus but the seats
can be somewhat narrow.
Image Credit: Asia Adventures
Most buses have an entertainment system that will play Chinese movies
throughout the duration of the journey and most buses have an
air-conditioning and heating system (though not all). Your seat will
recline slightly but don’t expect a great sleeping position. A few
seated buses have a bathroom but often they won’t be available for use
(or you won’t want to use them anyway).
All seats in a seated bus are priced equally and are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis and prices are fixed.
Sleeper Bus: A sleeper bus is different in that
travelers each have a bed instead of a seat. There are usually three
rows of beds with two aisles in between and a bathroom toward the back
(which again, may or may not be available for use). There is a top and
bottom bed the entire length of the bus.
Image credit: Earthlooping
Anybody whose height exceeds 5’8″ will have trouble fitting onto one
of these beds, as I do. I don’t have the option to hang my feet over the
edge since that is somebody else’s bed so I end up having to scrunch up
a little.
These buses also usually have an entertainment system, A/C and
heating, although it all depends on the age of the bus you’re riding.
Beds are priced higher for the top bunk than the bottom bunk in a sleeper bus.
Getting to a Chinese Bus Station
To the unseasoned China traveler, it seems simple enough to find a
bus station, right? Just look up the word for “bus station” in your handy Mandarin phrasebook and tell the taxi driver. Boom! You’re done 🙂
Unfortunately,
it’s not always that easy. With the exception of small towns, most
cities in China have a number of different bus stations scattered
around. One may be a “long distance bus station” while the other is an
“International Bus Station.” Often, bus stations are categorized by
which direction their buses head (north, south, east or west) or even by
which specific city or region they service.
The bottom line is that the word “bus station” just doesn’t cut it.
You need to know exactly which bus station you want to go to. How do you
do this? Here are a couple ways:
- Travel Guide Books: Often, the best China travel guide books will give details on which bus stations go to which cities.
- Ask Your Hotel: Chances are they won’t know
off-hand, but they’ll be able to ask the appropriate people and then
write down the name of the bus station on a piece of paper that you can
hand your taxi driver.
- Ask Your Taxi Driver: Don’t just tell the taxi
driver to head to a bus station, tell him specifically which city you’re
taking a bus to. In many cases, a taxi driver will know where you
should go.
How to Find the Bus Schedule in China
In my opinion, the most confusing part about taking an intercity bus
in China is figuring out the schedule. Unlike trains and airplanes, you
can’t check schedules or even buy tickets online.
For most major intercity connections, China buses commonly depart
once every twenty minutes, half-hour or hour. I’m making a major
generalization here, I realize, but I’m assuming you’re not wanting to
go to some po-dunk village that isn’t on any map.
There are some cases where only a handful or even one or two buses
depart each day. In this case you’ll want to have an idea of the bus
schedule. I’m going to separate the following recommendations by whether
or not you can read Mandarin:
Yes, I Can Read Mandarin! Congratulations, your job
will be a bit easier here. Most bus stations either post their schedule
on the wall or have an LED board that lists destinations and departures
to each city. Sometimes they are translated into English but often they
are not.
Since you can read Mandarin, I assume you can also write/type as
well. In this case, I’ve had moderate success looking up “[city] to
[city] bus schedule” in Mandarin on baidu.com. The results aren’t always
up-to-date, but you’ll at least get a general idea of when a bus should
depart and how much it should cost.
No, I Can’t Read Mandarin. That’s ok, it’s really not a big deal. As I mentioned in an above chapter, you can always check out a good China travel guide book for bus schedules, although you should make sure that the book is the latest edition.
Other options include just asking the people at the bus ticket
counter who can often show you on a computer screen the times of
departure and how much a ticket will cost. Alternatively, perhaps your
hotel or hostel can give you some good information.
How to Buy Bus Tickets in China
Since buying bus tickets online has not yet become an option, you’re
left with only two options: buy a ticket at the bus station or (maybe)
have a proxy do it for you.
