Datong Transportation, by Air, Train, Bus and Taxi

Datong Transportation

Getting There

By Air
Airport code: DAT
Location: Datong Airport（DAT）is situated 17 kilometers (10.6 miles) to the east of the urban area and covers an area of 2159 mu (355.7 acres).

Brief Introduction: Opened in December, 2005, Datong Airport is totally new and offers air services to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Flights heading for Beijing are available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; for Shanghai on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and for Guangzhou on Monday and Friday only.

Service
Airport airline inquiries phone: 0352-2043388 or 0352-2044039
Ticket selling office: No.14, Yingbin Donglu.
Opening hours: 08:00-18:30

Transportation
Transport between Datong Airport and the urban area is convenient by the shuttle bus or taxi since the distance is not very far. The shuttle bus heading for the airport starts in front of the Continental Hotel at No.88 Binxi Street of Yingbin Road (West) in Datong City. Every bus leaves 2 hours ahead of the flight time and takes 25~30 minutes without stop.The whole journey will take you about 30 minutes.

In addition to the Datong Airport, Taiyuan Wusu Airport is the nearest airport available to Datong acting as a transfer station for the trip to Datong. There is no bus directly heading for Datong at the Wusu Airport but you have to take the Bus No. 201 in front of Wusu Airport and alight at the Taiyuan Railway Station or the Taiyuan Long-distance Bus Station at No.72 Yingze Dajie in Taiyuan City. In the square at the Taiyuan Railway Station or in Taiyuan Long-distance Bus Station, there are buses heading for Datong available.

By Train
Established in 1914, Datong Railway Station lies at No.1 Zhanqian Street in Datong City. Datong is the main coal producing city in China and the coal is mainly transported by train. This has proved to be convenient and the trains radiate in all directions within China. From here, trains connect with 25 cities in China including Beijing, Guangzhou, Xian, Hangzhou and Taiyuan. 10 passenger trains start in Datong Railway Station and the other stops over it and head for Beijing, Hangzhou, Taiyuan and Shuozhou (in Shanxi).

It would take about 6 hours to travel from Datong to Beijing, 9 hours to Hangzhou and 10 hours to Guangzhou. Trains heading for the neighboring Shuozhou City only take 1 hour and cost CNY 10 for a hard seat. It would take 5~7 hours for trains heading for Taiyuan from Datong and cost CNY 26~46 for the hard seat.

Datong Railway Station can be reached by Bus Nos. 2, 3-2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 35, and 42.

Ticket Booking Number of Datong Railway Station:
0352-6082747 (09:00~16:00);
0352-2813240 (14:30~17:00);
0352-7122922 (24 Hours)

Ticket Booking Office: (Dongguan Branch)
Address: No.2, Yuhe Road (South), Datong City

By Long-distance Bus
Three passenger transport stations are available in Datong City: Datong Bus Station, Datong North Passenger Transport Station and the Datong Xinnan Passenger Transport Station.

Datong Bus Station is located at No.20 Yantong Road (West) in Datong City with bus No.11 reaching there. Long-distance buses in Datong Bus Station are mainly heading for the counties in the southeast of Datong City such as Hunyuan County, Lingqiu County and Guangling County. In addition, the buses heading for Lingqiu County pass by the intriguing Hanging Monastery.

Xinnan Passenger Transport Station can be found at No.699 Xinjian Road (South) in Datong City and can be reached by City-bus No.19, 28, 30. Buses in Xinnan Passenger Transport Station mainly head for Beijing, Tianjin, Taiyuan, Luoyang, Jinan, Shenyang, Xian and Zhengzhou.

North Passenger Transport Station is located 200 meters (219 yards) to the west of Datong Railway Station. Buses here are mainly heading for the cities and counties in Hebei and Inner Mongolia. Buses to Taiyuan and Shuozhou are also available here. Some details as follows:

Terminal	Leaving time	Passing by
Taiyuan	07:30; 09:00; 10:00; 14:00; 15:00;	Daiyue; Xinzhou
	08:00	Daiyue; Xinzhou
	16:00	Daiyue; Xinzhou; Yuanping
Shuozhou	07:00	Youfang; Jingping
Lingqiu	07:30	Hunyuan; Pianliang
Mt. Wutai	07:30	Ying County; Shahe Town
Shuitou Village	15:00 (Normal sleeper bus)	Taiyuan, Shijiazhuang, Nanjing, Hangzhou

Getting Around

By City-bus
There are 36 bus routes in Datong City which form a large network making all the parts of the city easy to reach. City-buses in Datong have two types of charging standards. One is self-service with a fare of CNY 1. The other charges according to the distance you propose to take. The minimum fare is CNY 1 for the first 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) and CNY 0.5 for each additional 5 kilometers (3.1 miles). Buses in Datong has different schedule in summer from in winter. During winter days, most of the routes start at 05:20 ~07:30 in the morning and end at 17: 30 ~20:30 in the evening every day. But during summer days, the starting time may not change while the ending time of most routes will be delayed for 10 minutes.

