Suzhou

Motorcycle Taxis

Found the same places as pedicabs, and should be approached with similar caution. Suzhou motorcycle taxis are usually filthy, dangerously driven, and relentlessly uncomfortable the seats are about 12 cm above the floor so traumatic to your spine it would be best to consider another form of transport.

Taxis

Suzhou's rattling old silver-and-teal VW Santana taxis are a very reasonably priced way of getting around and are easily available outside of rush hour. Fares start at ¥10 for 3 km and tick up at ¥2.5 per km, so most trips within the city are cheap. That said, Suzhou's cabbies are infamous for their lack of local knowledge so having an address or phone contact to your destination will save you a lot of hassle. Driving style is best described as aggressive, although serious accidents involving taxis are rare. Be warned of taxi touts near tourist destinations and the train station - always use the taxi queue or flag one down from the street available taxis have a green light on the front dash. Always get a receipt from the taxi driver at the end of the ride, so you may call the taxi company if you have left anything behind or need to dispute a fare.

Few, if any taxi drivers speak English or any other foreign languages, so unless you speak the local Suzhou dialect or Mandarin, be sure to get your hotel's business card, and have the names and addresses of your destinations written in Chinese to show your taxi driver.

Pedicabs

Available on most main streets and always near tourist attractions. Negotiate the price before you get in and don't allow the driver to change it once you arrive at your destination, for example, saying ¥15 and demanding ¥50. This is a slow means of travel but it allows you to actually see the city while you go somewhere. Despite what you might expect, pedicabs are often more expensive than taxis- and be warned that 99% of Suzhou pedicab drivers are notorious price-gougers, so bargain hard with these guys. Expect to pay a little more in the summer months since the driver is working hard in the heat to take you there.

On foot

It's possible to walk around the city although many will find the distances between some attractions too large to make walking an option. Ask the concierge at your hotel to write out the name of your destinations, as well as how to get back. Make sure to add your own notes so you know what the translation is. Be warned that walking in downtown is by no means relaxing - most sidewalks are narrow and clogged with parked scooters meaning that you'll end up walking in the bike lane or in the road. Also, around the subway construction sites the sidewalk and bike lane disappear altogether. Keep your eyes and ears open. Walking in the SIP is more pleasant as roads and sidewalks are wider, and traffic is less heavy.

Orientation

Downtown Suzhou Canglang, Pingjiang and part of Jinchang district is completely bounded by a large, rectangular canal known as the Weichang River Weichang Hé, with 9 east-west canals and 12 north-south canals running through the city. Most of the major sights are located within this area. Slightly further out is the ring road which is divided into east Donghuan Lu, west Xihuan Lu, north-east Beihuan Dong Lu, north-west Beihuan Xi Lu, south-east Nanhuan Dong Lu and south-west Nanhuan Xi Lu sections. The main long-distance transport hubs are located along this road, and bus #10 runs in a complete loop of the ring road. The two main cross-town avenues are Renmin Lu north-south and Ganjiang Lu east-west. Outside of the ring road, Jinjihu Lake marks the centre of the SIP with 2 main through roads crossing the lake Xiandai Avenue to the north and Jinjihu Avenue to the south. All streets in the SIP have names beginning with Xing from 'Xingjiapo' - the Chinese rendering of Singapore, referencing to Singapore's input to the development of the SIP for east-west routes and Su Suzhou for north-south routes.

By Subway

The Suzhou Subway is under construction and due for opening in 2011. There will be 2 lines - one will run east-west linking the Suzhou New District, the Old Town and the Suzhou Industrial Park and the second will run north-south linking the new Suzhou High Speed Railway station in the north, across the Old Town and into the southern suburbs. A mock-up of the new Suzhou Subway train car is on display in the Times Square shi dai guang chang shopping area in the Suzhou Industrial Park.

By bus

Taking a bus in Suzhou is relatively easy if you have a basic grasp of Chinese, or horribly bewildering if you don't. Though, fortunately, there are tourist routes which make this slightly easier. Buses cover the whole city, run at 10-20 minute frequencies from 5am-9pm on most routes and are a cheap way of getting around. Unfortunately all bus information boards and on-board announcements are in Chinese only, however bus route information can also be found on Google Maps.

