Airlines CAAC is at 87 Zhongshan Lu (tel 2651188). In summer Shanghai Airlines, at 224 Zhongshan Lu (tel 2637953), sells tickets at half price to anyone with a student card on certain flights to Beijing and Shanghai. If you're leaving the city by plane, allow plenty of time to get to the airport through the traffic. An airport bus runs from outside the CAAC office every twenty minutes (¥10).

Banks and exchange The Bank of China is on Hongjun Jie (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm). The office for travellers' cheques and credit-card advances is just round the corner.

Ferry A ferry service operates in summer to Jiamusi (27hr), a town 200km farther east. The ferry terminal is towards the eastern end of Stalin Park.

Internet A new post office branch (Mon-Sat 8am-6pm) at Xi Shi Si Dao Jie, off of Zhongyang Da Jie, has Internet access for ¥5 per hour.

Post office The main post office is at 51 Jianshe Jie (Mon-Sat 8am-6pm).

PSB Shi San Dao Jie, off Zhongyang Dajie (Mon-Fri 8-11am & 2-5pm).

Telephones There's a telecom office (24hr) on Fendou Lu. The telephone code for Harbin is 0451.

Travel agents Harbin has a number of services that can arrange travel for you. CITS, who can arrange tickets for onward travel, is in the grounds of the Swan Hotel at 73 Zhongshan Lu (Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm; tel 2324114). More convenient and probably more useful is the Heilongjiang Overseas Tourist Corporation at 235 Huayuan Jie, in Nangang District (tel 3633613, fax 3621022). Both organizations can arrange tours to areas farther north, including specialist hunting, fishing, skiing and bird-watching tours. The Longyun Hotel does packages to Yabuli. The Heilongjiang New Century International Travel Service, at 49 Hong Xiajie (tel 4672888, fax 4612143), runs four- and five-day trips to and over the Russian border. Check with them for visa information. At 93 Zhongshan Lu, in the Poly Plaza building, a small agency based out of a booth sells train and airline tickets. They have free timetables, too, and are patient and helpful.