Travel Answers

what banks are there in suzhou that i can open an account with

Hi i will be in suzhou from january for a business trip.. What will the weather be like then? what kind of clothing should i bring ? is there a need for winter jackets ? thanks alot

Hi, I would appreciate it if someone can help me in this. My family will be in Suzhou next week and we would like to take the Grand Canal Cruise. I have been reading postings from various sites and this makes me confused. Some recommended to take the cruise in front of Tiger Hill. Others said that cruise starts at Shuishang Lvyou Wharf. But I could not find the location of Shuishang Lvyou Wharf on the Suzhou map. Yet another site advises that "guests should purchase tickets at the port beside Renmin Bridge within the central urban space of Suzhou. the value is CNY35 per person, and therefore the cruise lasts for concerning eighty minutes". Any advise on exact location to take the cruise is most appreciated.

Hi all, We are planning to visit Shanghai on March 2012 and stay for 9 days there. Our plans for side trips is to spend 2 days. We are interesting to visit "water towns", see picturesque canals, old houses and gardens, take a boat ride etc. A draft plan is one day to Hangzhou and the other one to Suzhou. What are your proposals? I read that Zhanghzou is a tourist trap. What other villages can be combined with Suzhou and how we can go fm Suzhou there? What is your opinion about Tongli, Nanxun? Also is it cheaper to buy silk fm these towns than in Shanghai?

Can anyone recommend an English speaking guide who can provide a tour of Suzhou, Tongli, and other special places in that area?

Hi - I've seen some old threads about this but I was after some more up to date info. My fiance's job is moving to Shanghai in July. I've been offered 2 jobs at international high schools - one in Suzhou and one in Wuxi. Is the daily commute either way possible??

I will be in Suzhou one night and I see there was once an Irish Bar. I have been to one in Shanghai. Is there still one in Suzhou?

How do you tell if jade is good quality?

Is the journey from the train station (we are coming in from Beijing) to the bus terminal (we are traveling to Zhang jia gang) far? What is the frequency like for buses to Zhang jia gang? If we have just the morning to afternoon, what is the suggestion to cover very briefly before moving on?

Hi, Am planning to visit Shanghai over the Xmas/New Year period. Want to make day trips to Suzhou and Nanjing on separate days of course. Can someone tell me what is the fastest train to both these cities? I read somewhere in this forum that there is a train service to Nanjing that takes under 2 hours but I am unable to find that on any train timetable. Thanks.

Hi, in October I want to go by night train from Beijing to Souzhou and than take a morning bus to Tongli, where I want to stay 2 or max. 3 nights. I expect Tongli to be a little bit smaller than Souzhou, which I would prefer, because after Tongli I will continue to Shanghai. Is Souzhou a must? I have already seen gardens in Beijing and I'm not such a garden fan. I would prefer to see a typical water town with all the little bridges and waterways. If I stay for 3 nights I even could do a daytrip back to Souzhou but concerning my interests a daytrip to Xitang would be maybe better. Or does Souzhou offer better views of a typical water town (brideges, canals) than Tongli and Xitang?.

I understand there is a silk festival in Suzhou each year in September. We will be there on September 13. Will there be any festivities? We will only be there for the day, but I'd like to purchase a length of silk fabric as a souvenir to make something back at home. Does this sound possible? Or is it very expensive for a bolt of cloth, maybe a few yards/feet/metres? Where is the best place to go to bargain for a good deal on a decent length of silk cloth? Thanks!

Hi, Anybody can tell me if in Suzhou there are shops similar to the shops at the 'silk market' in Beijing, selling good quality clothing but fake? Reg, Peter

Hey Folks, A few years back I travelled from Suzhou to Hangzhou on the overnight ferry..but i hear this is no longer available.. what other options are there to get to Hangzhou from Suzhou? Train/bus/taxi etc>? there will be four of us.. thanks in advance. Jules

Hello all - in everyone's experience, what is the best & quickest way from Shanghai to Suzhou (return)? Is it best to leave from Pudong or Hongqiao? Thanks in advance.

I hope to go on a business+holiday trip to Suzhou. Does anyone have an idea of any company in the suzhou area or its environs where marquees/huge party tents are manufactured? Really good quality ones.

