Transportation
How to Use the Metro in China
Choose a way to pay, find your platform and explore at your own pace.
A few familiar steps can make your first metro ride feel straightforward. This guide covers mainland China; use your city’s current information for fares, operating hours and airport connections.
On this page
Explore the City by Metro
A morning in an old neighborhood, lunch across town, an afternoon at a museum: the metro can make an unhurried day of exploring easier to plan. Choose a few stops, then leave time to walk between them.
Fares can be modest: Shanghai’s regular metro starts at RMB 3 for journeys up to 6 km. Prices vary by city, and airport or suburban services may use different fares. With heavy luggage or several transfers, compare a taxi for that particular journey.
Choose How to Pay
Choose one working option before heading to the station. You do not need to set up every app or buy a transport pass for a short visit.
| Option | Good for | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile ride code | Travelers already using a supported payment app | Activate the metro code for your city |
| Contactless bank card | A simple option where tap-to-ride is supported | Your card and the local network are eligible |
| Single-journey ticket | Occasional rides or a backup when phone setup fails | Choose your destination and keep the ticket until you exit |
Using Alipay: Open Transport, select your city and its Metro option, then follow the verification and payment prompts. Linking a bank card alone does not activate the ride code. Use the metro code rather than your ordinary shopping payment code.
Using a bank card: Cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu support eligible overseas cards at gates. Check local card logos and requirements; acceptance is not nationwide. Keep using the same physical card for entry and exit, rather than switching to its phone-wallet version.
Buying a ticket: Use a station machine or ask at the service counter. Keep some RMB cash as a backup and follow the payment options shown. In Shanghai, station service centers also accept overseas cards for ticket purchases.
Your First Metro Ride
Plan the whole route.
Check the destination station, transfers and final exit. Save the Chinese place name so you can show it to staff.
Prepare to enter.
Have your ticket, card or ride code ready. Expect a security check and follow staff instructions for your bags. After security, scan your ride code or use your card or ticket as shown on the gate.
Check the platform.
Match the line and direction with your route. Read the station list to confirm your stop is ahead. Let passengers off before boarding.
Follow transfer signs.
Allow time to walk between platforms. Before leaving the paid area, check whether your connection requires an exit and re-entry.
Complete the journey.
Use the same card or the same ride code in the same app to exit. With a single ticket, follow the gate instructions: some are collected, while others are scanned. Then follow signs to your chosen exit.
Small Things Worth Knowing
- Choose your exit carefully. Check the station’s area map before walking upstairs; it can save a detour at street level.
- Leave room in your schedule. Avoid commuter peaks when possible, and allow extra time for large interchange stations.
- Check the return trip. Look up the last train for your station and direction, including any connection.
- Travel comfortably. With luggage or a stroller, look for lifts or ask staff for the accessible route.
- Traveling together? Each fare-paying traveler needs a separate valid ticket, card or ride code. Ask staff about children’s fares and any supported companion codes.
4
If You Need Help
The station service counter is a useful first stop. Show your destination or the message on your screen.
My ride code will not open or scan
Check the city and metro service, your connection and any unfinished verification or payment prompt. Reopen the live code and increase screen brightness. If you have not entered, a single ticket is a backup.
I cannot exit, or my phone has run out of battery
Ask staff to help check your journey record. Show your original card or ticket if available and explain where you boarded. A missing record or fare adjustment may need resolving before you leave.
I boarded in the wrong direction
Get off at the next station and check signs for the opposite direction. Ask staff before exiting through a fare gate; the route to the other platform depends on the station layout.
Sources & Updates
Reviewed on 24 October 2026 using government and metro-operator information. City examples are not nationwide rules; check local station notices for changes.
- How to Take the Subway — Hunan Provincial Government / Ministry of Commerce 2026 Guide. Checked 24 October 2026.
- How Can Foreigners Obtain Public Transportation Card/Code? — Beijing Municipal Government. Checked 24 October 2026.
- How to Take Metro in Shanghai — International Services Shanghai. Checked 24 October 2026.
- Beijing Urban Rail Ticket Rules — September 2026 Revision — MTR Corporation (Beijing). Checked 24 October 2026.
- What Can’t I Bring into a Metro Station? — International Services Shanghai / Shanghai Metro. Checked 24 October 2026.
- Beijing Subway — Passenger Guide — Beijing Municipal Government / Beijing Subway. Checked 24 October 2026.
Sources by section and question