Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport is located about 27kms (17 miles) from downtown Hangzhou. Despite the name, the airport serves predominantly domestic flights so is really only useful to international visitors who fly into Beijing Airport, from where there are connecting flights. The international routes served by the airport include those to Tokyo, Osaka-Kansai, Seoul-Incheon and Singapore.

The airport is a modern facility with a good selection of services and amenities including ATMs, shops, restaurants, VIP lounges and a business centre. Around-the-clock parking is available at the airport’s car park.

From the airport to the city, passengers can make use of an airport bus service which runs from outside the terminal to the downtown area at intervals of either 15 or 30 minutes, depending on the time of day. There are also taxis available outside of the terminal.

To reach downtown Shanghai from the airport, passengers can take a public bus service or make use of the speedy Maglev rail line which connects the airport directly with the city. Taxis are also available from outside of the airport terminal building.

Hangzhou has an efficient public bus service with routes covering a large proportion of the city. For tourists, negotiating these services can be tricky as bus stops and the buses themselves offer no information in English. However, a number of services are aimed primarily at tourists—easily identified by the letter ‘Y’. The Y-services cover all of the city’s main visitor sites and attractions and are by far the cheapest way of getting around.

On both Y-buses and ordinary services, passengers can pay onboard with the driver being responsible for collecting fares. It’s important to tender the exact amount so you’ll need to establish the fare for the journey you intend to make before you board the bus.

Long distance bus services that connect Hangzhou with major Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Huangshan and Nanjin are also available. Services begin or terminate at one of the four bus stations in the city (the North, South, East and West Hangzhou bus stations) depending on the route.

A water-bus service operates along the city’s Grand Canal, beginning at Wulin Gate and terminating at Gongchen Bridge, with a single stop made at Xinyifang Grand Canal Culture Plaza. It takes just 30 minutes to complete the journey. The boat operates five times per day with the first service at 07:30 and the last at 18:00.

There are no rail services offering convenient connections between destinations within the city. However, regional and long-distance services make it possible to reach cities such as Shanghai. The journey between Hangzhou and Shanghai takes anywhere from 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours, 15 minutes.

Taxis are widely available in the city and offer metered service to popular destinations. Few taxi drivers speak any English so visitors will need to indicate where they wish to go on a map or have a Chinese-speaking friend or acquaintance relay the necessary information. Carrying you hotel card is a good idea.