Daocheng Aden self-driving tour guide Daocheng Aden self-driving tour route

In fact, another thing about Daocheng Yading is that we are traveling by car. Regarding self-driving travel, the editor wants to talk to you about these issues. From the time you rent a car to the end, you need to pay attention to it when driving. Talk to everyone. Domestic car rental guide

After 12 days of driving, the glass water pipe of the Peugeot 3008 we rented was broken, the high beam was broken for some reason, and the air conditioner stopped cooling. Of course, it was the same as that car. It has been driven for more than 70,000 kilometers before, so the wear and tear is relatively serious.

When returning the car, the staff took a look at the condition of the car and said: "You guys are nothing. I just went to Linzhi to pick up a Maserati last week and it was basically scrapped."

I asked: "Is there anyone else driving a Maserati to Tibet?"

The guy who inspected the car smiled helplessly: "A local tycoon, we only have one Maserati, so I persuaded him at that time He spent a long time saying that this car must not be driven in Sichuan and Tibet, but he refused to listen and had to rent it. As a result, it had to be scrapped."

I don't know whether what he said is true or not, but at least it means one thing. Thing: When playing in Sichuan-Tibet, Yunnan-Tibet, and Western Sichuan, you really can’t just drive whatever you want.

How is the road condition in Sichuan-Tibet, Yunnan-Tibet, and Western Sichuan?

To be honest, many roads have been repaired well. Compared with before, there are many fewer dangerous road sections. But there are still some sections that are difficult to walk and the road conditions are unstable. It would be okay if there is no road construction, but once you encounter a gravel road that is under repair and construction, anything could happen. The most common ones are tire puncture and underlay.

In addition, the terrain in Sichuan, Tibet and Yunnan is complex and the weather is changeable. When the weather is nice, you have to be careful of the steep slopes and bends; when it rains and snows, landslides, mudslides, and rockfalls happen in just a moment; when the rain and snow pass, you still have to avoid dark ice and water-damaged sections of road.

Should I rent a car or drive my own car?

This question is easy to answer. Do you love your car? Are you willing to spend thousands of dollars renting a car, or are you willing to drive your own car and spend more money on repairs and maintenance when you get back?

These two questions After asking and answering myself, I basically have the answer.

If you are not a professional player and do not often take these routes, renting a car is actually more cost-effective than driving your own car.

To talk about a more realistic question, even if you don’t begrudge the wear and tear on your own car, if you drive your Infiniti QX50 to a Tibetan area and the car breaks down halfway, for this very common model, a car repair shop No repair skills and no accessories. And you also have to consider the issue of refueling. Not all gas stations along the way have 97-proof gasoline.

To talk about a more realistic question, I have a friend who was driving into Tibet. The car overturned on the way, and he was slightly injured, but he was rescued from the middle of the mountain. But the car was still overturned, and it was impossible to drag it up like a person. On such a narrow winding mountain road, neither a trailer nor a crane can get in. Even if roadside assistance can be found, the cost will be sky-high. In the end, I had to find a local car repair shop, dismantle the parts and scrap them on the spot. With 70% new off-road vehicles, the losses can be imagined.

Can I drive a car?

You can drive a car, but it is recommended not to drive it. Some people will bring up the story of little Alto's brave journey into Tibet and question whether Alto can also enter Tibet.

Indeed, as long as you want to drive, you can drive any car such as Alto, Maserati, Chery QQ, or Smart. Nothing is absolutely impossible. However, you must understand that little Alto's trip to Tibet is an isolated case after all!

To be honest, it is perfectly possible for a car to drive forward on paved national and provincial roads with asphalt roads, and bumpy dirt roads. You can also drive over it, but if you encounter a really bad road, it will be difficult for any car to drive on it. Alto drove past the accident-prone road section, and the Hummer overturned, it was all a matter of probability.

It is recommended not to drive a car as much as possible, just to drive a car with a relatively high safety factor, which can at least objectively reduce the incidence of accidents.

