On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 14:05:03 -0700, "Steve Cain"
wrote:
>
>> Beijing is a big place! What are your criteria for "best location"?
>We are avid walkers.
Despite the exhaust pollution, I enjoyed walking in Beijing, and it's
a huge city in area, so it's good that you like walking.
> Somewhere within range of many of the standard tourist
>fare areas
The problem is that those are spread out within and beyond the city.
It's something like asking where you could stay in Los Angeles that's
within range of standard tourist areas.
> and/or as an alternative is one or more of these hotels
>particularly "Metro friendly?"
I don't know where all of the hotels are, but the metro will not get
you to everywhere you want to go, in any case. I stayed at the Novotel
Peace Hotel last summer, for example, and it was about 2 km/1.5 miles
from part of the Forbidden City and over twice as far from Tiantan.
Beihai Park was considerably further, and not walkable.
> It is my impression that surface
>transportation is not the way to go.
Traffic tieups require you to budget extra time, but surface
transportation is doable. As I was travelling with my somewhat elderly
parents, we took cabs a lot.
>Unfortunately the tour guide(s) will have to wait for the flight but I need
>to select a hotel. Thanks, s
You might want to ask people on the "Oriental List" for personal
appraisals of those hotels, but do some research first on which
attractions are most important to you.
This Lonely Plan map of Beijing is not very detailed but shows you the
size of the city:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mapshells/north_east_asia/beijing/beijing.htm
Here is a map of currently-operating subway lines only:
http://www.beijingtraveltips.com/transport/subway/beijing_subway_map.htm
And here is a map you may find clearer, but only if you keep in mind
that only the #1, #2, and #13 subway lines are running:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Beijing-2008.png
For the sake of orientation, it may help to keep in mind that part of
the route of the #1 subway is along the southern end of the moat that
encircles the Forbidden City. Note the stops on either side of
Tiananmen, the southern approach to the Forbidden City.
Michael
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