Beijing's subway is the fastest, cheapest, and most tourist-friendly way to navigate the city — 27 lines, 490+ stations, fully bilingual signage and announcements, and fares starting at ¥3. Load a Yikatong card (rechargeable transit card, ¥20 refundable deposit) at any station window, or link Alipay/WeChat Pay for QR-code entry. Avoid rush hours (7:30–9:30 AM and 5–7:30 PM).