Hangzhou's airport is 15km north of town, and connected by CAAC bus (¥5) to the main booking office on Tiyuchang Lu, just east of Hushu Lu. The recently renovated train station is located to the east of the city centre. To reach the lake from here on foot takes about forty minutes; walk straight ahead out of the station and keep bearing right until you hit Jiefang Lu heading due west. Otherwise, take bus #7 direct to the lake or #151 or #152 as far as Yan'an Lu. Frequent private buses also use the train station square, connecting with nearby cities such as Suzhou, Shanghai and Wenzhou. Occasional trains only stop at the remote East train station ; from here, bus #28 travels directly to Hangzhou University and Zhejiang University, while #518 goes to the centre of town.

The main long-distance bus station lies in the north of town, on Hushu Nan Lu, just north of Huancheng Lu; bus #151 through town to and from the train station passes here. Most long-distance buses arrive at this station, except for those from Shaoxing, Ningbo and Fuzhou, which use the remote East bus station in the northeast of town, the latter connected by bus #502 to the long-distance bus station and #503 to the train station. To reach town from here go to the long-distance bus station first, then head south on #151.

Since the Grand Canal has been so important for Hangzhou, it would seem appropriate to arrive here by boat - and there are still daily passenger services connecting Hangzhou with Suzhou and Wuxi, both arriving in the morning and leaving in the early evening. The dock is on the Grand Canal in the far northeast of town, and bus #305 into town passes very near here. There is also an irregular boat service connecting Hangzhou with Huangshan in Anhui Province via the Xin'an River and Thousand Island Lake; enquire at the ferry jetty for the latest on its availability. For tickets and more detailed information on the canal boats, consult a travel service.