Where to catch it Wave down a taxi pretty much anywhere along the street, but there are official taxi stops along the streets where you may have more luck. At the train stations and busy walking squares there are certain areas marked off for taxis, most people politely wait in line in these areas, but there are some exceptions.
How much does it cost? Yellow Taxis start at 5 RMB for the first 3km and 1.8 RMB for each additional km. After 10 pm the meter starts at 5.9 RMB. On average it costs around 40-50 RMB from one major district to the next (ex. Shapingba to Jiefangbei, Yangjiaping to Nanshan). Between destinations within one district it averages 20-30 RMB.
To the Airport Bargain with taxi drivers if you want to go to the airport. They almost always start at 100 RMB–but depending on your distance from the airport you can usually get a ride for less (50-70 RMB)—most drivers will refuse to take you if you want them to use the meter. From the airport into the city is always 100 RMB, and they rarely settle for less.
Did You Know?
Taxi Phones Pretty much all taxi drivers carry a cell phone and they will let you borrow it to call a number and get further directions, so if a phone number is available remember to bring it along. (Particularly helpful if your Chinese is rudimentary as you can just dial the number and hand it back to the driver)
Shift Change The worst time of day to catch a taxi is around 4:00-5:00 pm, when they are changing shifts. Who knows why all the drivers in the city change shifts at the same time, but if you aren’t going in the direction they want to be going to meet the next driver they will refuse to take you.
Beware the White Taxi On rare occasions you may see white taxis instead of the typical yellow ones. These are “luxury” taxis and have higher fares.
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