Getting to the City Center from Nanjing Lukou Intl. Airport
There are several ways to get to Nanjing city center from Nanjing Lukou Airport. The most popular options are metro, shuttle and regular city buses, taxi and Uber, transfer and car rental services. It takes a maximum of 1 hour from the airport, which is 35 kilometers away from the city, to Nanjing. It is quite common to use metro in Nanjing. Because of this, there is a subway line called S1 (Airport Line) which provides continuous transportation between Nanjing Lukou Airport and Nanjing city center. In fact, we can say that the cheapest way to get to the city from the airport is to use the metro. You can get your metro ticket for only 6 Chinese Yuan and get off at one of the city center metro stops. You can reach the city center by metro within 30 minutes. When you use this route which is also called Line 1, you reach Shinjiekou, which is considered as a central district of the city. The most affordable and reliable way to reach the city center from Nanjing Lukou Airport is to use the shuttle buses that are operated by the airport. There are two shuttle bus routes, Line 1 and Line 2. With Line 1 you can easily go both to bus and railway station from Nanjing airport and with the Line 2 you can easily go to the central bus station and the hotels located in the center. As of 2016, shuttle service costs 20 Chinese Yuan. At the end of the 40-minute bus journey you arrive at Nanjing city center. When you exit the airport arrival terminal you would see the taxi stands. If you are in a rush, or if you have arrived late at night and do not want to wait for public transport, taking a taxi might be a good idea for you. The taxi fare from Nanjing Lukou Airport to the city center can vary around 90-120 Chinese Yuan, depending on where you want to go. It is very practical to reach Drum Bell Square for 105 yuan and to Nanjing railway station for 120 yuan by taxi. In addition, it is possible to reach Nanjing in a comfortable, fast and very economical way by using Uber system. There is only one thing you need to do to benefit from this system: you should either download Uber application to your smart phone or by following it on the internet. There are a lot of foreign car rental companies at the airport because it is an international one. You can choose one of these companies and head to Nanjing city center. You can also save time by using express highway which shortens this distance significantly.Metro
Shuttle
Taxi
Car Rental
Getting to Nanjing Lukou Intl. Airport from the City Center
It is very easy to reach the airport from many central districts of the city, mainly Nanjing Metro and Nanjing South Railway Station. You can evaluate alternatives such as metro, shuttle and city buses, taxi and Uber taxis, transfer and car rental companies.
Metro
Nanjing Metro is the most popular public transportation vehicle for visitors of the city because it connects the railway station, the central bus station, the city center and the airport. Before you get on the metro, you should buy your ticket for 6 Chinese Yuan. Once you have received your ticket, you should take one of the metro lines, Line 1 or Line 2, from the metro stop in the city center. If you would take Line 1, you will have to wait at Shinjiekou station. In this way, you can reach Nanjing Lukou Airport in 30 minutes.
Shuttle
The easiest way to get to Nanjing Lukou Airport from Nanjing city center is without doubt to use shuttle buses that are operated by the airport. Nanjing central bus station and railway station are the main stops where you can take shuttle buses passing through all the central points of the city. You can reach the airport in 45-50 minutes by paying 20 Chinese Yuan as of 2016. In order to get on the shuttle buses that provide transportation services between 09.30 am and 10.00 pm, you have to buy your ticket after getting on the bus. You can choose among Line 1 and 2, depending on your location, and get on the bus.
If you cannot catch the shuttle buses, you can use the normal city buses. Buses 17, 36, 44, 59, 71, 97, 141 and 309 pass through Nanjing Railway Station East Square every 20 minutes and go directly to Nanjing Lukou Airport.
Taxi
There are more than 20,000 taxis in the city center, and their use is incredibly widespread. Where ever you are in the city, you can call a taxi 24/7 to go to Nanjing Lukou Airport. Although it depends on your location within the city, the average taxi fare from the city center to the airport would be 100-125 Chinese yuan. It is possible to see a large number of taxis waiting at the exit of Nanjing central bus station, railway station and subway stops. It takes only 30 minutes to get to the airport from the city.
Car Rental
If you have an idea of renting your own car to go directly to Nanjing Lukou Airport from Nanjing, it would be useful if you investigate car rental companies in the city. You have to pay attention to the fact that you would have to deliver the car that you will be renting with your international driving license immediately at the airport. There is an express way between Nanjing Lukou Airport and Nanjing, which shortens the distance of 35 kilometers between the two to 29 kilometers. It is possible to reach the airport very comfortably by using the Konggang and Airport Expressway routes.
Airport Information
Nanjing Lukou, the only international airport in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province of China, is located in the Yangtze River Delta area. Nanjing Lukou Airport, located 35 kilometers south of Nanjing city center, is also connected to other cities around by metro and other public transport. There are two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, which are serving at the airport, although they might be closed from time to time, for renewal and expansion work. There are plenty of areas and facilities that you can meet your needs and shop while you are waiting for your flight at Nanjing Lukou Airport.
At the arrival and departure terminals you can eat snacks and experience Chinese cuisine at the same time. You can relax in VIP lounges as you wish, or you can visit 10-15 stores. Especially Salted Soup Ducks, Cloud Brocades, Yuhua Tea and Rain Flower Stones are the most popular shops of the airport.
There is also a duty free store where you can find world brands at very reasonable prices. There are also various facilities ranging from the hammam to the sports hall. You can get a phone line at a reasonable price from China Mobile, handle transactions at ATMs and change currency at exchange offices.
