Taxis in Chengdu

June 26, 2015 1:30 PM

How are the taxis in Chengdu, China?

We are looking at taking ~20 minute cab rides in Chengdu, twice a day, for a week. Are the taxis reasonably pleasant and safe? We are not expecting them to speak English, will written directions to (well known) locations be sufficient?

posted by molla to Travel & Transportation around Chengdu, China (3 answers total)

I took hundreds and hundreds of cab rides in my years in China. Cab drivers are usually quite friendly to foreigners, never had significant problems, though I've only been to Chengdu twice. It's a pretty common destination for tourists, so they're used to it. If you have the destination written down in Chinese characters, you should be fine, they won't need directions, just a street number, or name of a major location.

As to safety, there are different levels of cabs, and the more expensive ones are usually pretty nice sedans. Cheaper ones can feel a little rickety and cramped, but they still seem safe enough (to me). Unfortunately, you can't always find one of the more expensive cabs when you need one.
posted by skewed at 1:46 PM on June 26, 2015

If you see taxis continually passing you to pick up locals, don't despair-- Uber-type apps for hailing cabs are very popular in China right now.
posted by acidic at 1:50 PM on June 26, 2015

Don't know Chengdu, but be advised that during peak hours subways (if there is one) are often much faster.

Should if rain, good luck getting a cab.
posted by yoyo_nyc at 4:34 AM on June 28, 2015