Asia > China > Chongqing (CKG)
The Car or no Car advice for Chongqing can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Chongqing ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Chongqing ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Chongqing?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
📍 Getting Around Chongqing — the Reality
Chongqing is often described as a “mountain city”, and that’s not a metaphor.
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Extreme elevation changes between neighbourhoods
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Dense high-rise development
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Roads stacked on multiple levels
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Frequent tunnels, flyovers, and bridges
Distances that look short on a map can involve huge vertical climbs, making walking and driving very different propositions.
🚇 One of the World’s Most Impressive Metro Systems
Public transport is where Chongqing truly excels.
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An extensive metro and monorail network
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Lines crossing rivers, threading through buildings, and spanning valleys
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High frequency and long operating hours
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Easy access to major districts and rail stations
The monorail lines in particular are attractions in their own right and often faster than road travel.
🚆 Rail, Not Roads, Connect the City
Chongqing is also a major national rail hub.
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High-speed trains to Chengdu and beyond
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Conventional rail for long-distance travel
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Stations integrated with metro lines
For moving between districts or leaving the city, rail consistently beats driving.
🚆 Chongqing East Railway Station: A Station as a City
Chongqing East Railway Station has been conceived not simply as a transport hub, but as a destination in its own right. The station is built on an extraordinary scale, with multiple stacked levels, vast concourses, and roof gardens that soften what could otherwise feel like a purely monumental piece of infrastructure. It’s designed to function as a new urban centre, with commercial space, public areas, and entire new neighbourhoods planned around it, reflecting China’s approach of using major rail infrastructure as a catalyst for city expansion rather than just a place to pass through.
🏗️ Biggest in the World — But Not Yet Fully Used
By floor area, Chongqing East is widely regarded as the largest railway station in the world, but its current usage appears surprisingly low. That’s largely because the station has been built ahead of demand: several of the new high-speed rail corridors feeding into it are still under construction or not yet fully operational. As these lines open, the station is expected to absorb a huge share of Chongqing’s long-distance and high-speed traffic. For now, the slightly underused feel is less a sign of overbuilding and more a glimpse of how aggressively Chongqing is planning for future growth — at a scale few other cities in the world are even attempting. 🌆🚄
🚶♂️ Walking + Rail Beats Driving
Within central areas:
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Walking works locally
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Escalators, lifts, and pedestrian infrastructure help manage elevation
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Short metro hops replace long road journeys
Driving, by contrast, often means:
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Congestion
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Complex navigation
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Long detours to cross rivers
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Difficult parking
A car rarely saves time.
🚗 Why Renting a Car Makes Little Sense
Even confident drivers gain very little.
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Traffic congestion is common
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Road layouts are complex and multi-level
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Navigation is challenging even with GPS
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Parking near attractions is limited
The city simply isn’t designed for visitor driving.
🚕 When Cars Still Appear — But Not for Visitors
Cars still play a role locally:
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Taxis for short point-to-point trips
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Ride-hailing services for convenience
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Freight and logistics
But for visitors, metro + walking + taxis fully replaces the need for a rental car.
Conclusion: should you rent a car in Chongqing?
No — Chongqing is a rail city, not a driving city.
Between its metro, monorails, and rail hubs, Chongqing is one of the world’s most compelling examples of a megacity where private driving is unnecessary and often counterproductive.