Please i will like to know the best time of year to travel to suzhou to buy wedding gowns-i want dresses for the european market. Also is there a particular part of suzhou where i can find reeally good quality dresses with good prices that any one can recommend? I am also looking to buy other wedding accessories including gold jewelry. Thank you.

Hi Will be traveling from Suzhou to Shanghai. Questions :- 1) Is there a speed train from SZ to Shanghai? 2) Is there a train schedule and how long is the journey? 3) How much does it cost? 4) Do i need to book tickets in advance and where to i book these advance tickets? Thanks much for help rgds..feejin

The information on here about transport to Hangzhou Airport from Suzhou is 2 years old. does the bus still leave from ren Min Lu? Are the bus times the same? Any idea of cost of a taxi? What is the timetable from the airport to Suzhou?

Is there a shuttle bus from Suzhou to Pudong airport? Where do you get in in Suzhou? Is it reliable?

We were considering making Suzhou a stop on our trip at the end of August. I am very interested in shoppoing for Silk and possibly having some dresses made. I have been told the government stroes are the best place(more expensive) to purchase silk and they have tailors there. I am also interested in seeing the museum and riding on the cana;l. What can you reccomend? Our first stop is Beijing, from there we were thinking of coming to Suzhou, the Xi'an then Tibet and back to Beijing. We have 21 days. would like to also ride the train froom Lhasa to Xining. Not sure how long of a ride it is though. Thank you for your time and suggestions in advance PAtricia

Is there any possibility to have a local english speaking guide for Suzhou for 1 day trip (we're coming from Shanghai)? I have already bought a tour to China but I refused to take the trip to Suzhou through them as they take you only to Tiger Hill, a Silk factory and Hunble Administrator's Garden. Any names and e-mails are great help to come in touch. We can rent a taxi and with his/her help tour around

i just plan to look around the gardens. my train leaves at 10:35am from shanghai. Is spending the whole afternoon in suzhou enough?

Is it easy to buy the ticket for this? I'm going there alone and I heard it's hard to ride one if I'm not with the tour, is it true?

Andre32; I think that the cause of your difficulty is "when you have had one too many" (as you said in your post)... I have been living in Suzhou for nearly 3 years and have been a regular at Harry's for all that time, and so I believe your "...one too many" is the cause of your lapse of memory regarding your bill. And when you have "...one too many", or in your case probably more than the "... one too many" you claim, you can't then turn around and blame the bar staff when you get your bill! The prices at Harry's are lower than all of the "dives" on Bar Street (that you seem to like)! However, if you are prepared to drink moderately and enjoy the great live music and adult fun at Harry's, then you are welcome back my friend!

Hi I would like to include Suzhou, Hangzhou and Wuzhen as sidetrips to Shanghai. Is it possible to do it in two weeks? Transportationwise in what order should I arrange the cities to minimize travel time? I also plan to visit Beijing next..... Is it easy to do it independently, ie take local transportation? If not, is there a street(like Khao San Road in Bangkok) where one can easily find daytours for the next day or arrange onward transportation among many competing agents? Thanks.

Who ever been to this 2 places? Can tell me the admission fees difference? and the worth while of being to these two garden?

Hi, How long does it take to get to Wuzhen from Hangzhou? And how long does it take to get to Suzhou from Wuzhen? Aside from the gardens, what other sites are worth going to Suzhou to see? What I'm trying to figure out is where to stay overnight. I'm leaving Hangzhou Sun., 11/26 a.m. and I have to be in Shanghai Mon., 11/27 evening. Should I stay over in Wuzhen and trott over to Suzhou to spend the day before leaving or should I leave Wuzhen in the evening and spend the night in Suzhou? Just not sure what more Suzhou has to offer besides the gardens, which I'm not really into. Any thoughts/suggestions? I would LOVE it!

I am trying to find a way to get a ticket by train to Suzhou from Sahnghai and back. I am new in China and have a limited time to make the Journey. Can Anyone tell me how to find out the costs and when the trains run???

Hi, I am planning to spend 1 nite in Suzhou end Dec as part of Shanghai trip. Can you advise if there are any good tailors in Suzhou that could tailor a few dresses within 24 hours for reasonable price ? I have own fabric. Could you recommend a good location to stay in Suzhou that is convenient to see the sights ? Thanks for your help