Qingdao Transportation

How to get in Qingdao
By Air:
Qingdao Liuting International Airport is the main hub for Shandong Airlines and a focus city of China Eastern Airlines. The flight paths linking Qingdao with Shanghai and Beijing are frequent. If you arrive in Beijing or Shanghai in the morning or in the afternoon, you even do not have to book the flight ticket to Qingdao ahead. Some International destinations include Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Seoul (Incheon), Busan and Frankfurt (via Shenyang). Qingdao also has flights to Hong Kong and Taipei. Asiana Airlines[28] serves Qingdao twice daily from Incheon airport.The airport is 32 km from the city proper, about half an hour taxi ride.

By boat:
From Incheon, South Korea there are ferries three times a week operated by Weidong Ferries [24] for KRW120,000, although the ferry is only marginally cheaper than a flight (booked a couple days in advance at non-peak times) and takes significantly longer.
There are also twice-weekly connections from Shimonoseki, Japan on Orient Ferries,the trip takes over 24 hours. In Qingdao it is possible to buy tickets from the port on the morning of departure. The voyage is one night from Shimonoseki to Qingdao, but two nights from Qingdao to Shimonoseki. The ferry also serves as a cargo vessel and after boarding in Qingdao, it will often take several hours to finish being loaded with cargo before it departs.

By Train:
Qingdao Railway Station (+86-532-6011111, reservations +86-532-2962777) is at 2 Tai'an Road (???2?) at the west end of Shinan District.
Trains from major cities not too far away include:
* Beijing — The High-speed train has 10 trains per day and takes 4h20m–5h26m hours.
* Shanghai — There are four direct high-speed trains between Shanghai and Qingdao, takes 6h25m–6h57m.

By Bus:
If you are travelling from within Shandong Province, going by bus is probably the easiest way. Especially now with the new excellent and fast expressways linking Qingdao with other cities in the province. There are several buses per day from Jinan, Taian, Qufu, as well as Yantai and Rizhao on the coast. They leave from and arrive to the bus station just outside the train station(????????????,Qingdao Railway Station Tourist Bus Station), but also from the new bus station north of town, which can be reached by local trolleybus number 5 in 20 minutes.


Get Around Qingdao City
By taxi:
As of December 2010, the meter rate for normal taxis starts at ?9 while the larger cabs start at ?12, plus a ?1 surcharge due to rising petrol prices. The meter is based on both distance traveled and time taken. If you take a taxi to or from the airport, and use the Qingyin expressway there will be a ?10 rate added to whatever the meter price is.

By Metro:
Qingdao commenced building its metro network in late 2009. The first line, Line 3,comprises 22 stations running 25.1km from Qingdao Station (???), passing May 4th Square and terminating at Qingdao North Station (????).
Line 2 began construction in 2012 and was to be finished by 2016, though now scheduled to open on October 28, 2017. Phase I of the line will run from Zhiquanlu Station (????) to Licungongyuan Station (?????) (18 stations, two transfers to Line 3).There is no metro connection to the airport yet. The airport will receive a station on Line 7, currently under construction and scheduled to be completed in 2020.

By bus:
The bus and trolleybus network is quite well put together and useful once you figure out the routes. Buses 11, 26,228, and 501 run from the railway station (Shinan Distict) along the coast via Donghai Xi Lu to all the beaches in the modern eastern part of town (Middle Hong Kong Road), where pubs and cafes are located. Many major routes have dedicated bus lanes, that can make taking the bus faster than taking a car during rush hour. Buses 316 and 231 will bring you to the center of the town from the newly renovated station. Regular buses cost ?1 and the air conditioned ones are ?2. If you get on a bus that goes really far (out to the suburbs) you need to tell the ticket person on the bus where you are going and it will cost up to ?6.

By bike:
Very few locals in Qingdao cycle because it is illegal on streets and sidewalks. When renting a bike make sure that it is legal to ride your planned route. There are more than 40km of waterfront trails. If you really want a work out, try hiking Fushan or the TV Tower hills as there are some decent mountain bike trails.