Suzhou Travel Forum

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???

Try this link: www.english.ctrip.com, half way down on the right hand side of the screen is a box labelled travel tools, and train timetable is inside this box. Our travel from Hangzhou to Suzhou on the express cost 110RMB. The train journey from Hangzhou stops in Shanghai first and then continues to Suzhou. Total travel time 3 hours ( Hangzhou to Shanghai 2 and Shanghai to Suzhou 1 )Good luck.

For availablity of Train and its schedule may I suggest you go into www. travelchinaguide.com and go into the link on china train. You will get all the details including the time taken on each train for various destinations. Cheers.

hi,there are 39 K/N/T(with air conditioning)trains daily from shanghai to suzhou(terminal or stop) between 5:13am to 22:25, of which 32 trains initially departs from shanghai; it will cost you rmb 9 -rmb 22 for different seat.

I imagine you have got to Suzhou by now... but for the benefit of others who find this site with the same question; trains between Shanghai and Suzhou are very frequent throughout the day and night. There are a couple of gaps in the service where you may have to wait more than an hour e.g after 1.15pm; after 6.30pm and after 12.30am - next train at this hour is around 3.30am which is convenient if you are out on the town until the bars close (at around 3am). The trains vary in quality / price and speed; the 'T' trains are deluxe and soft seats, airconditioned and comfortable, and also the fastest making the 86km in between 38 minutes to 50 minutes depending on whether there is a stop in Kunshan - the fare for 'T' trains is RMB 22. Next on the scale are the 'K' trains, also air conditioned and take close to 60 minutes for a fare of RMB 15. And lastly, the 'number only trains' (usually a 4 digit number e.g. 2306) are slow (75 minutes) and cheap (RMB 9) and usually run between midnight and 6am. To get a ticket, you can go the the Shanghai Train Station where they have an 'English Speaking' window in the ticket office. Or, if your plan requires a more definite time, and if you want to know the time in advance, get your hotel consierge to order the ticket which will add a RMB50 service fee to the cost (but it is very convenient). If your hotel does not have a consierge, the reception staff may still be able to help you... or at least tell you where the nearest ticket office is in the city. Most travel agents sell train tickets. The train service is good throughout China - they also have super deluxe express ('Z') trains between a selection of major cities such as Shanghai to Beijing for about RMB500 each way for the 12 hour trip; all seats are soft sleepers (4 persons to a room) and the beer in the restaurant car is 'cold'!!