Fares are based upon the distance between where you board and the last stop of the bus - most times you will pay ¥1 or ¥2, although some longer routes such as the #69 to Xishan charge up to 5 yuan - the fare will be displayed on the bus schedule as well as on a digital display above the driver's seat don't get this confused with the route number!. Exact change is required, so keep plenty of ¥1 coins/notes handy. Buses displaying a green or blue 'snow-flake' symbol next to the route number have air-conditioning and a ¥1 surcharge is paid on top of the regular fare regardless of whether the A/C is switched on or not.

There are 5 handy tourist buses numbered Y1-5 - all serve the railway station and connect most of the tourist sights within the city proper, so if you are unfamiliar with the city, they are a good way to familiarize yourself. Warning for people unable to read Chinese - as of September 2012, the tourist buses are prefixed with the Chinese character for "tour" 游 rather than "Y". Bus 游1 leaves from bus platform 4 of the Suzhou Train Station, and the station is the last stop of its return journey.

Buses are often crowded, and it's good custom to offer your seat to elderly, disabled or mothers with children.

If you are in town for a while, it's advisable to get a Suzhou-Tong card available from several outlets around town - it's a prepaid smart-card that gives you 10% discount on bus travel.

By bike

Cycling is an interesting but sometimes hair-raising way of exploring Suzhou. That said, cycling is much safer here than in, say London or New York, as Suzhou has an excellent network of cycle paths running alongside most major roads, however these also double up as scooter paths, sidewalks and parking lots; and some are rather potholed, so it's advisable to stay alert.

Bikes can be rented from most youth hostels or small bike shops around 30 yuan per day for a slow, heavy 1-speed city bike or from the Bicycle Kingdom rental agency on Pingjiang Lu they have road bikes and mountain bikes to rent for around 150-300 yuan per day depending on the model.

If you are planning on cycle-touring in China, Suzhou is a good place to start out. Several major cycle manufacturors including Giant, Merida, Dahon, UCC, bTwin and Shimano have factories in nearby Kunshan a small industrial town which falls under Suzhou's municipal administration, which has given Suzhou a lively cycling culture. The following bicycle stores are recommended:-

Giant 1607 Renmin Lu, Pingjiang-quThe largest store of the Taiwanese aptly-named giant - offers everything from single-speed city-bikes to full-suspension mountain bikes; and electric scooters to ultra-aerodynamic triathlon road bikes. Giant is somewhat cheaper than in the west, making them a popular choice. A simple city-bike will cost around ¥500, mountain bikes run from around ¥800 (for a steel-frame, no suspension with old components. ¥2,000 will get you an entry-level road bike, a decent hard-tail MTB, a hybrid or a basic tourer. Staff don't speak much English.

Decathlon Auchan Shopping Mall 1F, 55 Jinjihu Lu, SIPThe French sports-hypermarket has a branch on the 1F of the Auchan Supermarket in SIP. Price-wise they are similar to Giant although quality of components is not so great. Staff speak a little English.

Silver Storm city branch on Shizi Jie, Canglang-qu; SIP Branch on Xinggui Jie, SIPSilver Storm is one of the best places to buy components and accessories, and also the only place who will completely custom-build you a bike. They stock several regular brands including UCC, Orbea and Dahon, although they will order almost any brand for you. Prices are fairly reasonable and there is always an interesting variety of bikes on sale. The staff speak good English.

Specialized Harmony Plaza, Ganjiang Dong Lu, Pingjiang-quBy far the most expensive but also the best bike shop in Suzhou. If you want a top-end road or mountain bike, or the latest Shimano components, this is the place to come. Prices are approx. 20% higher than in the West.

Trek Xincheng Dasha, Xiandai Dadao, SIPThe 'other' top American brand has a small store in the New City community shopping center behind the Starbucks offering more top-end bikes. Prices are more reasonable for a top-end brand and the service is very good. As the store is very small, they only carry a small stock - if you are buying a whole bike, most likely the store will need to order it.

Most hypermarkets also stock bikes, typically cheap but low-quality. Expect to pay 200-300 yuan for a 1-speed city bike that will fall apart after 2 weeks.

Remember to always keep your bike locked when not in use - bike theft is a major problem, particularly in downtown. Always leave your bike somewhere brightly lit and crowded. In some places particularly around Guanqian Jie, attendants will keep an eye on your bike for a small payment typically Y0.50.