Bus #38 goes to and from the airport in the northwest of town to the fairly central train and bus station near the northern bank of the river. The Dongguan hotel, at 2 Jiang Wan Lu (tel 0432/2454272; ¥200-300), along the river, is cavernous and frayed but puts you smack in the city centre. Another option is the new Jilin International, at 20 Zhongxing Jie (tel 0432/2929818, fax 2556161; ¥200-300), right in front of the train station. The most luxurious place in town, with its own dance hall, is the Milky Way ( Yinhe), to the west at 175 Songjiang Lu (tel 0432/4841780, fax 4841621; ¥300-500). It's also convenient, with a Bank of China branch just next door. There's a string of guesthouses in front of the train station, and most will be happy to have your business, but some will say it's "not safe" to put you in a dorm. You can be persistent, or pay for a double for yourself. One yielding establishment is the Railway Guesthouse, at 401 Zhongxing Jie (dorms up to ¥30, doubles ¥100-150). They also have a luggage room, convenient if you're heading out to Songhua Lake. If you're going to Changbai Shan, it's worthwhile talking to the very helpful CITS office in the Dongguan Hotel, room 124 (tel 0432/2443442, fax 2456786). The Yintong Tourist Company (tel 0432/4841780 ext 285 or 209), inside the Milky Way hotel, is also very helpful, with train and airline schedules posted - they'll photocopy one for you for ¥1. They also organize tours to the surrounding area.

The main Bank of China and post office are across from each other on opposite sides of Jilin Dajie, just north of the bridge, church and Dongguan Hotel. Chongqing Jie, a diagonal road that runs from the post office northeast to the train station, is lined with good restaurants and features Jilin's trendiest watering hole, Casablanca.