There are many ways of getting around Beijing and the following list is intended to help you choose the best way to get safely and on time to your chosen destinations

Capital Airport
Located about 20 km northeast of Beijing city centre is Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK).  Serves domestic and nearly all international flights having 98 international air routes and more than 40 foreign airline booking offices in Beijing.
The airport is linked to central Beijing by the Airport Expressway and is roughly a 40 minute drive from the city centre in good traffic conditions. Another expressway to the Airport, as well as a light rail system will be ready to take the 2008 Olympic traffic.
For the Capital Airport Information Desk, call 64563604(24-hour service).
The taxi fare is approximately 80 yuan from town.

Airport Shuttle Coaches
The Shuttle coaches run roughly every 30 minutes from Capital International Airport to Beijing. They are fast and cheap (about 20 yuan). Ideal for independent travellers wishing to get from the airport into the heart of Beijing. 

Beijing Subway
The subway is fast, efficient and an easy way to get around the city for a flat fee of just 3 yuan (5 yuan for a ticket covering line 13 in addition to lines 1 and 2).

Stations are indicated by the light blue sign “Subway”.

There are only two subway lines, however. There is the circle line that runs underneath the second Ring Road, and the straight line which extends from Xi Dan out to Pingguo Yuan. Good for avoiding the awful traffic jams.

Trains
Beijing has two major railway stations: Beijing Railway Station (or the central station) and Beijing West Railway Station, which has a large market style shopping area on one of the lower floors.
There are railway lines from Beijing to GuangZhou, Shanghai, Harbin, Chengde (a beautiful and historical summer resort) and QinHuangDao (Football Stadium 2008 Games) by the sea.
International trains, including lines to cities in Russia and Korea, all run through Beijing. Direct trains to Kowloon, Hong Kong also depart from Beijing. 
If you want to use the train get the hotel travel service or front desk to buy you a train ticket (for a small service charge). Special counters available at the stations selling tickets to foreigners and overseas Chinese which can be purchased up to six days in advance on production of ID.

Taxis
Official taxis display red stickers on the window and are metered. Costs are around Y10 for the first 4km and 1.6 yuan for each km thereafter. Obtain a dual-language map as many drivers don't speak English. Tipping isn't necessary.

Beware of fake taxis! It's easy to identify them: real taxis have license plates starting with the letter 'B', whereas fake ones start with other letters, usually 'C', 'E', 'F', 'G' or 'J'. Also, look to see if the sign on the roof is permanently fixed. 
In general, do not take a taxi that is hanging around - real ones can easily get plenty of work. 
If you hire a fake don't argue if you are alone, pay up and remember the car's license plate number, then call police later (Keep a pen with you). If you have a dispute with a normal taxi, take note of the driver's ID number from the dashboard and keep the receipt which has a telephone number for complaint.
Don’t get taken advantage of -  know the rough direction, cost and distance of your destination. You can easily find this out from a map or by asking locals before calling a cab. Verify these values with the taxicab driver to show them that you are in the know and not so easy to  cheat. Fortunately rogue taxis are rare.

Buses
There are over 600 bus routes in Beijing. The cost is 1 or 2 yuan depending on whether it has air-conditioning or not. Public buses are the cheapest way to get around Beijing but it can be difficult to find the right line to get where you want to go and you often have to change buses several times. Can be extremely crowded, uncomfortable and you need to watch your wallet when you get on the bus. Pickpockets frequent bus stops, so beware!

 Bicycle
The cheapest way to travel, Beijing boasts more dedicated cycle lanes than any other city in the world.

Why not join a guided bicycle tour and explore all those secret alleyways and side-streets you probably won't discover on your own. The city is completely flat so they are easy to use and can be rented from large bike repair shops and hotels.

Rickshaws
Rickshaws conjure up the image of two wheeled carts pulled around by Chinese men with long plaits. However today’s, rickshaws are in fact three wheeled bicycles often driven by old, retired men. Fleets of them circle around the Tian'anmen square area, looking for passengers. If you opt for a nice evening ride make sure you come to a firm price agreement first. With no set fees you just have to decide how much you are willing to spend. The other place to take rickshaw rides is by the north gate of Beijing Park.

Public buses to tourist sites of interest
For those who are adventurous and want to see something of the Chinese heritage you could get on a long distance tourist bus. The following are some possibilities if you have free time.

No 919     TO: Badaling Great Wall (65 minutes, about 14 yuan)   FROM: DeShengMen (near JiShuiTan subway) - 62047095
No 916Z   TO: Mutianyu Great Wall (about 80 minutes)   FROM: Dongzhimen Long Distance Bus Station - 69623028
No 931     TO: JieTaiSi and TanZheSi (2 picturesque and quiet temples situated in the western mountains) (about 50 minutes)   FROM: PingGuoYuan Bus Station (near PingGuoYuan subway in the west) - 69842714-4