Overview
Getting around Chinese cities as a foreigner requires understanding your transportation options. Didi and traditional taxis both serve the same purpose but offer very different user experiences. Here's how to choose the right one for different situations.
Didi: China's Dominant Ride-Hailing Service
Didi Chuxing is far more than just China's Uber — it handles millions of rides daily across hundreds of cities. For foreign travelers, Didi offers significant advantages: the app works in English, handles Chinese addresses automatically, supports international phone numbers, and accepts multiple payment methods including foreign credit cards through Alipay.
Traditional Taxis: Still a Valid Option
Taxis remain plentiful in Chinese cities and offer the advantage of spontaneity — no app needed, just flag one down. They're generally safe and metered. The main challenge is the language barrier when telling drivers where you want to go, and ensuring they use the meter correctly.
When to Use Each
Didi excels when you need to go somewhere specific and can plan ahead, especially from airports or train stations, when traveling to unfamiliar areas, or when you want price transparency. Traditional taxis work well for short spontaneous trips, areas with poor app connectivity, or when you see an empty taxi and don't want to wait for Didi to arrive.
Cost Comparison
Street-hailed taxis run on a meter: the flag-fall in most large cities starts around CNY 10–14 for the first 3 km, then adds a per-kilometre charge, with small surcharges at night or for fuel. Didi shows a full price estimate before you book, which removes meter anxiety, but surge pricing during rush hour, rain, or holidays can push a Didi ride well above the equivalent taxi fare. For short city hops a taxi is often cheaper off-peak; for longer trips the two usually land within a few yuan of each other.
Payments and Receipts
Didi charges the fare automatically to the payment method linked in the app — Alipay, WeChat Pay, or an international card — so no cash is needed at the end of the ride. Taxis are legally required to accept cash, and many city taxis now display a personal QR code for mobile payment; carrying CNY 50–100 in small notes covers the cases where neither works. Ask taxi drivers for a receipt (fapiao, 发票) if you need one for expense reports — Didi receipts can be requested in the app.
Safety Notes
Both options are safe by the standards of most countries' big cities. With Didi, confirm the plate number and model before boarding, use the in-app "share trip" feature so a friend can follow your route, and use the emergency button if anything feels wrong. With taxis, insist the driver runs the meter, avoid unlicensed cabs soliciting at tourist spots, and take official ranks at airports and rail stations. Licensed taxis display a driver ID card on the dashboard.
The Short Verdict
Install Didi before you arrive and link a payment method — it removes the language barrier and gives you a fallback almost everywhere in China. Keep taxis as your spontaneous option: when you are standing outside a metro station at midnight with a short ride ahead, the queued cab is usually the faster and cheaper choice.