All aboard!

With increasing numbers of cars, Beijing is very congested. Taxis are cheap, and buses cost next to nothing, but for longer distances, the subway is quicker. The system is less extensive than London's or New York's, so sometimes you have to use a combination of subway and bus or taxi to get to a destination. Our bags were scanned before we boarded, as they are on an airline. The cars were comfortable, but rather noisy.

Photos: scenes from the Beijing subway and a subway map