Transport in Guǎngzhōu - Lonely Planet Travel Information

Getting there & away

Contents

Land
Boat
Air

Land

Bus

Guǎngzhōu has several long-distance bus stations with services to all parts of Guǎngdōng, southern Fújiàn, eastern Guǎngxī and even further afield. There are three useful stations clustered around the main train station. These are the Liuhua bus station (Liúhuā Chēzhàn) across Huanshi Xilu in front of the train station, the Guǎngdōng long-distance bus station (Guǎngdōng shěng qìchē kèyùn zhàn; Huanshi Xilu) to the right and another long-distance bus station (shì qìchē kèyùn zhàn) over the footbridge leading from the train station. All of these stations have buses to Shēnzhèn (Y60, two hours, every 12 minutes 6am to 11pm), Zhūhǎi (Y72, 2½ hours, every 15 minutes 7am to 9pm), and Kāipíng (Y45, 2 hours, every forty minutes).

Buses for other destinations leaving mostly from the long-distance bus stations include: Fóshān (Y12 to Y14, 45 minutes); Guìlín (sleeper Y150 to Y180, 13 hours); Hǎikǒu (sleeper Y180 to Y280, 16 hours); Nánníng (sleeper Y150 to Y180, 15 hours); Shàntóu (Y90 to Y180, six hours); Zhàoqìng (Y30, 1½ hours); and Zhōngshān (Y30 to Y35, two hours).

If the train station area is too anarchic for you, head to the clean and orderly Haizhu Passenger Station (Hǎizhū Kèyùn Zhàn; 182 Nanzhou Lu) in the southern Hǎizhū district. You’ll find buses to the same destinations listed above as well as buses to Qīngyuǎn (Y20, 1½ hours) and Méizhōu (Y100, six hours). There are also buses to Yǒngdìng (Y130, sleeper, 11 hours) and Fúzhōu (Y240, sleeper, 15 hours) in Fújiàn. Express buses drop passengers off at the Luó Hú border checkpoint at Shēnzhèn (Y60, one hour, 6.50am to 8.20pm).

The easiest way to get to Hong Kong is by the deluxe buses that ply the Guǎngzhōu–Shēnzhèn freeway in 2½ hours. Most of the top end hotels, including the Dong Fang, China and Guangdong International Hotels, have tickets and they cost around Y100 (Y250 to Hong Kong International Airport). Direct buses through Zhūhǎi to Macau (Y60, 2½ hours) leave from the China and Garden Hotels.

Train

Guǎngzhōu’s main train station, which is useful for short-distance destinations such as Zhàoqìng (Y24, 2½ hours), is a chaotic and seething mass of humanity. To get there, catch metro line 2 from Guǎngzhōu Huǒchēzhàn station; note that the train station will be moved to outlying Panyu in 2008. The Guǎngzhōu east train station, on the other hand, which serves more far-flung destinations, is a model of efficiency. To get there, take metro line 1 Guǎngzhōu Dōng Zhàn station. Bus 272 (Y2) links the two stations while bus 271 (Y2) goes between the Liuhua bus station and the Guǎngzhōu east train station. Metro line 1 runs to the east train station and line 3 should be linked by the time this book goes to press.

Travellers will find ticketing at the east station a fairly straightforward affair, with separate ticketing booths (7.30am-9pm) for Hung Hom, in Hong Kong’s Kowloon (Y186-196, HK$180-190, 1¾ hours), and a dozen fast trains a day between 8.35am and 9.23pm. There are four high-speed through trains per day to Shēnzhèn (Y80, 55 minutes), on the border with Hong Kong. Signs are in English. There are local trains to Shēnzhèn (Y76, two hours) departing every half-hour from about 6.30am to 10.20pm.

Trains also head north from here to Shànghǎi (Y427, 21 hours) and Běijīng (Y458, 22 hours), as well as destinations all over the country.

Despite all the hassles at the main Guǎngzhōu train station, booking train tickets here is a lot easier than it used to be. There are two separate places to buy them at the station itself. A 24-hour ticketing office is in the hall to the left of the large clock as you face the station. Current, next-day and two-day advance tickets are sold in the white and silver building just east of the station, open daily from 5.30am to 10.30pm.

CITS Guǎngzhōu near the main train station will book train tickets up to five days in advance for a service charge of about Y20.

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Boat

Guǎngzhōu is a major port on China’s southern coast but most ferry and catamaran services have been discontinued, victims of improved land transportation. However, there are still services within the greater Guǎngzhōu metropolitan area to/from Hong Kong and far-flung Hǎinán. Tickets are available from CTS Guǎngzhōu and the travel desks at most top end hotels.

High-speed catamarans, run by the Nanhai Pinggang Passenger Transport Co (8444 8218), make two trips a day from the port of Nánhǎi in Píngzhōu, located about 23km southwest of Guǎngzhōu, to Hong Kong. Boats depart from Nánhǎi at 9.15am and 4pm and from Hong Kong at 8.05am and 2pm. The trip takes 2½ hours and costs Y180/170 in 1st/2nd class. Shuttles to Nánhǎi run from the Garden Hotel.

Ferries for Hǎikǒu on Hainan Island (Hǎinán Dǎo) depart from the pier at Huángpǔ (8227 9839), located some 32km southeast of Guǎngzhōu, at 3.00pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The trip takes 18 hours and the prices range from Y180 in 5th class to Y450 in 1st class. In the opposite direction, ferries leave Haikou’s Xiuying Harbour (0898 6865 3315) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4pm.

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Air

China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC; Zhōngguó Mínháng) is represented by China Southern Airlines (Zhōngguó Nánfāng Hánglōng; CZ; 800-820 6666, 8612 0330; www.cs-air.com; 181 Huanshi Lu; 9am-6pm), arguably China’s best-run airline. The office is southeast of the main train station. The ticketing office on the 2nd floor is open round the clock. For general flight information ring 96060.

China Southern has six daily flights to Hong Kong (Y1219 one way, 35 minutes). There are also flights to Shànghǎi (Y1390) and Běijīng (Y1810). The domestic airport tax is Y50.

International destinations served by China Southern include Amsterdam, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Osaka, Paris, Penang, Singapore and Sydney. The international airport tax is Y80.