Planning a Trip

Getting There

Shuangliu Airport is 17km (11 miles) south of Chengdu. Destinations include Beijing (eight or nine flights daily); Guangzhou (eight or nine flights daily); Hong Kong (one or two flights daily); and Kunming (8-10 flights daily). To Lhasa, there are one to four flights daily, but it's always best to book the 6am flight; later flights are often canceled or delayed. Travelers are no longer required to enter Tibet with a group of five or more, but Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permits are, for the time being, still required. It takes 3 to 7 days to obtain a permit. The price of a one-way flight to Tibet, TTB permit, and airport transfer in Chengdu is around ¥2,000 ($260/£130). All flights can be booked with any of the several English-speaking travel agents at and near the Traffic Hotel. Dragonair has an office in the Sheraton Lido (tel. 028/8676-8828) at Renmin Zhong Lu 15, 1 Duan. An airport shuttle from the China Southwest office on Renmin Nan Lu (next to Min Shan Fandian) takes 45 minutes and costs ¥10 ($1.30/65p); it departs every half-hour. A less direct CAAC shuttle (Minhang Banche), no. 303, leaves every half-hour from 7am to 7pm from the CAAC office at the North Railway Station. The 22km (14-mile) ride takes 70 minutes and costs ¥6 (80¢/40p). A taxi from the city center to the airport costs ¥50 to ¥75 ($6.50-$9.75/£3.25-£4.90), including a ¥10 ($1.30/65p) toll.

The main railway station is at the northern end of Renmin Bei Lu, 8km (5 miles) north of the Mao statue in the city center. The ticket office, open 24 hours, is to the right of the main building. Try to purchase tickets at least 2 days in advance. Major destinations include Beijing (fast trains; 26 hr.; hard sleeper ¥420/$55/£27), Kunming (fast trains 18 1/2 hr.; ¥257/$33/£17), and Shanghai (36 1/2 hr.; hard sleeper ¥467/$61/£30).

Xin Nan Men Bus Station (Xin Nan Men Qichezhan), at the corner of Xin Nan Lu and Linjiang Zhong Lu and next to the Traffic Hotel, is clean, efficient, and tourist-friendly (has signs in English). Air-conditioned buses leave from here for Le Shan (2 hr.; ¥38-¥42/$4.95-$5.45/£2.45-£2.70) and for Emei Shan (2 hr. 15 min.; ¥34/$4.40/£2.20); to Jiuzhai Gou (12 hr.; ¥108-¥121/$14-$16/£7-£8), Dujiang Yan and Qingcheng Shan (¥25/$3.25/£1.65).

Air-conditioned buses to Chongqing leave throughout the day from the equally clean, efficient Wu Gui Qiao Bus Station (Wu Gui Qiao Qichezhan) southeast of the city center on Yinghui Lu (4 1/4 hr.; ¥125/$16/£8). Buses to Wolong now leave from the Chadianzi Keyun Zhan in Chengdu's western suburbs near the Third Ring Road (San Huan Lu).

Visitor Information

Pick up the free monthly English-language Go West Magazine in hotels and Western-style restaurants for its listings of entertainment and shopping in Chengdu and Chongqing.

Getting Around

Chengdu's flat terrain and many bike lanes make walking and biking easy, but blocks are long, and crossing the river can require a trek before reaching a bridge. Renmin Lu bisects the city on the north-south axis. Its east-west counterpart is less straightforward: At the heart of the city (Tianfu Sq.), Renmin Xi Lu runs west from the square and Renmin Dong Lu runs east; after a block in either direction, the names change every block or so. Unfortunately, most of Chengdu's avenues have a multitude of names, making a street map essential.

