Planning a Trip
Dalian'sairport (Zhoushuizi Guoji Jichang)is roughly 5km (3 miles) northeast of downtown on Yingke Lu (10 min. by taxi; ¥12/$2). Exchange traveler's checks on the second floor, next to the international check-in desk (no credit cards).China Northern Airlines,in the Minhang Dasha at Zhongshan Lu 143 (open 6am-6pm; tel.0411/8280-2886), sells tickets to Beijing (11 flights daily), Shanghai (seven flights daily), Guangzhou (five flights daily), Hong Kong, and Seoul.All Nippon Airlineshas a ticket counter on the first floor of the Sen Mao building (intersection of Zhongshan Lu and Wuhui Lu; tel.800/810-5551;fax 0411/369-2508; open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm). The counter sells tickets to Tokyo (daily) and Osaka (Mon-Sat).
Airport shuttles(departing every 2 hr.; 8am-4:40pm; 20 min.; ¥5/$1) from the Furama Hotel (next to the Shangri-La, see below) and Minhang Dasha. Or takebusno. 701 from the corner of Yuguang Jie and Youhao Lu (45 min.; ¥1/15¢). Bytaxi,the trip between the airport and downtown takes 10 minutes and costs ¥12 ($2).
Dalian'srailway station (Dalian Zhan)is in the center of town, opposite Shengli Guangchang (Victory Square). Trains go to Beijing (two daily; 9-12 hr.; ¥269/$34), Shenyang (13 daily; 6 hr.; ¥55/$7), Harbin (9:42pm; 9 hr.; ¥231/$29), and Dandong (7:37pm; 11 hr.; ¥99/$12). Mostlong-distance busescongregate around Shengli Guangchang (tel.0411/8362-8681). Express air-conditioned coaches to Dandong (four daily; 4 1/2 hr.; ¥68/$9) leave from the square's west side; buses to Beijing (10am and noon; 14 hr.; ¥210/$26) and Changchun (four daily; 8 hr.; ¥140/$18) leave from the east side; and buses to Shenyang (10 daily; 6 hr.; ¥98/$12) leave from the Bo Hai Pearl Hotel next to the railway station.
Ferriesleave from the Dalian Keyun Zhan (tel.0411/8362-8681), on Gangwan Jie (east end of Renmin Lu), for Yantai (8:30am, 12:30pm, and 2pm; 3 1/2 hr.; ¥192/$24), Tianjin (even days 5:30pm; odd days 4:30pm; 14 hr.; ¥80-¥1,280/$10-$160), and Incheon (Renchuan) in South Korea (Tues noon and Fri 3:30pm; ¥850-¥1,469/$106-$183). The ticket office is open from 4am to 10pm; Yantai express tickets are also sold at booths near Shengli Guangchang. Take bus no. 801 (15 min.; ¥1/15¢) from Youhao Guangchang. The 10-minute taxi ride costs ¥10 ($1).
Visitor Information
TheTourism Bureauhas an information line (tel.0411/8451-9940) and a complaint line (tel.0411/8433-9970).
Getting Around
Downtown Dalian is arranged around a series of traffic circles. The two most important areYouhao Guangchang (Friendship Square),dominated by a glass globe in the center, andZhongshan Guangchang,the city's transportation center. Ten roads radiate from Zhongshan Guangchang, including Renmin Dajie, a major avenue that runs east to the wharf, and Zhongshan Lu, which runs west past the railway station to the city's far southwestern corner.Taxischarge ¥8 ($1) for the first 3km (2 miles), then ¥1.80 (25¢) per kilometer. Regularbuses(without air-conditioning) cost ¥1 (15¢), air-conditioned and mini-buses cost ¥2 (25¢); pay as you get on. Bus no. 801 runs the length of Zhongshan Lu and Renmin Dajie. A red, trolley-style version of this bus takes tourists on asightseeing looparound the city from Shengli Guangchang (every 20 min.; 2 1/2 hr.; ¥20/$3 round-trip). Real Japanese-built trolleys go from Erqi Guangchang in the east to Xinghai Gongyuan in the southwest.