Getting from Beijing's airports to the city: PEK vs Daxing
Beijing's two airports are more than 50 km apart with no direct link between them, so the only question that matters is which one your flight uses. Each has its own express train into town: ¥25 from Capital (PEK) to Dongzhimen, ¥35 from Daxing (PKX) to Caoqiao.
| Capital (PEK) | Daxing (PKX) | |
|---|---|---|
| Express line | Capital Airport Express | Daxing Airport Express |
| Terminus | Dongzhimen (Lines 2, 13); also Beixinqiao (Line 5) and Sanyuanqiao (Line 10) | Caoqiao (Lines 10, 19) |
| Fare | ¥25 flat | ¥35 standard, ¥50 business |
| Journey | About 25 min to Dongzhimen | 19 min to Caoqiao |
| Frequency | About every 10 min | Every 8.5–10 min |
| Last train from airport | 22:52 from T3, 23:10 from T2 | 23:00 Mon–Sat, 23:30 Sun |
| Taxi to centre | Roughly ¥100–140 to Tian'anmen | Roughly ¥150–200 |
Which one suits your hotel
Staying north or northeast — Sanlitun, Dongzhimen, the Wangfujing side — PEK is easier. The express runs flat-fare to Dongzhimen in about 25 minutes every 10 minutes, stopping at Sanyuanqiao (Line 10) and Beixinqiao (Line 5) on the way. From Daxing, the line ends at Caoqiao, where you transfer inside the station to Line 10 or the fast Line 19; allow around 50 minutes to a downtown hotel.
Tickets come from the station machines or counters. Cash, Alipay and WeChat Pay all work; a BEIJING PASS card costs ¥20 and is topped up separately if you want one card for the whole trip.
Taxis, last trains and late arrivals
Taxis are metered, never fixed. It is ¥13 for the first 3 km, then ¥2.3 per km, plus a ¥1 fuel surcharge and a 50% surcharge on the part of a one-way trip beyond 15 km. The airport expressway toll is added to your fare. Between 23:00 and 05:00 the per-km rate rises to ¥2.76.
Capital's last express leaves Terminal 3 at 22:52 and Terminal 2 at 23:10; the last Daxing train reaches Caoqiao at 23:00 Monday to Saturday and 23:30 on Sunday. After that, buses. From PEK they run to Beijing West Railway Station every 20 minutes at peak, ¥20–55 depending on route. From Daxing, the Beijing Railway Station line runs until 22:45 for ¥35–40, and two night routes keep going to Zhongguancun (until 03:00) and the Agricultural Exhibition Center (until 05:00) for ¥30–55.
If you would rather have a driver waiting, or want the intercity train onward, book before you fly and compare the main booking sites first.
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Last checked: 2026-09-25
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