China Travel Advice

Q: This is our itinerary this Xmas. Is the quickest and safest way to go from Shantou to Guangzhou by private car? And what is the approximate cost and travel time? Thank you!

If you go by long distance bus from Shantou to Guangzhou, a ticket for one costs 120-180 yuan per person, depending on the quality of the bus you take. There are many departures during the day. The highway distance between Shantou and Guangzhou is 450 km. The bus trip takes 4-5 hours. The two cities are connected by freeways.

By "private car", do you mean a rented car? You can probably rent a car along with a driver, but this does cost some money. In Guangzhou, for instance, 400-500 yuan gets you a car along with a driver for 10 hours, but there is a mileage limit of 250 km; every additional km costs one dollar more. Nor does this does include gas, parking or tolls (tolls for the trip between Shantou and Guangzhou is about 200 yuan). Sometimes you can negotiate a deal with a taxi driver who is willing to do long distance, but you should know what you're getting into to avoid misunderstandings, etc. You may get a good deal, but you may also be looking at 1,500 yuan or so to travel by a private car from Shantou to Guangzhou.

If you fly from Shantou to Guangzhou and get your ticket at a discounted price, a one-way flight costs 550-700 Chinese dollars.

One can also get from Shantou to Guangzhou by train. A soft-seat ticket costs 90 yuan; a sleeping berth ticket costs 150-220 yuan. However, the trip takes 7 to 8 hours, so this does not seem to be as good as going by bus.