Traffic Hotel (Jiaotong Binguan) at Linjiang Zhong Lu 77 rents bicycles for ¥15 ($1.95/£1) per day with a ¥300 ($39/£20) deposit. Take bus no. 6, 49, 50, or 55 and get off at the Xin Nan Men stop. City buses (¥1/15¢/10p; air-conditioned ¥2/20¢/10p) serve all parts of the city. Some buses charge ¥1 (15¢/10p) extra at night. Routes are on city maps. Both bus no. 16 and minibus no. 5 (not the full-size no. 5) running the length of Renmin Lu from the North Railway Station to the South Railway Station are useful lines. The most common taxi is the midrange Jetta. Taxi rates are ¥5 (65¢/35p) for the first kilometer, then ¥1.40 (20¢/10p) per kilometer thereafter; the rate increases to ¥2.10 (25¢/15p) per kilometer above 7km (4 1/3 miles). From 10pm to 6am the first kilometer costs ¥6 (80¢/40p); after that the fare is ¥1.70 (20¢/10p) per kilometer for the first 7km and ¥2.55 (35¢/15p) after that.

At the moment, the city is building the underground railway, Chengdu Metro, to be opened in 2010. Many roads are now blocked because of the construction work, and traffic is unpleasantly chaotic most of the time. Some of the bus routes may be affected.

Tours

Chengdu has enough good, English-speaking independent travel agents that you needn't bother with CITS and its generally higher rates. The best deals can be found inside and in the vicinity of the Jiaotong Binguan (Traffic Hotel). The Traffic Travel Service (inside the hotel) and Tianfu International Travel Service at the entrance to the hotel both book air and train tickets and offer a variety of tour packages. For a private guide, Mr. Tray Lee is a highly recommended freelance guide. His prices are competitive, his English excellent, and he's always reachable by mobile phone (tel. 0139/8160-5307; message only 028/8555-4250; fax 028/8556-4952; lee_tray@hotmail.com). His "Sichuan Opera" tour costs ¥80 ($10/£5.20) for admission, a backstage visit, one-way transportation, and an English-speaking guide. Die-hards stay for the whole 4 hours, but that's not required. BikeChina Adventures (www.bikechina.com), an American company based in Chengdu, arranges adventure bicycle tours through any part of China.

Fast Facts

Banks, Foreign Exchange and ATMs -- The Bank of China (open Mon-Fri 8:30am-noon and 2-6pm), Zhimin Lu 36 near the Traffic Hotel and Xin Nan Men Bus Station, has full foreign-exchange facilities and an ATM. The branch at Renmin Nan Lu opposite the Min Shan Fandian also has an ATM, and is open the same hours.

Consulates -- The U.S. Consulate is at Lingshiguan Lu 4 (tel. 028/8558-3992; open Mon-Thurs 1:30-5:30pm, Fri 9am-noon and 1:30-4pm; consular.chengdu@state.gov). Take bus no. 16, 61, 49, or 50 to Lingshiguan Lu.

Internet Access -- Try the Qilin Wangba and Jin Shou Wangba, which both charge ¥2 (25¢/10p) per hour. Both are halfway down the alley off Lingshiguan Lu near the U.S. Consulate. There is also an Internet cafe on the second floor above Xin Nan Men Bus Station that is surrounded by computer game machines. It also charges ¥2 (25¢/10p) per hour. Otherwise, you can find Internet cafes around the university, the U.S. Consulate, and the Jiaotong Binguan, most of them open 24 hours. Dial-up is tel. 163.

Post Office -- The Jinjiang Hotel post office (open 8am-noon and 2:30-5:30pm) at Renmin Nan Lu 80, 2 Duan, opposite the Min Shan Fandian, is reliable and conveniently located.

Visa Extensions -- The Exit-Entry Office of the PSB (Jingwai Renyuan Banzheng Qianzheng Ting) is at Wenwu Lu 144 (tel. 028/8640-7067; open Mon-Fri 9am-noon and 1-5pm). The entrance is at 391 Shuncheng Dajie. Processing time is officially 5 days, but 3 days seems to be the average, and it's even speedier if you show an ongoing ticket. Take bus no. 55, 62, or 73 from railway stations 16 or 64; get off at the junction of Renmin Zhong Lu and Wenwu Lu and walk east.