As one of the most famous tourist city in China and also the political, economic and cultural center of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou is one of the significant transportation hub in southeast coastal area of China.
Airway
Hangzhou is served by Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, which is one of the large ten airports in China. It is located in eastern part of Hangzhou city, about 27 kilometers from the downtown area of Hangzhou. Airline services from 38 airline companies provide daily flights to major and large cities in China, like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and so on. Also flights to Hong Kong and Singapore are available from Xiaoshan International Airport. For tourists traveling to the airport from Hangzhou city center can take airport buses and taxi.
Railway
Hangzhou plays an important role in the railway transportation in East China. Hangzhou has three major railway stations. Including Hangzhou Railway Station, Hangzhou Railway East Station, and Hangzhou Railway South Station. Currently there are four major railways serving Hangzhou, being Hu-Hang Railway, Hang-Yo Railway, Xuan-Hang Railway, and Zhe-Gan Railway.
City Transportation
Public Bus
Hangzhou has quite convenient public bus transportation. There are many kinds of buses serving in Hangzhou, including air-conditioned bus which is started with number “K”, tourism buses with prefix of “Y”, special lines, holiday lines started with number “J”, mid-night lines, and rush-hour express lines. For tourists wanting to experience something special with Hangzhou bus and also appreciate some beautiful scenery of the city, Bus Y9 is a good choice.
Metro
Hangzhou is on its way for a network of metro in the city. Now there are three metro lines has been opened to the public, Line 1, Line 2, and Line 4. Line 1 was opened in November 2012 and it connects downtown CBD areas with suburban areas.
Taxi
Taxi is another kind of popular transportation method in Hangzhou. It is quite convenient to get to anywhere of the city you want. Taxi fare in Hangzhou starts with 11RMB for a ride within 3 kilometers and 2.5RMB for every additional kilometers.
Bicycle
Since Hangzhou has started public bicycle rental service, bicycle has become a popular method to explore the city. Especially in the West Lake scenic area, many tourists rent a bicycle and ride around the lake to enjoy the scenery.
Waterway
As the south end of the Grand Canal, Hangzhou provides boat trips from Hangzhou to Suzhou or Wuxi. These boats usually departs at night and arrives at the destination in the next early morning. But these boat trips are only available in the summer or at peak seasons.