Founded in 1904, the Tianjin bus system was the first in China, and the metro was second in the nation 1970 and today the city is well served by its public transportation. Within the city, traveling on a bus line that is less than 12 km 7 km will cost ¥1.5, while ¥1 will cover a journey on any line over 12 kilometres, even if you travel less than 12 km 7 mi but on a line that is over this distance, the cost is still ¥1. It's well worth your time to look up popular bus routes. Buses are comfortable and clean.
The old Tianjin metro was suspended in 2001, but after refurbishing was re-opened in 2006. In addition, a light-rail line runs between the urban area of Zhongshanmen to the seaside area Donghailu in TEDA.
By taxi
Taxis are abundant. The minimum cost for 3 km is ¥8, ¥1.7 per km thereafter. Taxis also charge for the time while the vehicle is stationary at ¥1.7 for every five minutes cost is exempt for less than five minutes. It is strongly recommended to avoid taxis from near the railway station. See note in the Get in-By train section above about how to avoid train station taxis. The same advice applies at tourist stops, it is best to walk a few blocks to a regular street to catch a metered taxi. Ride with illegal taxis at your own risk.
There are Tianjin tourist maps with destinations written in Chinese characters and English. Pointing at where you want to go will get you a long way with taxi drivers. It might be a good idea to take a magnifying glass along as many of the drivers have trouble with the small font.
You can rent a taxi driver for the day or even for just a few hours. The drivers are happy to wait, and the cost for two hours would be less than ¥100.
Another caution about taxis is that there are toll roads in some parts of China. In a taxi, you will be expected to pay the base fare plus the toll fee. The driver pays the toll and receives a receipt at the toll booth. At your destination, you ask for the receipts and pay that amount plus the base fare. If you are going a long way, you may also be asked to pay for the return toll fee. That is a legitimate request, although you could argue that the driver will pick up another fare to pay for the toll anyway. You may or may not succeed with the driver.
Tipping isn't common practice, as in most Chinese cities.