Xuzhou is a major rail hub - very easy to get to by train. It is three hours from Nanjing on an express train. Most importantly, it's the half-way point between Beijing and Shanghai on the Shanghai-Beijing train route. On average, it's 8 hrs to China's political capital and 8 hrs to China's fashion and enterprise capital. However, the train speeds can vary from 5.5 hrs to 13 hrs for the same distance depending on the type of train. See (http://www.travelchinagui...) for the train schedules.
Please note that many foreigners wanting to travel to Xuzhou have accidently bought tickets to Suzhou near Shanghai instead of Xuzhou because the names sound so similar - and possibly because so few foreigners go to Xuzhou by train. So, it is highly useful to show the Chinese characters of Xuzhou å¾å· in order to convince the ticket officer and to overcome the phonetic confusion.
Once you arrive at the Xuzhou train station located just east of downtown, ascend the steps, show your ticket and exit. Outside, there will be a KFC, a McDonald's -- and a line/cue of taxis on the left.