Tips:
1. In a self-service bus, there is a box inside the entry door. The fare is placed into the box as you enter the bus. The driver will not give change so that it is necessary to have the correct change.
2. On the bus charging according to distance, a conductor will charge the fare according to the distance you will take and change is available here.
3. The ticket will not be valid if you change buses.

By Taxi
Over 6000 taxies now run in the streets of Datong City. The minimum fare is CNY 6 for the first 3 kilometers (1.9 miles). According to type of car, a different fare is charged for each additional kilometer:

Type of car	Fare during daytime (06:00~22:00)	Fare at night (22:00~06:00 the next day)
Rio; Xiali; Lingyang	CNY 1.2 per additional kilometer	CNY 1.8 per additional kilometer
Jetta; Fukang; Santana	CNY 1.4 per additional kilometer	CNY 2.1 per additional kilometer

Travelers' Voices on Datong Transportation

Sep. 2,2009 21:57 Reply

Mr.harry(usa) said:

I am planning a trip from Beijing to Datong, and then onto Hothot. Is it possible to do this by bus/train,and if so do you know the times etc?
Thanks

Sep. 3,2009 02:26
Mr.Hank replied:

Hi, I think you could finish both of the two routes by train. From Beijing West Railway Station, there are over 15 trains to Datong everyday. The journey is about 6 hours. And, from Datong Railway Station, there about 20 trains to Hohhot, just take about 4.5 hours. Well, you could search the train details at http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/

Jul. 22,2009 09:21 Reply

Ms.Sarah(America) said:

We would like to take an afternoon bus from Datong to Beijing on Thursday, August 6. I have several questions: 1) What time do the buses leave? 2)Are some buses faster or nicer than others? If so, which ones? 3) How do we get tickets? Thank you for your information.

Jul. 25,2009 01:42
Mr.Frank replied:

There are buses leaving from Datong South Bus Station to Beijing from 08:00 to about 15:00 everyday. The bus situation is good, which could drive you to Beijing in about 5 hours. You could purchase the bus ticket when you arrive at the bus station.

Jul. 27,2009 16:54
Ms.Sarah(America) replied:

Thank you for your reply. Do you know the exact times the buses leave Datong for Beijing in the afternoon? Someone told me the last bus is at 16:00, but I was wondering what other buses were available after 13:00. I appreciate your assistance.

Aug. 2,2009 22:38
Mr.Frank replied:

Actually, the time schedule is just for reference since the real departure time depends on the passengers check-in situation. It means once the bus's seats are sold out, it will leave in advance of the given time. So, you'd better go to the bus station as early as possible, don't fix to the time table.

Or, you could consider taking a train to Beijing, which costs about 6 hours on the way. The schedule is fixed. You could search the train infor at http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/

Jul. 26,2009 01:51 Reply

Mrs.Rose(Singapore) said:

Hi.. Can you advice is there a possibility to hire a taxi travelling from Wutaishan going to Datong with a stopover at the hanging temple. how much will it cost?

Jul. 29,2009 21:51
Mr.Sandy replied:

Yes, perhaps possible. Usually it is much easier to find one from Datong to the templer and to Wutaishan. You can just go to ask the taxi driver and talk about the price.

Jul. 24,2009 17:55 Reply

Mrs.June(USA) said:

I would like to travel from Datong to Xi'an. Is it possible to use public transportation to make this trip? Thank you -

Jul. 25,2009 01:46
Mr.Frank replied:

Yes, there is. Everyday, there are two trains leaving from Datong to Xian. The journey is about 17 hours. You could search the detailed infor at http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/

Jul. 19,2009 04:14 Reply

Ms.K(America) said:

Hello I am wondering how difficult it is to drive myself from the city of Datong and find our way out to the Hanging Monestary? It is about 40k from the city. The travel book I have describes the road in an unfavorable manner.

Jul. 19,2009 20:46
Mr.Clark replied:

Drive to Hunyuan Country through Beijing-Datong Express Way and to Provincial RoadNo.203 and turn right via the first ring cross. It is not easy for you to drive yourself there, unless you know where is exit to the experssway and how to get off the express way to enter Yunyuan County. Why not rent a taxi and get around Hengshan Mountain and Hanging Temple together.

