Xi’an Transportation

    Located in the very center of China and long a prime destination connecting the east and west, Xi'an is today one of the best connected cities in China in terms of travel. There are numerous national and international flights in and out of the city airport and the rail and bus services operating in the city are also good.
    For a large metropolis Xi'an has many areas that are easily accessible on foot. At many heavily zoned commercial, residential, educations areas in the city, there are underpasses or overpasses for the safety and convenience of pedestrians, especially in the shopping and entertainment districts around the Bell Tower. There has been a significant increase in the number of privately-owned vehicles to the middle and upper class households in Xi'an. Electrical bikes are very popular among students and offer easy transportation in and around the city for many residents. Taxi services are numerous but many citizens of Xi'an still commute to work on one of more than 200 bus routes.

    By Air
    Xi’an’s airport is located 50km (about 31 miles) northwest of downtown Xi’an in Xianyang, a neighboring city. Ranked as the fourth most frequented airport in China, Xianyang International Airport (XIY) is home to 68 domestic daily flights from almost every major Chinese destination and more than eleven international cities in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and Macao. In addition, there are charter flights to Singapore and Azerbaijan. Presently, with a total of 25 international air routs, Xi’an has become the city with most international connections in Western China.
    There are shuttle busses between the airport and the urban area with a 27 Yuan admission fee per person. Alternatively, at a price of 100-120 Yuan the journey can be made by taxi.
    Here we will offer some information on shuttle bus in detail.
    Line 1 – between airport and Melody Hotel near the Bell Tower
Tourists can reach many luxurious hotels in the city center by this line, like Hyatt Regency, Howard Johnson Ginwa Plaza Hotel, Bell Tower Hotel, Prince International Hotel, etc.
    Line 2 – between airport and railway station, passes by Qinfeng Hotel and Jiefang Hotel, passengers can take this line to get to the Diamond International Hotel.
    Line 3 – between airport and Huoju Dasha in Xi’an Hi-rech zone.
    Line 4 – between airport and Guomao Dasha in southern suburb, passes by Tangcheng Hotel and Orient Hotel.
    Line 5 – between airport and Jianguo Hotel in eastern suburb, passes by Empress Hotel.
    Though shuttle bus departing at downtown area leaves hourly from 6am to 6pm fro airport, the line 2 to 5 may be not in service after 3pm or 4pm except Line 1. While the departing time of bus from airport to downtown be according to the arrival time of flights. Even passengers of late arrivals can catch the service, but it will take passengers to Melody Hotel (near the Bell Tower) possibly not on to other destinations of line above.

    By Train
    The train station in Xi'an is situated in the northeast of the town and is just outside the city walls. This is a major stop for trains heading either west or east and the line actually splits here. Some trains head north to Beijing and others east to Shanghai. 
    There are direct trains from Xi'an to Beijing (16 hours), Shanghai, Guangzhou (27 hours), Chengdu (17 hours), Hefei, Qingdao and Urumuqi. There is a foreigners ticket office on the second level of the train station which is open from 8.30 -11.30 and 2.30 -5.30. Make sure you bring your passport with you as you need this document to register. You can also buy hard seats at an office on Lianhua Lu and most of the major hotels will book train tickets for you, although they will charge for this service.

    By Bus
    Xi'an is a highway traffic junction second only to Beijing. There are nine national highways radially access to the other cities in the country. The bus stations below are some important stations for you among the eight in Xi'an.
    i)Xi'an, Shananxi province Bus Station: Opposite Xi'an Train Station in the northeast of the city, there are buses from here to Mt. Hua (12 hours), the other cities in Shaanxi Province and the provinces nearby.
    ii)Passenger Station of West of Xi'an: Located at No.17 Mid-Changle Road, there are regular buses to the south Shananxi province and the east line of Xi'an reaching some counties such as Lintong County.
    iii) Xi'an City Bus Station: At No.19 Fengqing Road. Termly, there are buses to Baoji, Zhouzhi and Louguan and many other cities and counties.