TheMain Railway StationandLong-Distance Bus Stationare next to each other on Nanqu Lu, near the Yangzi River.Trainsfrom Shanghai and Beijing take approximately 39 and 34 hours, respectively. Trains to Chengdu take approximately 10 hours. The overnight, leaving at 9:06pm and arriving the next morning at 7:29am, saves you the cost of a hotel for a night. Official reports claim that a new railway line scheduled to open in 2005 will cut the trip between Chongqing and Chengdu to just 3 hours. The soft-seat waiting lounge is on the far right of the station complex.
Luxurybuseswith a uniformed attendant and bathroom onboard connect Chongqing to Chengdu; the 4-hour trip costs ¥121 ($15). The bus makes two stops in Chongqing: the first, at Chenjia Ping, for those going to the wharf; the second, at the Fuyuan Binguan, next to the Long-Distance Bus Station. As you exit, ignore the throng of private drivers vying to overcharge you. Walk across the parking lot to the taxi queue in front of the railway station. Insist on using the meter. The ride to any of the major hotels is ¥5 to ¥10 (65¢-$1.25). Large Volvo and Mercedes buses leave the Long-Distance Bus Station for Chengdu every half-hour throughout the day for ¥110 ($14). Buses to Le Shan leave from the Jiefang Bei Qiche Keyun Zhan (Liberation Monument Bus Station) at Linjiang Lu 60.
Getting Around-- There are three types oftaxis.Rates for midrange Xiali are ¥5 (75¢) for 3km (2 miles), then ¥1.80 (20¢) per kilometer thereafter. The rate increases to ¥2.30 (30¢) from 10pm to 7am. In addition to the 10 bridges that span the Jialing and Yangzi rivers, there is a cable car line across each river. Leave from Xinhua Lu to cross the Yangzi for ¥2 (25¢), or leave from Cangbai Lu to cross the Jialing for ¥1.50 (20¢). Cable cars run from 6:30am to 10:30pm.Buses/trolleysserve all parts of the city. Rides with air-conditioning are ¥1.50 to ¥2.50 (20¢-30¢); rides without are ¥1 to ¥1.50 (15¢-20¢). Cable cars and some buses/trolleys have attendants.
Visitor Information--CITSis located near the People's Square (Renmin Guangchang). This branch, at 120 Zaozi Lanya Zheng Jie, second floor (tel.023/6385-0693;fax 023/6385-0196; citscq@cta.cq.cn.), is particularly helpful.