Of course, on this issue, everyone’s choices and original intentions are indeed different. What I express is just my personal opinion.

When renting a car, what model should you choose?

1. Necessary conditions

1. High chassis: When encountering gravel roads, a car with a low chassis can easily support the bottom. Nowadays, urban SUVs basically have about the same ground clearance. It is best to choose a model with a ground clearance of more than 15cm.

2. Common models: easy to repair if something breaks down.

3. Some people suggest that choosing a car with a long wheelbase will make cornering more stable. In fact, my personal experience is that stability is related to the width of the car body and the chassis. The length of the wheelbase does not play a decisive role.

In addition, the size and comfort of the interior of the car should be chosen according to your own requirements.

2. Model

As for whether to drive an ordinary SUV or an off-road vehicle, two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. I personally feel that ordinary SUVs are enough in western Sichuan. If the budget is not tight in Yunnan-Tibet and Sichuan-Tibet, you can drive off-road. If the budget is tight, you can drive ordinary SUVs as long as they meet the necessary conditions of high chassis and common models. In fact, there is no problem. Ordinary SUVs can be rented for a minimum of 120 yuan per day depending on the model, while off-road vehicles can be rented on a dedicated car rental website, with a daily rental price of 600 yuan or more. Car rentals are divided into off-peak and peak seasons, especially off-road vehicles. The price difference between off-season and peak season is not small. More on this below.

How to choose a car rental website

1. Car rental platform

First of all, renting a car is different from buying milk powder. It involves vehicle violations, insurance claims, maintenance and other issues. , so it is recommended to choose domestic car rental platforms for domestic self-driving.

The services provided by several domestic car rental platforms with a large number of users are basically the same. eHi has more discounts and offers, and Shenzhou has more car models. Other than that, I don’t feel that it is special. big difference.

2. Car rental prices

First of all, the price of the same model will fluctuate to varying degrees during the off-peak and peak seasons, on weekdays and weekends, during normal times and during holidays. The daily rental of ordinary SUVs is not expensive, starting from 150 in the off-season and 200 in the peak season. In fact, the bulk of the cost of renting a car is insurance, which will be discussed in detail in the insurance section below.

If you want to rent an off-road vehicle, you have to go to a specialized off-road vehicle website. Off-road vehicles are relatively expensive, after all, the performance of the vehicle is there. Take Pajero for example, the average daily rental price is 700 to 800; there are many Toyota models, the average price of Prado fluctuates around 1,000, and the Land Cruiser starts at 1,200; there are also domestic four-wheel drive, which are relatively cheap, such as the Great Wall Haval, which is less than 1,000 for daily rental. 500. You can choose according to your personal budget.

Instead of going through the car rental website, there are offline physical car rental agencies in Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming and Lijiang, several popular departure places in Sichuan and Tibet. You can rent a car when you arrive there, but you have to consider the temporary deployment in the store during the peak season. The situation of not being able to reach the car.

3. Fees for returning the car to another place

Another thing to note is the fee for returning the car to another place. Different from international car rental websites, the Internet of pickup and return of cars from physical stores in cities has been realized. At present, domestic car rental platforms can only connect vehicles to a few physical stores in the same city. Therefore, if you choose to pick up and return the car in another place, you will definitely have to pay a scary-looking return fee based on the distance between the two places.

For example, when we went to western Sichuan in April, we initially planned the route and planned to visit Sichuan and Yunnan. We would depart from Chengdu and return to Kunming. As a result, the air tickets were booked and when we rented the car, we discovered that the fee for returning the car to another place was 5,000 yuan! So we had to temporarily change it to self-driving in western Sichuan and pick it up in Chengdu.

Later, I specifically chatted with the staff of the car rental website and asked them how they calculated the sky-high fee for returning the car to another place.

People say: Now in a different place, it does not mean that you rent a car from Chengdu and return it in Kunming, and then someone else rents the car in Kunming and drives it back to Chengdu. Instead, we from Chengdu have to send someone to Kunming to drive the car back. The round-trip tolls, highway tolls, gas money, employee food and accommodation, business trip allowances and various labor costs add up to basically 5,000 yuan. number.