Jul. 11,2009 03:03 Reply

Mr.kamthin(Malaysiaia) said:

Hi, I am from Malaysia and would like to know which is better tansportation, train soft seat/night sleeper or bus from datong to Pingyao?

thank you

namarupa

Jul. 19,2009 20:26
Ms.Julia replied:

Bus is better. Although train is comfortable, but there is no direct train to Pingyao from Datong. You should make a transfer at Taiyuan. It will take about 7-8 hours from Datong to Taiyuan by bus. Hope the answer is not late to you. :-)

Jul. 1,2009 19:22 Reply

Ms.Amy(USA ) said:

Is it possible to hire a driver from Datong to Beijing, leaving Datong in mid-afternoon on a Tuesday or Thursday? If so, how much would it cost for four adults?

Thank you for your information.

Jul. 1,2009 21:06
Mr.Shan replied:

Well, does it include a car with a driver? If so, I think the cost is about 800RMB per car which just take your four adults together. Just for your reference~

Jul. 2,2009 12:16
Ms.Amy(USA) replied:

Thank you for the information. Yes, we would like a car and driver from Datong to Beijing. Do you know about how long the drive will be? How would we make a reservation? I appreciate your assistance.

Jul. 4,2009 01:45
Mr.Shan replied:

Hi Amy, the duration is about 3.5~4 hours. If you are already in Datong, you may contact with a taxi driver or from a local car rental company. Good luck~

Jul. 8,2009 10:59
Ms.Hanne(Belgium) replied:

Hi, I'm interested in a car with driver from Datong to Beijing next Tuesday, leaving at 20 or 21 o'clock... Who could I contact right now? Or which agency can I contact when we're there?

Jul. 9,2009 22:08
Mr.Sam replied:

If you rent a car, please make sure that the car has permit to Beijing.

Jul. 11,2009 00:33
Ms.Amy(USA) replied:

I am still having difficulty finding a car and driver. I would like to travel from Datong to Beijing on Thursday, August 6 with four adults, no luggage. Can you recommend who I can contact? I appreciate any help you can offer.

Jul. 11,2009 01:19
Ms.Amy(USA ) replied:

Hello again...Instead of finding someone in advance, do you think it will be easy for us to find someone to drive us back to Beijing once we are in Datong? If so, where should we go to find someone? (airport? other?) Or is it important that we arrange this before arriving in Datong? Thank you again for your advice.

Jun. 30,2009 22:07 Reply

Ms.Lee(Singapore) said:

Hello, I would like to ask, how much would it cost to hire a cab for a day to take us to the Hanging Monastery, Wooden Pagoda and Yungang? Because we are going on a weekend trip and heading to Pingyao after Datong, was just thinking perhaps it's better to hire a cab so we can leave our luggages on the cab while we see these attractions rather than carry everything with us.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks a lot! :)

Jul. 1,2009 01:56
Mr.Shan replied:

It is good idea to hire a car for visiting these places. The suggested fare is around 350RMB per car. It may be a little higher during these holidays. Good luck!

Jul. 1,2009 21:26
Ms.Lee(Singapore) replied:

Hello Mr Shan, thanks for replying! I was just wondering, do you happen to know if there are tour agencies operating from the train station so we might just join one of their tours? Thanks! :)

Jul. 1,2009 22:07
Mr.Shan replied:

I'm afraid that you just could find some local guide for Chinese travelers when you arrive Datong. And, the one-day tour only includes the Hanging Monastery and Yungang Caves. So, you'd better book a private English tour which could arrange a special tour for you. Or, book a cab with driver through a reliable agency. Good luck!

Jun. 21,2009 03:45 Reply

Mrs.amy(Singapore) said:

Is there a bus from Datong to Pinyao, how much, where & what times? Also a bus from Datong train station to Yungang caves & back. What times & price? Is there a train from Chengde to Datong because I do not want to go back to Beijing again? What time & price?
THank you for a quick reply please.

Jun. 22,2009 02:35
Mr.Frank replied:

Currently, there is no train from Chengde to Datong. So, I'm afraid that you have to transfer at Datong. Actually, there are three trains leaving from Beijing to Pingyao directly.

From Datong to Pingyao, the bus will takes about 5 hours. Actually, if you stay at Datong for one day, it is suggested that you purchase a next day's train tiket from Datong to Pingyao. Just 34yuan for a hard-seat.

From Datong to Yungang, please take the city-bus No.4 from the railway station to its terminus and then transfer to bus No.3 which could lead you to Yungang directly~

10.

Jun. 12,2009 12:25 Reply

Mr.Rochet(France) said:

Could you provide me with information (leaving time, location of bus station, fare) on transportation from Beijing to Datong by BUS.
Thank you very much

Jun. 12,2009 22:35
Ms.Evelyn(China) replied:

First, please read this page to know about the major bus stations in Beijing. It will be very helpful for your trip.
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/transportation/bus.htm

You may take the bus to go to Datong at Xianglong Zhaogongkou Long-Distance Bus Station. The leaving time of the buses is at 14:00, 14:30 and 16:00. The ticket costs about 100 Chinese yuan.

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