China now runs on a “real-name ticket system,” which means that you
have to have an official form of ID (your passport) in order to purchase
bus tickets. Once your ticket is bought, you can’t transfer this ticket
to anybody else without returning it and buying a new one.
Standing in line at a Chinese bus station isn’t my favorite activity
in the world, but it’s usually not as bad as, say, standing in line at a
train station. Most of the time I arrive on my day of departure, stand
in line and purchase a ticket. You’ll want to have cash ready for the
purchase since bank cards usually aren’t accepted – particularly foreign
credit cards.
It used to be that hostels would offer a ticket purchasing service
for guests (I’m not sure how many still offer this). You would need to
provide a photocopy of your passport and they’ll charge you a fee, but
at least you don’t have to stand in line yourself. An alternative would
be to purchase tickets online with a service like www.chinabusguide.com. It’s easy to use but not every city in China is included.
China Buses: Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve tried to provide as much information as I can in the above
chapter, but I consistently receive questions that I want to answer here
in detail.
What can you take on a bus?
The beauty of the Chinese bus is that you can take almost anything
you want. People take bicycles, overweight pieces of luggage,
instruments…you name it. There isn’t an official weight limit so
whatever can easily fit in the underneath hatch is usually permitted.
What are you prohibited from taking on a bus?
Like any other form of transportation in China, there are still some
things that you can’t take with you through the security checkpoint of
the bus station. This includes: knives, bottles of any kind of liquid,
fuel canisters (used for camping in China), lighters, etc. For drinks, you can buy water and sodas at shops inside the bus station.
Can you smoke on a China bus?
While officially prohibited, unfortunately I’ve seen plenty of
passengers and even bus drivers smoke on a China bus. Most people wait
for a rest stop to pull out their cigarettes but that’s not always the
case. If you don’t like smoking, it’s not impolite to ask the smoker
next to you to put out their cigarette. Be bold! You’re a foreigner and
you can get away with it.
Are there electrical outlets on a China bus?
No. I wish there were but I have yet to see a seated or a sleeper bus with electrical outlets.
Can I get off anywhere along the bus route?
Yes, you can. Just tell the driver exactly where you want to get off
(perhaps a specific village or place along the road) and they will stop
to let you off.
Do buses pick up hitchhikers in China?
Yes, they do. If you’re out in the boondocks, you can stand on the
side of the road and try to wave down a bus. They won’t stop if they’re
full, but if they stop just tell them where you’re going on and hop on.
You’ll have to pay the driver directly and they’re usually pretty good
about giving a fair price for transport.
Bus Tips from a Seasoned China Traveler
Over the many years that I’ve taken buses all across China, there are
a few quick tips I’ve picked up that I believe could be helpful to you
or even save you money. Hopefully you find them useful!
- Take the Night Bus: Want to save some money? Take
the night sleeper bus to save yourself the money of a hotel. It won’t be
as comfortable of a sleep but you’ll manage, I promise.
- Take Your Own Food: The rest stops for buses can be
sketchy at best. Food options are limited and the hole-in-the-wall
restaurants are usually a recipe for disaster. Stock up on food before
you leave to make sure you can survive on what you have in your own bag.
- Keep Valuables Up Top: While I definitely recommend
you store your luggage in the lower storage compartments, make sure you
have all your valuables with you at your seat. I’ve known a couple
people who have had items stolen from the below compartments.
- Bring Your Own Light: This tip is for the overnight sleeper buses. Sometimes you’ll have a light to read by but many times you won’t.
Conclusion: Taking a Bus in China
That’s it! I hope you’ve found this guide to be helpful. I’ve
thoroughly enjoyed the experience and adventure of taking a bus across
China’s beautiful landscape and I hope you have the opportunity to do
the same.
If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below
and if this has been useful please share this guide on Facebook,
Twitter, Google+ or any other social media platform. Thanks!
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