Driving in China: licence, roads and tolls

China does not recognise foreign licences or International Driving Permits. This is the one country where the answer is usually "you cannot".

• A temporary Chinese licence is the legal route. It is applied for at a vehicle administration office with a passport, visa, medical check and a translated licence, and it takes at least a day - practical for a long stay, not for a fortnight's trip.
• Hire companies will not rent to you without it. What they will do is rent a car with a driver, which is normal, unremarkable and priced accordingly.
• The alcohol limit is 0.02 % and the penalties for exceeding it include detention.
• Expressways are tolled at conventional plazas, and the network is enormous and modern.
• The high-speed rail makes the question academic for most itineraries: Beijing to Shanghai is four and a half hours station to station.