Getting to Hangzhou by Flight
Hangzhou is served by Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, it is about 27 kilometers (17 miles) from downtown. There are daily flights to and from major cities in China, including Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macau. The airport also hosts international flights to and from major Asian cities, such as Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul, and Tokyo.
Takeing a Taxi It for about 50 minutes, you can get to downtown with a cost around 100 yuan. Most taxi drivers don't speak English. You'd better show them the exact name of the place where you want to go in Chinese and show it to the taxi driver when you hire it.
The airport shuttle buses run every 15-30 minutes and cover different routes. Wulinmen Line shuttle bus can take you downtown or to West Lake. It takes about an hour and costs 20 yuan.
Getting to Hangzhou by Train
There are three railway stations in Hangzhou: Hangzhou Train Station, East Train Station, and South Railway Station.
Hangzhou Railway Station is called "Chengzhan (City Station)" by local people. Most trains departing from or terminating in Hangzhou will stop there. It only takes 10 minutes from the station to West Lake by taxi. Some high-speed trains operating to and from Shanghai are operated at this station.
Hangzhou East Train Station is about 15 kilometers from West Lake. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the West Lake by taxi and costs about 25 yuan. The station serves high-speed bullet trains to Beijing, Shanghai, Jinan, Nanjing, Xiamen, and Tianjin.
How to Get to Hangzhou from Nearby Cities
It is very convenient to travel to Hangzhou from nearby cities, such as Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Xi’an or Huangshan.
*Shanghai to Hangzhou
Shanghai is very close to Hangzhou, so there is no flight from Shanghai to Hangzhou. High-speed train is the best choice. There are a lot of bullet trains between Shanghai and Hangzhou. The journey takes about only 50 minutes.
*Beijing to Hangzhou
Planes and high-speed trains are both convenient ways between Beijing and Hangzhou. There are about 30 direct flights from Beijing to Hangzhou every day, each taking about 2 hours and a hlaf. High-speed trains running from Beijing South Station to Hangzhou East Station are also availabale. They take about 5 hours and a half.
*Suzhou to Hangzhou
Taking a bullet train is the most convenient way of traveling from Suzhou to Hangzhou. Suzhou is one hour from Hangzhou by bullet train. There is no flight between Suzhou and Hangzhou.
*Xi'an to Hangzhou
Taking an airplane from Xi'an to Hangzhou is less time-consuming than bullet train. Direct flights from Xi'an to Hangzhou take about 2 hours. The journey takes about 7 hours if you travel by high-speed train.
*Huangshan to Hangzhou
There are two bullet trains a day from Huangshan to Hangzhou, taking about 3 hours. There are no flights between Huangshan and Hangzhou.
*Singapore/Malaysia to Hangzhou
It is very convenient to travel between Singapore and Hangzhou, as there are 3 direct flights a day between the two. The journey takes about 5 hours and a half.
There is one direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Hangzhou every day except Tuesday. The journey takes 5 hours. It is also possible to transfer in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen or Xiamen. The whole journey may take 9 hours (with a transfer in Hong Kong).
Hangzhou City Transportation — Metro, Taxi, Bus, and Bicycle
*Underground/Metro/Subway
Metro is a good transportation option in Hangzhou. There are plans to build 13 subway lines in Hangzhou. Currently, there are three lines in operation: 1, 2, and 4. A ticket costs between 2 and 8 yuan, according to the travel distance.
If you are going to West Lake, you can take Line 1 and get off at Longxiangqiao Station, and then walk for about 400 meters.
*Bus
There are numerous different types of buses in Hangzhou, including normal public buses, tourist buses, and express buses. Public buses go virtually everywhere in the city. There are many tourist buses entitled by a "Y" before the bus number. It is convenient for tourists to go to main attractions on these buses. Y1 can take you to West Lake, and Y2 takes you to Lingyin Temple. Bus fares are cheap, ranging from 1–5 yuan, depending on the bus type and travel distance.
*Bicycle
Riding a bicycle is one of the best ways to explore Hangzhou. Riding a bicycle is one of the best ways to explore Hangzhou, particularly West Lake. Restaurants and stalls by West Lake have bikes for rental.
*Taxi
Visitors can alternatively take a taxi to tour the city. Taxis are plentiful and it's usually easy to stop one in the street.
Fares: In the city, the general initial taxi price is 10 RMB for the first 4 kilometers and 2 RMB per kilometer after that, until 8 kilometers; and then 2.4 RMB for each kilometer past 8 kilometers. Make sure the taxi meter is turned on when you start, note the driver's ID number, and get a receipt when you leave. Make sure you are not charged more than the meter says.
Pay with small bills and coins to avoid fake money in your change.
"Water Bus"
In addition to road buses, Hangzhou has water buses on the canals and rivers throughout the city, connecting the Grand Canal, West Lake, the Xixi River, and the Qiantang River.
