Planning a Trip

Getting There

Dalian's airport (Zhoushuizi Guoji Jichang) is roughly 5km (3 miles) northeast of downtown on Yingke Lu (20 min. by taxi; ¥30/$3.90/£1.95), airport buses cost ¥10 ($1.30/65p). Exchange traveler's checks on the second floor, next to the international check-in desk (no credit cards). China Northern Airlines, in the Minhang Dasha at Zhongshan Lu 143 (open 6am-6pm; tel. 0411/8280-2886), sells tickets to Beijing (11 flights daily), Shanghai (seven flights daily), Guangzhou (five flights daily), Hong Kong, and Seoul. All Nippon Airlines has a ticket counter on the first floor of the Sen Mao building (intersection of Zhongshan Lu and Wuhui Lu; tel. 800/810-5551; fax 0411/369-2508; open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm). The counter sells tickets to Tokyo (daily) and Osaka (Mon-Sat).

Airport shuttles (departing every 2 hr.; 8am-4:40pm; 20 min.; ¥10/$1.30/65p) from the Furama Hotel (next to the Shangri-La, see below) and Minhang Dasha. Or take bus no. 701 from the corner of Yuguang Jie and Youhao Lu (45 min.; ¥1/15¢/10p). By taxi, the trip between the airport and downtown takes 20 minutes and costs ¥30 ($3.90/£1.95).

Dalian's railway station (Dalian Zhan) is in the center of town, opposite Shengli Guangchang (Victory Sq.). Trains go to Beijing (two daily; 11 1/2 hr.; ¥257/$33/£17), Shanghai (1:08pm; 22 1/2 hr.; ¥446/$58/£29), Shenyang (five daily; 3 1/2 hr.; ¥55/$7.15/£3.60), Harbin (9:54pm; 9 hr.; ¥231/$30/£15), Dandong (8:46am; 10 1/2 hr.; ¥110/$14/£7.15), and Lushun (6:55am; 1 3/4 hr.; ¥10/$1.30/65p). Most long-distance buses congregate around Shengli Guangchang (tel. 0411/8362-8681). Express air-conditioned coaches to Dandong (eight daily; 4 hr.; ¥85/$11/£5.50) and Lushun (¥11/$1.45/70p) leave from the square's west side; buses to Harbin (one daily; 13 hr.; ¥210/$27/£14) and Changchun (two daily; 8 hr.; ¥156/$20/£10) and to Shenyang (10 daily; 4 hr.; ¥107/$14/£6.95) leave from the east side.

Ferries leave from the Dalian Keyun Zhan (tel. 0411/8263-6061 or 0411/8262-5349), on Gangwan Jie (east end of Renmin Lu), for Yantai (2pm; 3 hr.; ¥230/$30/£15), Tianjin (even days 8pm; 12 hr.; ¥130-¥720/$17-$94/£8.45-£47), and Incheon (Renchuan) in South Korea (Mon, Wed and Fri 2:30pm; ¥1,010/$131/£66). The ticket office is open from 4am to 10pm; Yantai express tickets are also sold at booths near Shengli Guangchang. Take bus no. 801 (15 min.; ¥1/15¢/65p) from Youhao Guangchang. The 10-minute taxi ride costs ¥10 ($1.30/65p).

Visitor Information

The Tourism Bureau has an information line (tel. 0411/96181) and a complaint line (tel. 0411/8433-9970).

Getting Around

Downtown Dalian is arranged around a series of traffic circles. The two most important are Youhao Guangchang (Friendship Square), dominated by a glass globe in the center, and Zhongshan Guangchang, the city's transportation center. Ten roads radiate from Zhongshan Guangchang, including Renmin Dajie, a major avenue that runs east to the wharf, and Zhongshan Lu, which runs west past the railway station to the city's far southwestern corner. Taxis charge ¥8 ($1.05/50p) for the first 3km (2 miles), then ¥2 (25¢/15p) per kilometer; it's 30% extra from 10pm to 5am. Regular buses (without air-conditioning) cost ¥1 (15¢/10p), air-conditioned and minibuses cost ¥2 (25¢/15p); pay as you get on. Bus no. 801 runs the length of Zhongshan Lu and Renmin Dajie. A tour bus takes visitors around the city from the south side of Dalian Railway Station South Square to Zhongshan Guangchang (every 30 min.; 1 1/2 hr.; ¥10/$1.30/65p). Real Japanese-built trolleys go from Erqi Guangchang in the east to Xinghai Gongyuan in the southwest.