Getting to Guangzhou downtown from Baiyuan International Airport after midnight

The Metro from Guangzhou Baiyuan International Airport stops running around 11pm. There are options of airport bus and taxi – the bus is more affordable, so bus it is for us!

There are 2 terminals at the Baiyuan International Airport – our AirAsia flight from Bangkok operates out of Terminal 1 (formerly operating out of Terminal 2). Terminal 1 handles domestic and international flights and comprises three sections: Main Terminal, Area A and Area B. International arrivals will enter through gates on A Area, and domestic will be A and B.

From A Area arrival, we walked towards B Area Arrival according to this article – it’s a long 10-15 mins walk from A to B. Baiyun Airport Bus terminal ticket office is located close to Gate B11 and is manned by one staff around 12.50am. Passport is required for ticket purchase, and cash is accepted. We were issued two tickets (25 RMB each) to Guangzhou Railway Station, and staff informed that our bus (Line #3) will arrive before 1.15am.

After ticket purchase, we walked out through Gate B11 and look for our bus no (Platform 2) and waited there. When the bus arrived, there was a ticket check (qr code scan) sans ID check, then we were asked to bring our small-cabin size trolley bag onto the bus (instead of loading it onto the baggage area). it was already quite full with passengers from Terminal 2 . Bus didn’t stop long – we were asked to fasten seat belt, then off it went.

Getting to the hotel via Airport Bus was a miss, as we missed our stop (my bad!) and having to walk for 20 mins from where we alighted and continued with taxi at 2am (12 RMB total fare, flag down rate). Guangzhou Railway Station is the fourth stop (approx. 40-45mins from airport), and the next stop was after the Museum of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King (3 km away).

Line 1:

1. Tram station (Mawu archway)
2. New market (Baixin Square)
3. Civil aviation living area

Line 2:

1. Civil aviation living area
2. Baiyun District government center bus station
3. Sanyuanli University of traditional Chinese Medicine
4. Civil aviation ticket office (Guangzhou railway station)
5. Garden Hotel
6. South gate of zoo
7. teem Plaza
8. Tianhe computer city
9. Jinan bus station

Line 3 (our bus):

1. Civil aviation living area
2. Baiyun District government center bus station
3. Sanyuanli University of traditional Chinese Medicine
4. Civil aviation ticket office (Guangzhou railway station) – our stop
5. Guangdong Yingbin Hotel
6. Jie Fang Nan Road Station
7. Guangzhou second workers’ Cultural Palace
8. Liri Commercial Plaza
9. Polly Hotel

There are Intercity bus too – to Foshan, Enping, Qingyuan, Xiqiao. Lecong, Gaoming from what I managed to capture on photo.

Writing this blog entry now, found this article that indicates that it is possible to get the bus at A Area Arrival at gate A9-A12, and bus ticket counter is located at A5 and A10 Gates. In hindsight, I followed the instruction here, so we walked towards B Area without knowing there’s another pick up point at A Area. In my photo, noticed that there’s a “bus” sign pointing toward A4 – so do give it a try and benefit from the mistake we made.