Dalian by taxi · Dalian by taxi
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Dalian by taxi
Dalian by taxi
Taxis are plentiful in Dalian and flagging one down is rarely a problem except in the more remote parts of the city (where high car ownership exists or large numbers of those who would have trouble paying a taxi fare)--or in rush hour. Rates start at ¥8 (¥10.40 after 10PM) for the first 3 km and ¥2 for each additional kilometer. For idle time, tack on ¥0.3/minute. Round all taxi fares to the nearest whole number (¥11.60 means a fare of ¥12) as drivers don't accept any coinage less than ¥1. Drivers range in mood, some acting quite gruff and excessively aggressive while some are keenly interested in where you originate from or other small talk. On the good side, they are less likely to take needlessly long routes compared to other tourist cities in China as Dalian is a relatively small city with a limited number of major highways/thoroughfares. Drivers don't understand basic English, however, so be prepared ahead of time to ensure accurate drop-off. If a driver is looking to pick up additional passengers along your route, encourage him or her to keep on driving unless you're comfortable with what might ensue. Especially during rush hour, when taxis are heavily sought after, it's quite common for drivers to pick up additional passengers if heading in the same direction as those in the cab.
A thing to note on taxis is however, same as anywhere in China is that during bad weather (eg: heavy rain, snow, etc), some drivers may decide to go off the meter (illegal but not enforced) or only accept far-away destinations. Plan your trip beforehand if there's bad weather.
The city does suffer from a large number of illegal (or "black") taxis, both drivers and vehicles (even vehicles that are painted and have meters may be operating illegally). These drivers may be hesitant to go on routes which might be more heavily patrolled. The driver may use the meter, thus charging you an accurate fare, but they will often times avoid giving a receipt. The best way to avoid running into any issues is to aim for the taxis which have a blue light on top of the car. This is the highest rating afforded to a Dalian taxi driver. Conversely, yellow is the lowest rating while all other colored-lights are somewhere in between.
Many taxi drivers smoke and play their radios. Some may also hesitate to start the meter so be sure you let them know to start it if you think they've forgotten or up to their tricks. Few use the A/C during the summer except for maybe during the hottest parts of day. The nicest thing about the taxis and size of Dalian is that ¥20 can go a long ways in getting around.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Dalian
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Dalian - updated May 2024
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Dalian Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