So, if you rent a car, try to avoid traveling to different places when planning your route.

How to choose insurance

1. Basic insurance premium

This fee is required as long as you rent a car. The fee is different depending on the car model. The more expensive the car, the higher the basic insurance premium. Including compulsory traffic insurance, third party liability insurance and vehicle damage insurance. Car damage insurance includes theft insurance, full vehicle glass insurance, etc.

For several other types of insurance, you can choose whether to insure according to your own circumstances.

2. Excluding deductible insurance

If you only buy basic insurance, then when an accident occurs and the car is damaged, the repair cost will be 2,000 yuan, of which there is an absolute deductible. The driver needs to pay the amount of 1,500 yuan out of pocket, and the insurance will only pay the 500 yuan after 2,000-1,500 yuan. If you buy it without deductible, no matter how much it costs to repair the car, you won’t have to pay a penny.

3. Third-party liability supplementary insurance

Because the third-party insurance in the basic insurance has a compensation limit, the driver needs to pay for the excess. Therefore, this third-party liability supplementary insurance can be understood as an enhanced version of the basic insurance.

4. Passenger seat protection

There is a maximum compensation limit for passengers in the car. Of course, if everyone usually takes out personal accident insurance to cover various situations, then it is not necessary to buy this insurance when renting a car.

Personal experience, when driving in China, in addition to the basic premium, I must buy a car without deductibles every time.

What should I do if my rental car breaks down?

Car rental websites have their own repair outlets, but these outlets are few and they are all located in popular tourist towns. In fact, water from afar cannot quench thirst that is near.

However, there are many car repair shops in the towns and villages along the Sichuan-Tibet, Yunnan-Tibet, and Western Sichuan lines, and they can repair all common models. The problem is that most of these stores cannot issue formal invoices.

For example, when our car drove to Seda this time and something went wrong, we called the car rental website. Their nearest repair point was in Kangding, hundreds of kilometers away from us. We can only pay in advance for repairs, but the car rental platform requires us to provide a formal invoice to compensate for this cost when returning the car. I asked several stores but couldn't issue an invoice, so I finally decided not to repair it and just kept it open.

So, if you buy non-deductible insurance when renting a car, and a small fault occurs halfway that does not affect normal driving and has no safety hazard, it is recommended that you simply don’t repair it. If it's a tire puncture, take a photo, send it to the car rental platform on site, and then communicate the solution in detail.

Other things to note when renting a car

1. Car inspection carefully

The car inspection includes checking the dashboard, tire wear, air conditioning, wipers, lights, etc. wait. If problems are found, they must be solved on the spot. In theory, the cars provided to you by the car rental platform have been inspected and maintained, and there will be no fatal problems. Of course, if you feel that the mileage of your car is too high, you can discuss changing it with them. If you find a small problem such as a small scratch on the car, point it out to the staff and take a photo to save it, so that you won't be confused when you return the car. Also remember to take a photo of the dashboard as well.

2. Necessary documents

Travel book, driving book, and ID card. If you rent a car, remember to ask for a travel copy when you pick up the car. You will pass many checkpoints along the way and you will be asked to provide these documents.

3. Car backup tools

For your own car, bring a simple tool box with you, which also contains some glass of water, a tow rope, and a tire pressure gauge. There is actually no need to equip a rented car with these extra items. There are many car repair shops along the way, and you can also add glass water at car washes.

4. Sometimes very common car models may be temporarily unavailable. Generally, the staff will go to other stores to arrange cars at this time, so it is best to reserve time in the itinerary. In addition, eHi and Shenzhou both provide car delivery services, so if their car pick-up point is not convenient for you, just choose their car delivery service.

