Getting Around China: Metro, Didi, and Shared Bikes

Last verified 2026-10-15 · re-checked every 45 days

Download Apple Maps (iPhone) or Amap (Android) before arrival, set up Didi with an international credit card, and unlock shared bikes by scanning with Alipay — WeChat Pay or Alipay is still required for the metro.

The map question first

Google Maps does not work in China. Plan for one of these three:

• Apple Maps (iPhone). Apple runs its own China map data and it works for basic routing, transit suggestions, and driving directions. The POI names are sometimes pinyin-only, which is less useful for showing taxi drivers. This is the default pick if you carry an iPhone. (NotesFromChina, 2026-08)
• Amap / 高德地图 (Android and iOS). Most accurate map of China — real-time transit, bike lanes, indoor mall maps, and actual Chinese place names (useful for showing drivers). The app is in Chinese, but the voice navigation can be switched to English, and you can drop a pin anywhere and send the coordinates to Didi. Download the offline map for each city before arrival, because WiFi inside tourist areas is unreliable. (ChinaNeighbor, 2026-10-01)
• Baidu Maps. Has a basic English mode, but less accurate than Amap. Only use if Amap does not work on your device. (ChinaNeighbor, 2026-10-01)

Save the Chinese name and address of your hotel into a note on your phone. Every taxi driver speaks Chinese place names. Pinyin is not enough.

Metro — the cheapest option

China has 50+ cities with metro systems, all safe, all fast, all with English signs at stations. Fares are ¥2–10 (US$0.30–1.50) depending on distance. Bilingual station names and exit numbers are the norm in tier-1 cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) and getting there in tier-2 (Xi’an, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Nanjing). (ChinaNeighbor, 2026-10-01)

Three ways to pay

1. Transit QR code inside WeChat Pay or Alipay — no deposit, easiest. Open WeChat Pay or Alipay, find the “Transit” / “Metro” entry, generate a QR code, and scan it at the turnstile. Fare deducts automatically. Works in almost every city. You need WeChat Pay or Alipay set up first — see Pay like a local for the setup. (ChinaNeighbor, 2026-10-01)

2. Single-journey ticket from a station machine. Insert cash and get a paper ticket. Critical limitation: machines only accept ¥5, ¥10 and ¥20 notes. They do not take ¥50 or ¥100, and they do not take international credit cards. If you only have a ¥100 note, go to the staffed ticket counter. Keep the ticket — you need it to exit. (ChinaNeighbor, 2026-10-01)

3. Physical transit card for stays of 3+ days. Beijing 一卡通 (Yikatong), Shanghai 交通卡, Guangzhou 羊城通, Shenzhen 深圳通. ¥20 refundable deposit, save 5–10% on fares, works on buses too. Buy at station counters or convenience stores, and refund at the end if you have time. (ChinaNeighbor, 2026-10-01)

Metro etiquette

• Stand on the right side of escalators (left side for walking).
• Let passengers exit before boarding.
• Do not eat, drink, or play loud music — fines apply.
• Peak hours 7:30–9:00 and 17:30–19:30 are crushingly busy; avoid carrying luggage if you can.

Didi — the ride-hailing app you should actually install

Uber sold its China operations to Didi in 2016. The Uber app does not work in China. Didi is the dominant ride-hailing app — same model as Uber, but with local quirks.

What Didi supports for foreign users

International credit cards work. Didi’s domestic app accepts Visa, Mastercard and American Express. You bind the card inside the app before your first ride. (Didi official credit-card binding rules)

English interface, in-app chat translation, SMS to any phone. Register with your international phone number — it works. The app auto-translates driver messages, and you can call the driver if needed.

Prices for a 10 km ride:

Surge pricing hits 1.2×–2× during rush hour, rain, or holidays. (ChinaNeighbor, 2026-10-01)

How to set up Didi before you leave

1. Download the app. iOS: App Store (search “Didi”). Android: Google Play (download in your home country — Google Play is blocked inside China).
2. Choose English on first launch.
3. Enter your international phone number and verify via SMS.
4. Add payment: international credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) OR WeChat Pay / Alipay (if you already set those up).
5. Drop a pin on your destination instead of typing the English address — addresses in English often fail to match. Landmarks work well (“Starbucks on Nanjing Road”).

In the car

• Didi drivers do not expect tips. Tipping does not exist in China. (NotesFromChina, 2026-08)
• Double-check the license plate against the app before getting in.
• Share the trip with a friend using the in-app feature if you are travelling alone.

The one scenario where Didi does not work

Small towns and tier-4 cities. If you are off the metro grid and Didi shows no cars, street-hail a regular taxi — look for a lit 空车 (kōngchē, “available”) sign on the roof, and insist on the meter (“qǐng dǎ biǎo”). Unlicensed “black cabs” at airports and train stations charge 2–3× the normal fare; avoid them. (ChinaNeighbor, 2026-10-01)

Shared bikes — ¥1.5 an hour, zero effort once unlocked

Three brands dominate: Meituan (yellow), Hellobike (blue), and Didi Bike (orange). All cost roughly ¥1.5 per 15 minutes. Every bike has a QR code on the frame — scan with Alipay or WeChat Pay to unlock.

The deposit problem — and how to solve it as a foreigner

The local trick is “芝麻信用” (Zhīmǎ Xìnyòng, Alipay Sesame Credit). Chinese users with a score over 650 get free deposit. As a foreigner you do not have a Zhīmǎ Xìnyòng score. Your options:

• Best: Keep a positive balance in your Alipay wallet. When you scan a bike, the app will attempt a ¥99 deposit hold (auto-refunded after you lock the bike). You need the wallet balance to cover the hold. (ChinaNeighbor, 2026-10-01)
• Alternative: Download the Meituan or Hellobike app and register with an international phone number. Meituan officially supports foreign phone numbers as of 2026-08. (Meituan developer announcement, 2026-08)

Rules you must follow

• Park inside a white box. Cities paint designated bike parking areas. Parking outside them triggers fines to your Alipay wallet (auto-deducted). When you lock the bike, the app confirms you are inside a proper zone.
• Wear a helmet if one is on the bike. Helmets are not always provided, but in a few cities it is mandatory.
• Watch for e-scooters and other bikes. China’s bike lanes are chaotic — e-scooters are fast, silent, and come at you from every direction.

What you still need cash for

Despite all the apps:

• Metered street taxis that refuse mobile payment (rare, but happens in smaller cities).
• Public toilets — some older ones still charge ¥1 with a coin.
• Markets and very small shops that only take physical renminbi.
• Emergencies. Keep ¥500–1,000 in cash as a backup. The bank’s ATM inside any international hotel can withdraw renminbi with your foreign credit card.

Common mistakes

• Not downloading offline maps. WiFi drops in the subway, in parks, and in hotels during peak hours. An offline map is not optional. (NotesFromChina, 2026-08)
• Typing English addresses into Didi. 30% of ride requests fail because the address does not exist in Didi’s English database. Drop a pin on the map instead.
• Trying to use a ¥100 note at a metro machine. They only accept ¥5, ¥10 and ¥20. Go to the counter if you have a large bill.
• Forgetting that you do need Alipay or WeChat Pay for the metro QR code. The transit QR lives inside those apps — there is no standalone metro app that takes international cards.

For the payment setup, see Pay like a local — Alipay and WeChat Pay. For train travel, see High-speed rail with a foreign passport.