Suzhou Transportation

Suzhou Transportation Guide serves you detailed transport information and introduces Suzhou high speed trains, Suzhou trains, Suzhou cycling, Suzhou bus, Suzhou taxis and ways of getting in and around Suzhou.

How to Get to Suzhou

By Air

There is currently no civil aviation airport in Suzhou. Sunan Shuofang International Airport is the closest airport to Suzhou. Passengers can take a shuttle bus directly to the airport in Wuxi, or take a high-speed train to Wuxi, and take the airport bus in train stations of Suzhou. Secondly, Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and Pudong Airport are also closer. When arriving and leaving the airport, be sure to confirm the information of the flight you are taking and the transportation method from the airport to Suzhou. If you are taking the train, you need to check whether the reserved time is sufficient.

By Train

At present, there are four major railway stations, namely,  Suzhou Railway Station, Suzhou North Railway Station, Suzhou New Area High-speed Railway Station, Suzhou Industrial Park Railway Station. It is very convenient to get to Suzhou by train and nearby cities, such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing. Among the four stations, Suzhou Railway Station and Suzhou North Railway Station are the most frequently-used. From the two stations, high speed trains are plenty to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Beijing, etc.

Suzhou Railway Station

Suzhou Railway Station is located in the urban area and is closest to the top attractions. It is recommended that tourists choose to arrive at Suzhou Railway Station. Suzhou Railway Station(苏州站) is the main train station centrally located in Gusu District of Suzhou City, about 3 kilometers from the Humble Administrator's Garden, and is served by high speed trains running on Shanghai-Nanjing Intercity Railway as well as normal trains on Beijing-Shanghai Railway.The station has two squares: the South Square and North Square. From Suzhou Railway Station, passengers can take bullet trains to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Wuxi, Kunshan, Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen, etc. And also night trains to Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xian, Huangshan, etc.

Suzhou North Railway Station

Suzhou North Railway Station(苏州北站) is another train station in Suzhou that serves high speed trains along the famous Beijing– Shanghai High Speed Railway, and it is located in Xiangcheng District of Suzhou City, about 10.5 kilometers from Suzhou Railway Station. And both are linked by metro Line 2. Suzhou North Railway Station serves as a very important station for those who want to take high speed trains to Beijing, as most of the high speed trains from Suzhou to Beijing departs at Suzhou North Railway Station and arrives at Beijing South Railway Station.

Suzhou New Area Railway Station

This Railway Station also operates several scheduled bullet trains on the Shanghai-Nanjing High Speed Railway every day.
Location: Hushuguan Town, New District
Transportation: No. 335, 326, 34, 36, 529, 311, 85, 441, 306 Buses

Suzhou Industrial Park Railway Station

Everyday, this station serves for 45 bullet trains of the Shanghai-Nanjing Intercity High Speed Railway.
Location: Suzhou Industrial Park
Transportation: No. 115, 116, 262, 161, 119, 166, 258 Bus

Suzhou Trains

Suzhou High Speed Trains

 By Long-distance Bus

Suzhou enjoys a developed high system. It is very convenient to get to Shanghai and Hangzhou within 2 hours and 2.5 hours by long-distance bus. The road condition to Wuxi(45km, 70 minutes'driving), Zhouzhuang Water Town(46km, 1 hour's driving) and Tongli Water Town(27 km, 45 minutes' driving) is very good. At present, there are major five long-distance bus stations in Suzhou, namely, Suzhou North Square Bus Station, Suzhou North Bus Station, Suzhou South Bus Station, Suzhou West Bus Station and Wuzhong Bus Station.

How to Get Around Suzhou

By Metro

Currently, lines 1, 2, and 4 are operational. Line 1 began construction on December 26th, 2007, and was inaugurated five years later in 2012. Line 2 began to be built on 2009, opening to the public on December 28th, 2013. Line 4 began construction on 2010. and was fully operational on April 15th, 2017. Currently, all the lines cover a total distance of 120 kilometers among their 93 stations. However, there are plans to expand that distance to 240 kilometers before 2020.

By City Bus

As a hot tourist city, Suzhou has an efficient and convenient public transportation system. The price of the regular bus is 1 yuan/person and the air-conditioned bus in 2 yuan/person. Buses are the best choices to get around Suzhou city. Passengers can check the sign on the bus stop to know the fare and route. All the bus-stop-announcing is said in Chinese Mandarin and you can also listen to the Suzhou soft dialect additionally in some tour buses. If you don’t understand Chinese Mandarin, preparing a map will be helpful.

By Tourist Bus

Suzhou buses are both convenient and affordable. Clearly labeled with a “Y” for tourist routes, most fares are as little as ¥2 and can take you to all of Suzhou’s most popular attractions. All mentioned buses depart from the Suzhou Railway Station (No. 27 Chezhan Road, Gusu District).

By Boat

By boat is the most relaxing way to admire the charm of Suzhou and cruising on the Grand Canal is most popular among tourists. Nine-century-old Zhouzhuang Water Town, the oldest water township in China and one of the most famous, comprises a network of scenic canals, 14 stone bridges, and well-preserved buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The late Chinese painter Chen Yifei immortalized the village in his paintings. The Suzhou Grand Canal, like the Great Wall, is one of China’s most magnificent and astounding creations. Approximately 1,200 miles (1,776 km) from tip-to-tip, the Grand Canal is the longest man-made waterway in the world.

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By Taxi

Taxis in the city are of various brands like Santana, Passat, Nissan, Qoros and Toyota Camry. By now, there are over 4,800 regular taxis running in the downtown area (except Wujiang District), as well as another 500 deluxe cars which are dedicated for reservation service. Starting price of taxi in Suzhou is 13 yuan/3 kilometers (including 3 yuan fuel surcharge); 3-5 kilometers Santana (blue car) 1.8 yuan/km, Passat (orange car) 2 yuan/km; 50% no-occupancy surcharge for more than 5 kilometer, namely Santana 2.7 yuan/km, Passat 3 yuan/km.

Suzhou Taxi Phone Number: 0512-96520/0512-67776777

By Rickshaw

Some attractions in Suzhou are located in the alleys, and cars cannot arrive there directly. At this time, rickshaws are the best means of transportation. The starting price of richshaw is generally around 10 yuan.
Tips: Taking a rickshaw requires a negotiated price with the driver in order to avoid disputes.
Rickshaw Complaints Hotline: 0512-96196

By Sharing Bike

The sharing bikes like Mobike and Hellobike can be easily founded and rented at a low price in the Suzhou streets. To download bike sharing apps and finish the ID verification procedure, you can use these bikes. Usually CNY 0.5 - 1 for every 30 minutes.

Suzhou Transportation by Region

Jiangshu Transportation by Region