5. Violation handling

Theoretically, within 2 weeks after returning the car, if the vehicle violates regulations, the car rental platform will send the violation record, deduction points and fine amount to the customer . The deposit paid when renting a car will not be refunded until the user pays the fine. Each car rental website has different handling procedures for traffic violations, so you should ask in advance when picking up the car. Of course, it's best to abide by traffic regulations and don't break them if you can. Precautions for self-driving

Self-driving in Chengdu

Although I only stayed in Chengdu for half a day, my personal feeling is that it is more convenient and comfortable to ride a bicycle. When we went there, roads were being built everywhere. It was really not easy for outsiders who were not familiar with the road conditions to drive through Chengdu. There were a lot of traffic lights and the traffic jams during peak hours were also very touching. Anyway, now you can enjoy bicycles. Instead of jumping into the streets, let’s ride. If you have to drive in Chengdu, it’s best to find out when the license plate is restricted. Chengdu currently also implements regulations that restrict motor vehicles according to vehicle numbers to avoid violations.

Number Restrictions

Chengdu also implements motor vehicle number restrictions, so when renting a car, it is best to ask in advance when the license plate will be restricted.

G318 National Highway

It starts from People’s Square in Shanghai, passes through Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, and ends at Friendship Bridge in Zhangmu Town, Nyalam County, Tibet. At 5,476 kilometers, it is currently the longest national highway in China. The scenery along the way is breathtaking, but the road conditions in many sections are steep and challenging for driving skills.

While driving

Say important things three times: drive safely! Drive safely! Drive safely!

1. Don’t drive when you see cows, sheep and horses hiding. If you blow your horn, you will have to pay compensation if you hit it. If you blow your horn and scare a pregnant cow, you may also be asked to pay compensation. As for how much you will lose, that depends on luck.

2. Look up at the trees when the rocks are falling. If the trees move, don’t move. This is a method taught by experienced drivers who run long-distance winding mountain roads.

3. There is no signal at all in many places, and the navigation map is offline in advance.

4. When arriving in plateau areas, people are prone to altitude sickness, and so are cars. There will be various situations such as insufficient power, the accelerator is fully extended, the vehicle speed does not change, the brakes suddenly fail, etc. It is best to observe the vehicle status at any time.

Driving on a winding mountain road

1. Try not to follow a large car as it will block your view too much.

2. When overtaking, be sure to turn on your left light to warn the vehicle ahead. Don’t overtake at corners or in blind areas. If the car in front is overtaking, be sure not to overtake with it, because if there is a vehicle on the opposite side and the speed is very fast, the car in front may be able to successfully merge after overtaking, but you It may not be possible to merge in time!

3. Slow down in advance before the curve. Be sure not to slow down when cornering. Slow down in the curve. If the speed is too fast and the brakes are applied too hard, it is easy to roll over. After all, Not everyone can play drifting. No matter how amazing your driving skills are, you must remember safety first!

Altitude Sickness

Altitude sickness is caused by low hemoglobin in the human body. To put it bluntly, Rhodiola rosea is a health medicine that can increase hemoglobin and enhance blood circulation. However, if it is not taken for a long time, it is useless if it is taken only one or two weeks in advance. The most effective way is to inject glucose after you have hypersensitivity, but you have to go to the hospital to get glucose and you can’t buy it in ordinary pharmacies. You can buy headache medicine like Gaoyuanan and try it yourself. It can indeed provide slight relief, but it won't work immediately. If you are departing from Chengdu, the local pharmacy has a relatively complete range of anti-hypertensive drugs and the prices are cheap. You can buy them when you arrive in Chengdu. Also, try to keep yourself from catching a cold. As for whether you should not take a shower when you reach the plateau, my personal feeling is that taking a hot bath for five minutes will not make high blood pressure worse. Basically, all kinds of discomfort will disappear after three or four days.

Chengdu-Daocheng self-driving route

Currently there are two routes available for traveling from Chengdu to Daocheng Aden, namely the southern route and the northern route. The two routes have different scenery. For self-driving travel, if time permits, it is recommended to enter from the south and exit from the north, or from the north and exit from the south. Enjoy panoramic views of the scenery along both routes.

