Didi & Taxi Guide + Address Card

🚕 Two Ways to Get a Ride

Option A: Didi (滴滴) — China's Uber. Works in every city. The app has an English version. Pay with Alipay, WeChat, or cash.

Option B: Street Taxi — Flag one down anywhere. Cheap and reliable. Best to have your destination written in Chinese.

💡 Pro tip: Use Didi whenever possible. It shows the price upfront, avoids language issues, and you don't need to negotiate.

📱 How to Set Up Didi

Download the App

Search "DiDi Rider" in the App Store or get it from didi.com. The app is in English when your phone is set to English.

Register with Your Phone

Use your international number or a Chinese SIM. It will send an SMS to verify.

Add a Payment Method

Alipay (easiest for foreigners), WeChat Pay, or add an international credit card (Visa/Mastercard). Alternatively, select "Cash" — pay the driver directly.

Book Your Ride

Enter your destination in English or Chinese. Choose Express (快车, cheapest), Taxi (出租车, standard), or Premier (专车, premium). Confirm and wait.

⚠️ Tip for international numbers: If you can't receive the SMS verification, buy a Chinese SIM card at the airport. China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom all sell visitor SIMs.

💵 Estimated Fares 10 km ride

City	Taxi	Didi Express	Didi Premier
Beijing	¥40–55	¥35–50	¥65–85
Shanghai	¥40–55	¥35–50	¥65–85
Guangzhou	¥35–50	¥30–45	¥55–75
Chengdu	¥30–45	¥25–40	¥50–65
Hangzhou	¥35–50	¥30–45	¥55–75
Shenzhen	¥40–55	¥35–50	¥65–85
Prices in CNY (¥). Actual fares vary by time, traffic and surge pricing.

💬 Useful Phrases for the Car

Hello / Please

你好 / 请

nǐ hǎo / qǐng

Go to this address

去这个地址

qù zhè ge dì zhǐ

How much?

多少钱？

duō shǎo qián?

Stop here, please

在这里停

zài zhè lǐ tíng

Left / Right / Straight

左转 / 右转 / 直走

zuǒ zhuǎn / yòu zhuǎn / zhí zǒu

Thank you

谢谢

xiè xie

Airport, please

去机场

qù jī chǎng

Hotel, please

去酒店

qù jiǔ diàn

💡 When hailing a street taxi, show your destination on your phone screen. Most drivers will nod and go.

✅ Do's & Don'ts

Do use Didi in the rain — street taxis are hard to flag when it's wet
Do have small bills (¥10, ¥20) — drivers sometimes don't have change
Do buckle up — it's the law, and cameras check
Don't expect the driver to speak English — have your address written down
Don't panic if the driver picks up other passengers on a street taxi — it's normal for shared rides
Don't leave luggage in the boot (trunk) without checking — remind the driver

Didi & Taxi Guide