How to get around in Ningbo City – better commuting

In order to delve into the heart of the cultural cauldron, which is Ningbo City, and especially if you happen to be a foreign national, then be sure to have a look at the following methods of travel. In terms of general advice, never exceed the limits of your budget but also, never shy away from being a tad flexible and experiencing the many facilities that are made available in Ningbo City.

Maeshima hiroki, Downtown Ningbo with Tianyi Square, CC BY-SA 3.0 

Location

Given its location which is on the coast of the East Sea and farther south of the Yangtze Delta, Ningbo once retained pride of place as a key area of trade and commerce in China. Paging through the annals of its history, one will discover that Ningbo certainly did flourish from an economic point of view during the times of the Tang and Song dynasties respectively.

About Ningbo

Considered the premier communication hub of the eastern Zhejiang Province, Ningbo has witnessed widespread development initiatives taking shape in recent times that have spilt over into its transportation sector. Owing to this, more convenient travel experiences might be had en route to reaching some of the City’s most acclaimed sights and sounds.

City Bus

For those seeking to travel through and experience all that Ningbo City stands for on a budget, then do pen down the words ‘City Bus’ on your travel itinerary. By far the most budget-friendly means of accessing the City, the city bus covers a whopping 260 lines and routes that in turn, will see you reach the very ends of Ningbo with no fuss whatsoever. Although the fare would depend largely on the distance that you aim on covering, a major proportion of the lines incur nothing more than between CNY1 - CNY 2 per person. The buses operate within intervals of between 4 - 20 minutes with a handful of these known to offer its services with intervals ranging from 20 – 70 minutes. The earliest time of leaving is between 5 am – 7 am while the day’s last fleet operates between 5 pm – 11 pm. What’s more? Tourists will find Ningbo’s bus services to their fancy based on the fact that separate tourist lines are readily put in place with the Liang-Zhu Cultural Park to Fan’s Residence appearing as one of its popular routes.

Metro

Should speedy and comfortable commuting be a top priority to the globetrotter in you, then you may want to consider hopping on the metro to have you dropped off at your desired location. With 3 lines that currently serve the breadth and scope of the City and with more plans to expand its services, the metro spells convenience with a capital ‘C’ and must be given a go at least once. Concerning the nitty-gritty, Line 1 can be resorted to should you aspire to voyage between Gaoqiao West and Xiapu while Line 2 runs the length of Lishe International Airport and Qingshuipu and vice versa. Further, Line 3 will take you to any area nestled between Daton Qiao and Gao Tang Giao.

Taxi

More than 4,000 taxis can be hailed and incorporated into one’s travel plans when on holiday in Ningbo City. If one was to break down the costs, a starting fee of CNY11 will be incurred for the first 3 km while an additional CNY2.4 will be charged for every km that you cover. However, if your ride does not exceed 20km, one will only have to pocket out a mere CNY3.4 for each km. Should you see a necessity to travel at night, (10 pm – 5 am) then appropriate allowances will be charged with the cost of every km rising by CNY0.6. For reservations, do dial the local hotline on 0574 81890 but if you see yourself residing at a 5-star hotel Ningbo has to offer such as Pan Pacific Ningbo, then it would be wise to clarify from the hotel’s staff what type of transport would best fit your needs.