You can rent a car in Beijing from one of the international companies such as Budget, Avis, Europcar, or Hertz. It's essential to note that China does not recognize either international or national driver's licenses, as the country has not ratified the Geneva or Vienna Conventions on Road Traffic.
Therefore, if you wish to drive yourself in Beijing, you must obtain a Chinese driver's license. For tourists and business travelers, affordable car rental in Beijing is possible if you acquire a temporary Chinese driver's license, which is valid for three months. These licenses can typically be issued within 2 to 7 days. For example, Hertz (Beijing Intl. Airport T3 Counter) offers its customers the opportunity to obtain a license within a week.
To obtain this license, you'll need to become a client of the rental company, provide your passport, national driver's license, and registration form, and undergo a medical examination. The Hertz staff will assist you throughout the process, and the examination itself is substituted by a 90-minute video about driving in Beijing.
Rules of hire in China:
- You need to bring your passport, temporary Chinese driver's license, and a credit card with the deposit amount.
- The age of the renter should be at least 20-25 years old, with a driving experience of 1-2 years (this depends on the company with which the contract is signed).
- Automobiles are rented for a minimum of 24 hours.
- The price for car rental in Beijing includes mileage (400 km per day, excess mileage will have to be paid extra. If the car is rented for 3 days or more, the mileage is unlimited) and insurance (approximately 90 CNY per hour, starting from 480 CNY per day).
- Beijing car rental prices include mileage (400 km per day, starting from 480 CNY per day).
Since renting a car in Beijing can be challenging due to various factors such as the need for a temporary license, heavy traffic, and language barriers, an excellent alternative is to rent a car with a driver (provided for 8 hours a day). The average cost of renting a car with a driver ranges from 600 to 1200 CNY.
Payment for car rental in Beijing without a deposit is made by blocking the amount of insurance on bank cards. It is more common to charge a cash deposit depending on the class of car (600-1200 CNY).
Any delay in returning the car for 3 hours is additionally charged at a rate of 50% of the daily rental amount, and for 6 hours, it's 100%. Car rental in Beijing is more affordable on weekdays, with fees increasing by 20-50% on weekends.
