Tool · Travel tools
Taxi address card
打车 dǎchē · show it to the driver
Ride-hailing apps such as DiDi are the easiest way around. For street taxis, paste your hotel or destination in Chinese and get a big, clear card to show the driver, with a few phrases they will understand.
Make your card
Turn your phone sideways for bigger text. Take a screenshot to use it offline.
Easiest: book a car in an app
China’s cities run on ride-hailing. Booking in an app means the driver already has your destination, you see the price before you go, and you pay on your phone. Keep the card above for street taxis and as a back-up.
- DDiDi 滴滴出行
China’s biggest ride-hailing app. Switch it to English, sign up with your own phone number and add a foreign card. Messages to the driver are translated automatically.
- ADiDi inside Alipay 支付宝
Already set up Alipay? Search “DiDi” in the app and book through the DiDi mini-program with your Alipay account, no extra download or Chinese number needed.
- MAmap 高德地图
China’s most-used map app also books rides, comparing several services at once, and has an English option. Handy because you search the place and book in the same app.
Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you travel: see our Alipay and WeChat Pay guide and apps for visitors.
The answer
The easiest way to get a car in China is a ride-hailing app: DiDi works in English, inside Alipay or on its own, and the driver gets your destination from the app. For street taxis, show the address in Chinese characters, because most drivers do not read English or pinyin. Paste it here and show the big card.
Taxi phrases to show
Tap a phrase to show it full screen. 师傅 (shīfu) is the polite way to address a driver.
Taking a taxi in China
Most people in Chinese cities book cars on their phones, and as a visitor you can too: DiDi, the DiDi mini-program in Alipay and Amap all work without a Chinese phone number. Street taxis and taxi ranks are still everywhere, especially at airports and stations, and there the driver will want the destination in Chinese: place names translated into English often mean nothing to them, and pinyin is hard to read at a glance.
Addresses run from large to small: city, district, road and number. The place name, such as a hotel or a landmark, is often enough for the driver, with the road as a back-up. Adding the hotel’s phone number lets the driver call if they are unsure.
Questions readers ask
What is the best taxi app in China for foreigners?
DiDi (滴滴出行), China’s biggest ride-hailing service. The app has an English interface, accepts foreign phone numbers and foreign cards, and translates in-app messages with the driver. You can also open DiDi inside Alipay without a separate account, or book through the Amap (高德地图) map app, which compares several ride services.
Do I still need a taxi card if I use DiDi?
Usually not: the app sends your destination to the driver. The card helps when you hail a taxi on the street, when your phone has no signal, or when you cannot find the place in the app and only have the Chinese address.
Where do I get the address in Chinese?
Your hotel booking confirmation usually shows it; hotel front desks also hand out cards. For other places, search in a map app such as Amap (高德地图) or Apple Maps in China, or ask your hotel to write it down. Copy the Chinese name and address and paste them into the card.
Do taxis in China use the meter?
Licensed city taxis are metered. If a driver offers a fixed price instead, you can ask for the meter (请打表, qǐng dǎ biǎo) or take another taxi; ride-hailing apps such as DiDi show the price in the app.
Can I pay a taxi with a foreign card?
Rarely in cash-and-QR taxis. Most drivers take Alipay or WeChat Pay, which both accept foreign cards once set up, and many also take cash. In ride-hailing apps you pay in the app.
How are Chinese addresses written?
From large to small: province or city, district, road and number, then building and room. 上海市黄浦区中山东一路 is Shanghai city, Huangpu district, Zhongshan East 1st Road. Drivers mainly need the place name and the road.
Does the card work offline?
The page needs a connection to open, so take a screenshot of the card once it is ready. Your browser also remembers the last card on this device.
Related
Sources
- TechCrunch, Didi adds an English-language option for foreigners in China
- Unlock China, DiDi and Amap for foreigners (foreign numbers, Alipay mini-program, in-app translation)
- Popular in China, Alipay and WeChat Pay for foreigners
- Popular in China, Apps for visitors to China
Update log. 28 October 2026 — published. Next review due 26 January 2027. Suggest a correction
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