Tips about Taking a Taxi in China

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When visiting almost any town in China, taking a taxi is usually the easiest, most efficient way to get from one place to the next. The key to successfully navigating the China taxi system, though, is to come prepared.

BEFORE YOU TAKE THE TAXI

Before you even step foot inside the taxi there are a couple things you might want to have with you:

Cash – most all Chinese taxis do not yet accept credit cards. Cash is crucial!

Your Destination – if you don’t speak Mandarin very well, you’ll want to have the name of the place you’re going written down on a piece of paper. It’s not hard, so don’t worry! Most hotels can help you by writing down your destination in Chinese characters and you’ll want to pick up a card in the hotel lobby that says the name and address of that hotel. When entering the taxi, just hand the card over and they’ll know where to go from there.

TIPS FOR TAXI TRAVEL

Taxis vary from place to place in China, including both the condition of the vehicle and the price. In many cities there are general places that are easier to get taxis than others (close to hotels, for instance), but all you need to do is wave your hand at an empty taxi to pull them over.

At this point here are a few tips to make your journey as painless as possible:

• Always enter and exit from the passenger side – even when you're in the back seat. Sometimes the driver’s side door doesn’t even open. Most of the time you can sit in the front seat unless it's late at night (for safety reasons).

• Make sure the driver drops the meter – this is especially true when exiting the airport/train station/bus station. Some drivers will try to take advantage of you and “bargain” a price with you. This is illegal and you’ll probably get ripped off if you do so. Make sure they “drop the flag” on the dashboard meter to start your service.

• Pay Using Small Bills – if your fare is 10 RMB, don’t give the driver a 100 RMB bill. Many travelers have reported receiving fake bills in return and sometimes drivers won’t even have the correct amount of change.

• Don’t Tip the Driver – this isn't a custom in China and he's not expecting it…even from foreign travelers. Just say a thank you and be on your way.

• Keep the Receipt – at least for a few days. Why? The receipt has the vehicle number, so that if you happen to lose your wallet you can have your hotel call up and locate the exact taxi driver to return your belongings.

Source:travelchinacheaper.com

Pictures are from the internet.

CHINESE LANGUAGE PHRASES FOR TAXISWhere are you going?
Nǐ qù nǎr?
I am going to_____.
Wǒ qù _____.
Go straight.
Yīzhí zǒu.
Turn left/right.
Zuǒ guǎi /Yòu guǎi.
Turn left over there
Zài nàli zuǒ guǎi.
Turn right over there.
Zài nàli yòu guǎi.
Turn left here.
Zài zhèli zuǒ guǎi.
Turn right here.
Zài zhèli yòu guǎi.
Turn left at the second crossing.
Dì èr gè lù kǒu zuǒ guǎi.
Turn right at the first crossing.
Dì yī ge lù kǒu yòu guǎi.
Turn right at the next crossing.
Xià yī ge lù kǒu yòu guǎi.
Turn left at the next crossing.
Xià yī ge lù kǒu zuǒ guǎi.
Stop the car.
Tíng chē.
Please stop the car. Thank you.
Máfán tíng chē. Xièxie.
Please stop here.
Zhèli tíng chē.
Please stop over there.
Nàli tíng chē.
Please stop in the front.
Qiánbian tíng chē

Happy Saturday! Hope that was some useful information. If you have any ideas about what you would like to know about living in China, don't hasitate to Comment below (click "写评论" at the bottom of the page) to let us know. And don't forget to share this article with friends by pressing "..." in the top right corner.

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