Chengdu Transportation

Fortunately, the old Chinese saying "It is easier to get to heaven than to get to Sichuan" no longer applies. Today transport facilities are fairly good here and, as the "Gateway to Tibet" many travelers pass through this city.

By Plane:
There are direct flights from Shuangliu Airport in Chengdu to many domestic as well as international destinations. There are daily flights to Beijing Shanghai and Hongkong as well as regular flights to Bangkok and other southeast Asian destinations. The airport is a twenty-minute drive from the China Southwest Airlines office on Renmin Nan Lu by shuttle bus (every half an hour).

Chengdu is an important gateway to Lhasa and can at times be very difficut to get tickets or transportation into Tibet. China Southwest Airlines is currently the only airline that has flights to Lhasa, so tickets are limited and pricing can be at a premium. Check schedule and availability early to insure a seat. Flight time from Chengdu to Gongge Airport is approximately 2 hrs.

By Train:
Chengdu is linked to 12 major Chinese cities including Beijing (8 hours), Shanghai (16 hours), Kunming (22 hours) and Xi’an (17 hours). Train tickets can be bought at the ticket booking office outside the railway station. It can be very difficult to get tickets and it’s better to make your travel arrangements as early as possible. The railway station is in the north part of the city, a half-hour drive from the city center.

By Bus:
You can take a bus to most of the scenic spots around Chengdu including Yibing, Emei Mountain and Leshan Mountain. It takes approximately 5 hours to reach Chongqing by bus. There are two major bus stations in Chengdu. Buses from Xinnanmen bus station go to all destinations around Sichuan except north, and buses departing Ximen bus station in the northwest of the city head north.