Your quick travel guide to Shenzhen

Car Rental in Shenzhen: traveling to China`s technology capital

Shenzhen is one of China’s most populous and wealthiest cities, and these factors express themselves in fantastic showings of culture and the arts. In fact, Shenzhen was named a UNESCO Creative City in 2008 and has long been a popular destination for domestic tourism, with theme parks, excellent shopping, dining, and cultural opportunities, and renowned beaches. While you will need a Chinese driver’s license to rent, doing the paperwork to receive one may well be worth the trouble to explore Shenzhen’s surroundings in depth. Book your rental car today!

As a subtropical city, Shenzhen is most comfortable to visit in the winter, when the heat has abated. Visit between October and December to avoid thunderstorms and typhoons and to enjoy pleasant cool weather.

Due to migration from other regions of China, both Mandarin and Cantonese are widely spoken throughout Shenzhen. English is rarely spoken, though you will find English speakers in hotels and at tourist destinations.

Shenzhen is in the China Time Zone, UTC+8.

The currency in Shenzhen is the Chinese yuan, called the renminbi in Mandarin. While major credit cards are accepted at many locations throughout Shenzhen, local restaurants and stores typically only accept Chinese credit cards. Carry cash for the bulk of your financial transactions to save 10% credit card fees. ATMs from Bank of China, MixC, and branches of your domestic bank will accept foreign credit and debit cards.

Automobile hire is available in over 15 locations throughout Shenzhen, including the Shenzhen Bao`an International Airport (SZX), Futian, and at the Jinjiang Inn Airport Hotel.

Visa Regulations

You can visit Shenzhen from Hong Kong by applying for a Special Economic Zone Tourism Visa at the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, which saves you the hassle of applying for a full China Mainland Visa. While most nationalities will be awarded these visas, note that some nationalities are outright excluded, including citizens from the Philippines, India, France, and the United States. The Special Economic Zone Tourism Visa limits your travel to the city of Shenzhen itself and does not permit travel into the city’s surroundings.

To obtain more freedom of movement in and around Shenzhen, apply for a China Mainland Visa from a Chinese embassy or consulate before you leave. Receiving tourist visas is relatively uncomplicated, though note that you have to use your 30-day tourist visa within 3 months of its date of issue and your double-entry tourist visa within 6 months.

Driving in Shenzhen

If you can receive a provisional Chinese driver’s license, having a car will greatly increase your mobility in Shenzhen’s surrounding area. If you don’t have the time to receive a Chinese driver’s license, consider hiring a driver in addition to your rental car in order to explore Shenzhen more intimately.

Right-Hand Driving

  • Traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road throughout mainland China.

Typical Speed Limits

  • In cities: 30 km/h on one-land roads and 70 km/h on larger roads
  • On China National Highways: 40 km/h in cities and 80 km/h on larger roads
  • On city express roads: 80 to 100 km/h
  • On Expressways: 100 to 120 km/h

Other Regulations

  1. You can receive a provisional Chinese driver’s license by submitting and filling out paperwork at a driving test center. You will need photographs, a medical examination, and a translation of your domestic driver’s license, among other documents, and you will likely have to visit the driving test center a number of times to thoroughly fulfill the requirements, including the theoretical driving test. This test is available in numerous major languages in larger cities.
  2. Parking will be a challenge in congested Shenzhen, so try to book a hotel with complementary off-street parking.
  3. A number of expressways and connections are tolled in and around Shenzhen, so be sure to have small bills of cash on hand.
  4. The minimum driving age in China is 18 years.

Cheap Car Rental in Shenzhen

Automobile hire in Shenzhen typically starts at around $25 a day. Here are some of the best deals in Shenzhen:

  • Skoda Fabia or similar (economy class) – $25/day
  • Skoda Rapid Spaceback or similar (compact class) – $26/day
  • Buick Excelle or similar (intermediate class) – $32/day
  • Ford Escort or similar (intermediate class) – $46/day
  • Qoros 3 or similar (standard class) – $49/day

Note that prices vary depending on the availability of each specific car and the season in which you rent. For the most accurate offers, use the search bar above.

Tips for Renting a Car Inexpensively in Shenzhen

There is no seasonal variation in price in Shenzhen. In fact, the price for rental cars remains quite stable across all the locations of specific agencies throughout the city. For instance, there is no price difference when you rent from Avis’s locations at Futian or at the airport. This agency provides the cheapest car rental options.

Prices don’t change much if you extend your rental period to over a week. Keep an eye out for discounted prices instead! You’re likely to find numerous cars discounted by 8% to 11%.

All car rental in Shenzhen