How to Get Around Jiangsu

High-speed rail is the way to travel here, and Jiangsu has the densest network in China. Nanjing to Suzhou takes about an hour, Suzhou to Shanghai under half an hour, and trains run every few minutes on the trunk line. Book through an app or at the station with your passport.

Metros operate in Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou, all cheap and easy.

To the water towns: buses from Suzhou take under an hour to Tongli and Luzhi; Zhouzhuang is reached from Suzhou or Shanghai.

Getting in: Nanjing has an international airport, and Shanghai’s two airports are within easy high-speed rail reach of the whole province, which is how most foreign visitors arrive.

Practical: a Chinese payment app is close to essential for trains, taxis and almost everything else.