As the capital of Sichuan Province and the major city in Southwest China, Chengdu has the developed transportation network. It has one of China’s busiest airports; it is the intersection point of five trunk railway lines; it is connected with thousands of miles of expressways and has dozens of coach stations sending passengers to various destinations. Within the city area, there are subways, city buses, taxis and many other transport conveniences for passengers to choose from.
By Air
The city of Chengdu has 2 airports serving passengers:
Shuangliu International Airport (CTU): The airport is located in Shuangliu County, southwest of Chengdu City, about 16 kilometers away from the city center. It has two terminals and is one of the eight major regional hub airports in China. It has opened more than 300 routes. The underground level of the second terminal building of Shuangliu Airport is equipped with the "Chengdu Mianyang Leshan Intercity Railway" Shuangliu Airport Station.
Tianfu International Airport (TFU) : It is around 50 kilometers southeast to the city center. Have in mind which airport you are going to land in or depart from to save trouble.
Frequent one-hour flights are available to Zhangjiajie which is famous for Avator Mounatin in Hunan Provicne, Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. Flights to Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province, take about one and a half hours, with two-hour flights available to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. It is convenient to visit the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Spot by air, a 40-minute flight to Jiuhuang (Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong) Airport.
By Train
Chengdu, known as the largest railway hub in southwest China, has convenient railway transportation. At present, it has three railway stations for passenger transport: Chengdu Railway Station, East Railway Station, Chengdu West Railway Station and South Railway Station.
By Long-distance Bus
In the city of Chengdu, there are several main coach stations transferring passengers within or outside Sichuan Province, including Xinnanmen Bus Station (Tourism Bus Center), Chadianzi Bus Station, Tianfu Airport Bus Station, East Railway Station Bus Station, Beimen (North Gate) Bus Station.
Getting Around Chengdu
City Bus
Public bus services extend in all directions. You can get to most of places, especially sights inside the city, by bus. The ticket fare is usually CNY 2. It is advised to take some loose change.
In addition, four sightseeing lines and some city tourist bus lines take visitors to most attractions in Chengdu downtown. There are also many direct tourist buses to famous attractions in nearby cities.
City Metro
Currently, Chengdu metro line 1, line 2, line 3, line 4, line 5, line 6, line 7, line 8, line 9, line 10, line 17 and line 18 are in operation. Passengers can take line 1 from Weijianian to Science City via North Railway Station, Tianfu Square, Sichuan Gymnasium, South Railway Station, Jincheng Plaza and other places in the city. Line 2 can take travelers to Chadianzi Bus Station, People's Park, Chunxi Road, East Railway Station, Institute of Public Administration and other areas. Line 3 runs between Taipingyuan and Military General Hospital, passing Chunxi Road, Chengdu Zoo, Xinnanmen Bus Station and Zhaojue Temple. Line 4 connects Xihe and Wansheng, passing some popular scenic areas like Wide and Narrow Alley, Sichuan Museum and Cultural Park.
Linking Huagui Road and Huilong, metro line 5 has 41 stations stretching around 49 kilometers. Line 6 links Wanggongci and Lanjiagou, covering Southwest Jiaotong University and Renmin Road North. Line 7 passes South Railway Station, East Railway Station and North City Bus Station with a duration of 66 minutes. Line 8 travels between Lianhua and Shilidian. Line 9 connects Huangtianba and Financial City East via 13 stations. Chengdu metro line 10 links Taipingyuan and Xinping, passing Terminal 1 & Terminal 2 of Shuangliu International Airport. Line 17 links Jinxing and Jitouqiao, running in the northwest-southeast direction. Line 18 operates between South Railway Station and Tianfu Airport North, containing 9 stations.
In addition, Line 13, Line 19, Line 27 and Line 30 will serve the public in the near future.
Taxi
Hundreds of taxi stands are available in the city. Except hailing a taxi at a stand, it is also feasible to take one along the street. To shuttle around by cab, you’d better avoid the rush hours between 07:30 – 09:00 & 17:00 – 19:00.
Dockless Sharing Bike
Riding a bike can be the best choice for a leisurely city tour. You can find many dockless bikes on the streets of Chengdu. Visitors just need to download bike sharing apps and finish the ID verification procedure to use these bikes. It usually costs CNY 0.5 - 1 for every 30 minutes.
