Getting to Beijing: By bus

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Long-distance buses from areas as far as Shanghai and the Mongolian border connect to Beijing. You can reach areas as far as Harbin or Xi'an on a single bus ride. Beijing has over 20 long distance bus stations, but what you need to do is go to the bus station located on the edge of the city in the direction you want to travel.

• Xizhimen Long Distance Bus station (西直门长途汽车站 Xīzhímén Chángtú Qìchēzhàn), ☎ +86 10 62183454. Handles buses heading north and west. Destinations include Anshan, Baochang (宝昌 Bǎochāng), Baotou, Binzhou (滨州 Bīnzhōu), Boshan (博山 Bóshān), Changchun, Chengde (4.5 hrs), Chifeng (赤峰 Chìfēng, 12 hrs), Daban (大阪 Dàbǎn), Dazhangzi (大仗子 Dàzhàngzǐ), Fengshan (凤山 Fèngshān), Harbin, Hohhot, Huimin (惠民 Huìmín), Jinan, Jining (Shandong) (集宁 Jíníng, Shandong Province, 7 hrs), Jinzhou, Kuancheng (宽城 Kuānchéng), Lindong (林东 Líndōng), Linhe (临河 Línhé), Luanping (滦平 Luánpíng), Ningcheng (宁城 Níngchéng), Pingzhuang (平庄 Píngzhuāng), Qinhuangdao (7.5 hrs), Tieling (铁岭 Tiělǐng), , Leling (乐陵 Lèlíng), Pingquan (平泉 Píngquán), Xilin (锡林 Xīlín), Shenyang, Shacheng (沙城 Shāchéng, 5 hrs), Shanhaiguan, Shenmu, Shizuishan, Tangshan (唐山 Tángshān, 5 hrs), Weixian (蔚县 Wèixiàn, 8 hrs), Wudan (乌丹 Wūdān), Xuanying 选营 (Xuǎnyíng, 7 hrs), Xinglong (兴垄 Xīnglǒng), Yinchuan, Yingxian (应县 Yīngxiàn), Yulin, and Zhangjiakou (张家口 Zhāngjiākǒu).

• Deshengmen Long Distance Bus Station (德胜门外长途汽车站 Déshèngménwài Chángtú Qìchēzhàn), ☎ +86 10 82847096. Also handles buses for the north and northwest. Destinations include: Baochang (宝昌 Bǎochāng), Chicheng (赤城 Chìchéng), Dongmao (东卯 Dōngmǎo), Guyuan, Sandaochuan (三道川 Sāndàochuān), Yuxian (芋县 Yùxiàn), and Zhangjiakou (张家口 Zhāngjiākǒu).

• Dongzhimen Long Distance Bus Station (东直门长途汽车站 Dōngzhímén Chángtú Qìchēzhàn), ☎ +86 10 64674995/64671346. Handles buses heading northeast. Destinations include Changyuan (长垣 Chángyuán), Chengde (4.5 hrs), Chifeng (赤峰 Chìfēng, 12 hrs), Fengning (丰宁 Fēngníng, 5 hrs), Fengshan (凤山 Fèngshān), Guanshang (关上 Guānshàng), Huairou district, Jiaozhuanghu (焦庄户 Jiāozhuānghù), Mafang (马坊 Mǎfāng), Miyun County, Nanzhuangtou (南庄头 Nánzhuāngtóu), Pinggu district (2.5 hrs), Sishang (寺上 Sìshàng), Shunyi district, Wuxiongsi (吴雄寺 Wúxióngsì), and Xinglong (兴隆 Xīnglōng).

• Sihui Long Distance Bus Station (四惠长途汽车站 Sìhuì Chángtú Qìchēzhàn), ☎ +86 10 65574804. Handles buses mainly heading east. Destinations include: Changchun, Chengde, Dalian, Dandong, Liaoyang (辽阳 Liáoyáng), Tangshan (唐山 Tángshān), and Tianjin.

• Zhaogongkou Long Distance Bus Station (赵公口长途汽车站 Zhàogōngkǒu Chángtú Qìchēzhàn), ☎ +86 10 67237328. Handles buses heading south and southeast. Destinations include Cangzhou (沧州 Cāngzhōu, 3.5hrs., ¥70), Jinan (5.5hrs., ¥114), Tanggu (塘沽 Tánggū, 2.5hrs., ¥45), Tianjin (1.5hrs., ¥35).

• Lianhuachi Long Distance Bus Station (莲花池长途汽车站 Liánhuāchí Chángtú Qìchēzhàn), ☎ +86 10 63322354. Handles buses heading south. Destinations include: Kaifeng, Luoyang, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou.

Most of the buses from the Long Distance Bus Stations will be regular or express buses, which take the expressways; cost from ¥200-600 per trip, have comfy seats, and most rides do not take more than 6-12 hours, but sleeper buses are also available. Sleeper buses, with bunk beds in rows, average about ¥100 per trip, but many go really slowly up hills, avoid expressways, stop at every city or town, provide "meals" which you have to pay extra for, take the potholed National Highways to save money, and a bus ride can take up to 24 hours. The average speed is only 40 km/hr on the moderately fast sleeper buses, and the range could be from 25 to 60 km/hr. It may be a good authentic taste of how less wealthy Chinese people travel.