Most long-distance internal travel is by air. CAAC controls several other private carriers including China Eastern, China Northern, China Southern, Great Wall and Yunnan Airlines. Tickets will normally be purchased by guides and the price will be included in any tour costs. It is advisable to purchase internal air tickets well in advance if travelling during May, September or October. There are regular ferry services between mainland China and Hong Kong.
Railways provide the principal means of transport for goods and people throughout China.
The routes are generally cheap, safe and well-maintained. The major routes are from Beijing to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Harbin, Chengdu and Urumqi. Roads are not always of the highest quality. Distances should not be underestimated and vehicles should be in prime mechanical condition as China is still very much an agricultural nation without the mechanical expertise or services found in the West. Traffic drives on the right.