Southern Line: Chengdu-Ya'an-Erlangshan-Luding-Kangding-Xinduqiao-Yajiang-Litang-Daocheng-Yading

Road condition introduction: The total distance is about 810 kilometers. Among them, the Chengdu-Ya'an Expressway is about 140 kilometers long and the road condition is very good. Ya'an to Kangding is divided into two sections: Ya'an to Shimian, the highway, the road condition is good, there may be traffic jams when getting off the highway; Shimian to Luding, the secondary highway, a bit steep, overall the road condition is good. From Luding to Kangding, the asphalt road continues uphill and is in good condition. The journey from Kangding to Xinduqiao is 80 kilometers, most of which are asphalt roads. Only 5 kilometers from Kangding out of the city are under construction. The road condition is not very good, but other roads are in good condition. It is more than 355 kilometers from Xinduqiao to Daocheng. The first tunnel from Yajiang to Litang is driven slowly without lighting. The road condition is much better than before. If you want to see the Gaoersi Pass, you can take the old road instead of the tunnel, but the road condition of the old road is worse. Difference.

Northern Line: Chengdu - Dujiangyan - Yingxiu - Wolong - Balang Mountain - Rilong Town - Danba - Bamei - Tagong - Xinduqiao - Yajiang - Litang - Daocheng - Yading

Introduction: It is 100km from Chengdu to Yingxiu, National Highway 213, mainly cement roads and asphalt roads. It is 45km from Yingxiu to Wolong, Provincial Highway 303, cement pavement, it is a relatively gentle uphill road, because it is in the Wolong Protected Area, there are fewer vehicles and the air quality is good. The journey from Wolong to the Balang Mountain Pass is 69km, with an altitude ranging from more than 2,000 meters to more than 4,000 meters. It is a winding uphill road with a steep slope, making driving more difficult, but you can see snow-capped mountains, sea of ??clouds, and infinite scenery along the way. The road from Balang Mountain Pass to Rilong Town is on cement road, all downhill, with many curves. The official speed limit is 40km/h, so you may be speeding if you are not careful. The distance from Rilong Town to Danba County is 71km on an asphalt road and is easy to drive. The approximately 30 kilometers along the way is called the "Donggu Natural Bonsai Scenic Area" with pleasant scenery. The whole journey from Bamei Town to Tagong Township is about 30 kilometers, all on asphalt roads, dominated by plateau scenery. Tagong Grassland, Tagong Temple, Muya Golden Pagoda and Yala Snow Mountain are the most famous. The total distance from Tagong Township to Xinduqiao is 37 kilometers, with second- to third-grade asphalt roads, which is the only way for the Sichuan-Tibet Line. It's all downhill, and the scenery of Xinduqiao is the most beautiful in the morning and evening, so you need to have electricity. The northern line and the southern line meet at Xinduqiao, so the route is the same as the southern line to Daocheng Yading.

It is known as the jade set on the Western Sichuan Ring Road. Erlang Mountain is 172 kilometers away from Chengdu. It is the watershed of Qingyi River and Dadu River and the natural geographical dividing line. The scenic area has majestic, precipitous, magical, beautiful and quiet primitive features and a unique historical connotation of the blend of Tibetan and Chinese cultures.

Line Highlight ②: Xinduqiao (passed by both the South and North Lines)

This is also known as the world of light and shadow, because countless photography enthusiasts go here just to take pictures of the beauty. scenery. Xinduqiao is located in the western area of ??Kangding City, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. It is located at the bifurcation of the south and north lines of National Highway 318. It is a picturesque paradise. Xinduqiao is not only a great place for photography, but also attracts many friends who take wedding photos every year. With its harmonious natural scenery and simple humanistic customs, it may be a good chance for you, your family and friends to drive to Xinduqiao by yourself. You will meet pairs of lovers here. Seeing these, coupled with the unique beauty of Xinduqiao, will your mood also broaden!

