That time I almost missed my flight because I couldn't find the right metro exit
Beijing West Railway Station. 40 minutes until my train to the airport. Should be plenty of time.I got off the metro. Looked for "Exit B." Walked up the stairs. Found myself in a parking garage.
Went back down. Tried Exit C. Shopping mall.
Back down. Exit D. A completely different street.
The station entrance was apparently at Exit A3 but that required going through a tunnel under the road which I didn't see because the sign was in Chinese and I was panicking.
Ended up asking three different people. The third one walked me there personally. Got to the platform with 8 minutes to spare.
Lessons:
• Chinese mega-stations have exits labeled A1, A2, A3, B1, B2... it's not just A/B/C/D
• When in doubt, ask station staff (穿制服的工作人员)
• Add 15 minutes of "getting lost buffer" to any train departure
• Screenshot the station layout from Baidu Maps before you go
• The "main exit" (主出口) is usually the one you want
Also: Beijing West is particularly evil. Shanghai Hongqiao is better designed. Fight me.
Anyone else gotten hopelessly lost in a Chinese train station?
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