Getting around a Chinese city

1. Shared bikes

Dockless shared bikes are everywhere in Chinese cities. The main apps are Meituan Bike, Hellobike, and Didi Bike (Qingju). You unlock a bike by scanning the QR code on it.

The real barrier is not the bike — it is payment. Once you have Alipay or WeChat Pay working with an international card (see our Payments guide), you can unlock most bikes straight from Alipay's built-in mini-program. No separate app to install, and no separate real-name registration.

Most bikes are deposit-free through Alipay. Cost is roughly 1.5 RMB per 15–30 minutes.

• Park only inside the marked parking spots shown in the app — cities use electronic geofences, and parking outside them means a fine or the ride will not end.
• Look for painted bike-parking boxes on the pavement.
• If the QR code is damaged, try another bike rather than forcing the lock.

Official apps: Hellobike · Meituan Bike

2. Robotaxis (self-driving taxis)

China runs the world's largest robotaxi fleet. The main services are Apollo Go (Baidu, in around 20 cities including Wuhan, Beijing, Chongqing and Shenzhen), Pony.ai (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) and WeRide (Guangzhou).

The honest reality, based on traveler reports as of 2026 and not an official policy: most robotaxi apps verify a Chinese national ID when you book, so foreign visitors usually cannot order one on their own. This changes quickly and varies by city — always confirm inside the app before relying on it.

• Ask a local friend or your hotel concierge to book the ride for you — the most reliable path.
• Pony.ai accepts passports in some pilot zones.
• WeRide's RoboBus (a fixed loop in Guangzhou) is the easiest to try: it runs like a bus, so there is no ID booking step.

Service operators: Apollo Go · Pony.ai · WeRide

3. Ride-hailing and metro QR codes

When a bike or robotaxi does not fit, ride-hailing is the reliable door-to-door option. Didi has an in-app English option and works once Alipay, WeChat Pay or an international card is linked.

For the metro, most big-city systems accept an Alipay or WeChat 'ride code' mini-program: scan to enter and exit, no physical card needed. Some cities also take contactless foreign bank cards at the gate.

Coverage varies by city. A physical transit card bought with cash at a station works everywhere and is a dependable fallback.

Service operator: Didi