Highlight of the route ③: Litang (South) , the northern line all pass through)

Litang is located in the west of Sichuan Province and the southwest of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Litang is the hometown of Cangyang Jiajie. He once said: "On the top of Nadong Mountain, Sheng A bright moon rises, shining on Maniaji's face and imprinting it on my heart. White crane, please lend me your wings and don't fly far away, only come back to Litang."

The trip from Chengdu to Daocheng Yading usually takes 7 days, 5 of which are spent on the road (but the scenery along the way is also good, such as Danba, Xindu Bridge, etc.), and there are only 2 days in Daocheng Yading Scenic Area. It's a tour. In addition to driving there, you can also take a bus from Chengdu Xinnanmen Station, which takes about 22 hours.

In addition, car chartering and group tours also have their own advantages. Professional drivers are good at driving on plateau roads, and their driving experience and experience are sufficient. They will also explain to you some exciting things in the process of leading a group. If there are many people, choose a chartered car. If there are few people, join a group tour. The price is cheaper than self-driving (gas + tolls + car rental fees, etc.), and you don’t have to worry too much. Transportation routes

Yunnan-Daocheng self-driving route

Currently there are two self-driving routes from Yunnan to Daocheng Aden to choose from.

Line 1: Zhongdian-Benzilan-Derong-Ciwu Township-Ma'anshan-Xiangcheng-Sangdui-Daocheng.

Introduction: Zhongdian-Fulongqiao (asphalt road, 70 kilometers)-Derong (asphalt road, 72km)-Ciwu Township (asphalt road, 90km)-Reda Township (20 kilometers intermittent Gravel road, 40km) - Xiangcheng (asphalt road, 30km) - Sangdui (asphalt road, 82km) - Daocheng (asphalt road, 26km) - Shangri-La Town (asphalt road, 78km)

2 Line: Zhongdian-Geza-Shenchuan Copper Mine-Langdu-Sizigong-Kas Village-Shangri-La Town (Aden Scenic Area Visitor Center)

Main itinerary: Zhongdian-Geza (asphalt road, 36km, 1h)-Langdu (gravel road, 60km, 3h)-Sizigong (gravel road, 25km, 1.5h)-Kas (asphalt road, 5km, 10m)-Echushan-Shangri-La Town (asphalt road , 65km, 2.5h)

Highlights of the route ①: Xiangcheng

Xiangcheng is located in the west of Sichuan Province, on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and in the southwest of Garze Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Due to the unique geographical environment, the pastoral villages in rural areas are mostly distributed at the bottom of deep valleys or on the mountainside. Looking down from a high place, the green fields are surrounded by the unique white houses in rural areas, which is picturesque and picturesque. It is a small village in the south of the Yangtze River in Kangba. Now is the best time to appreciate the beautiful pastoral scenery of Tibetan countryside.

Highlight 2 of the route: Derong

Derong is located in the middle of the Great Shangri-La Tourist Ring at the junction of Sichuan and Yunnan. Here, snow-capped mountains, canyons, grasslands, forests, blue sky and sun complement each other. It is famous for its dangerous, steep, beautiful and strange natural scenery, splendid Kamba culture and unique ethnic customs. People work at sunrise and rest at sunset, what a pleasant pastoral life!

Highlight of the route ③: Meili Snow Mountain

Located about 10 kilometers northeast of Deqin County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province The middle section of the Hengduan Mountains, between the Nujiang River and the Lancang River. The snow-capped peaks point directly to the blue sky, the river cuts deep into the canyon, and is surrounded by dense virgin forests. Local Tibetans call it the "god of the snow-capped mountains" and is a holy pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhism.

If you don’t drive yourself, you can also choose (airplane, shuttle bus, 4+2)

If you consider that it is a long way to Daocheng Aden and you are not familiar with the local road conditions when driving by yourself, in addition to participating in In addition to group tours, you can also take a plane, shuttle bus or try an emerging travel method 4+2 to make your travel more in-depth!