China · airport pick-up
Airport car rental in Beijing
Pick up a rental car at Beijing's airport terminals. Expedia Cars covers every major counter on arrivals — collect your key minutes after baggage claim, drop off at the same gate, no shuttle hassle.
- ✓On-airport counters at every Beijing terminal
- ✓No off-site shuttles for the major brands
- ✓Flexible fare options shown per flight
- ✓One-way drop-off available · Powered by Expedia Cars
What first-timers get wrong in Beijing
Cash is nearly extinct, so set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before arriving or you will struggle in shops and taxis alike. Every major site needs advance booking against a passport, and Forbidden City slots vanish in minutes. Bag scans happen at every subway entrance. The tea-house invitation from friendly English-speaking students near Wangfujing is the long-running scam.
What things cost in Beijing
Subway rides cost ¥3 to ¥6 for most city journeys on a distance formula. A bowl of noodles is ¥15 to 25, while a whole Peking duck for two at Siji Minfu comes to ¥250 to 350. Forbidden City entry is ¥60 in summer. Mutianyu totals about ¥180 with cable car and shuttle. A Didi across the third ring runs ¥30 to 60.
Beijing with kids, realistically
Beijing is spread out and a day here means real distance, since the Summer Palace, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven each involve a couple of hours on your feet. The zoo's pandas and the aquarium beside it suit under-eights. Subway transfers are long, every entrance scans bags, and lifts are inconsistent. Winter cold and spring dust storms both bite hard.
What to eat in Beijing
Peking duck is what most visitors build the trip around: Siji Minfu queues for hours at its Forbidden City branch, Da Dong is the expensive refinement, Bianyifang works the older closed-oven method. Beyond duck there is zhajiangmian, jianbing crepes off morning carts, and copper-pot mutton hotpot at Donglaishun. Guijie, Ghost Street, trades around the clock on spicy crayfish and is a genuine local habit.
Beijing after dark
Sanlitun is the international district, split between Taikoo Li's polished bars and the older bar street behind it. Gulou and the hutongs around Fangjia and Doujiao carry the live music and small-bar scene, thinner now after repeated noise crackdowns. Houhai lakeside is loud, touristy and full of cover bands. The subway shuts around eleven, so plan a Didi home.
When to go to Beijing
| Best months for airport-cars | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| April | 22°C / 72°F | 3 days |
| October | 19°C / 66°F | 4 days |
| May | 28°C / 82°F | 5 days |
The month to avoid is January — around 2°C (36°F) with roughly 1 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: April is the sweet spot, January the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Summer clothes, plus one light layer for air-con and evenings, Evenings turn genuinely cool — pack a warm layer for after dark, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.
Where to base yourself in Beijing
- Hutongs (Dongcheng) — Old grey-brick lanes — courtyards, dumpling shops, the Drum Tower.
- Sanlitun — Nightlife and shopping district — bars, restaurants, designer boutiques.
- Wangfujing — Pedestrian shopping street — souvenir stalls, big-brand stores, snack streets.