Airlines The main CAAC reservations and ticketing office is at 160 Tiyuchang Lu in the north of town (daily 8.15am-6pm; tel 5154259 domestic flight schedules, tel 5152575 reservations). CAAC buses to the airport (¥10) leave here approximately 2hr 30min before each flight's departure.

Banks and exchange The Bank of China head office is at 140 Yan'an Bei Lu (Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm & Sat 8am-12.30pm), immediately north of Qingchun Lu. You can change travellers' cheques in any of the smaller branches as well, and at upmarket hotels if you're a guest.

Bike rental The cheapest place is obscurely located on Nanshan Lu (lakeside) towards the southern end of the eastern shore of Xi Hu (8am-8.30pm; ¥1 per hour, ¥200 deposit). Most of the big hotels now also rent bikes - the Huaqiao Hotel and the Wangguo each rent for ¥5-6 an hour, with a ¥400 deposit.

Buses For Ningbo and Shaoxing, there are frequent private buses from the main train station's square; for Shanghai and points in Jiangsu, buses arrive at and leave from the North bus station, isolated in the far north of town on Mogan Shan Lu. For Huangshan, use the West Bus station located west of Hangzhou University on Tianmu Shan Lu. Wenzhou and Fujian Province buses leave from the South bus station, five minutes' walk south of the main train station on the corner of Dong Bao Lu and Qiushou Lu. To all destinations except perhaps Shaoxing and Ningbo, the train is more convenient, more comfortable and often cheaper.

Hospitals The most central is the Shengzhong Hospital, on Youdian Lu three blocks east of the lake (tel 70688001). Hangda Hospital, inside the Hangzhou University campus, is most convenient for the northern part of town (tel 7072524), with Zhejiang Hospital best located for those on the western side of the lake (tel 7987373).

Internet The Lanshan Café, on the south side of Jiefang and Hubin Lu, has good connection speed at reasonable prices.

Post office The main post office is just north of the train station on Huancheng Dong Lu.

PSB For visa extensions, enquire at the City Government office in the centre of town, on the southwest corner of the junction between Jiefang Lu and Yan'an Lu.

Shopping There is a night market on Wushan Lu running parallel one block east of Yan'an Lu between Pinghai Lu and Youdian Lu, with street sellers peddling the usual jumble of wares ranging from Yixing teapots to daggers and seals. On Nanshan Lu across the street from the art institute, there are several art galleries worth poking around. The Hangzhou Silk and Brocade Shop and the retail shop of Wangxingji Fan Factory, at nos. 1 and 8 Hubin Lu respectively, on the northeast shore of the lake, have some of the best selection and prices for silk in the city.

Telephones IDD calls are most easily made with phone cards from hotels. The telephone code for Hangzhou is 0571.

Tourist Office The Hangzhou Tourist Information Centre, on the northern corner of Jiefang Lu and Hubin Lu, has an enthusiastic English-speaking staff dispensing maps, brochures and advice (tel 7012003; daily 8am-4pm).

Trains The main train station contains a very convenient soft-seat ticket office for foreigners (Mon-Sat 8-11.30am & 1-4.30pm) on the left as you enter the station. For hard seats or hard sleepers, queue inside the station at window no. 1 or 2.

Travel agents Nearly all hotels have their own travel agencies. Otherwise, CITS is on the north shore of the lake, on a hillock above the junction of Beishan Lu and Baoshu Lu. Walk through the main gate and the office is 80m ahead to the left (daily 8.30am-5pm; tel 5152888, fax 5156667).