Kunming's busy airport is out in the southeastern suburbs, with the new international and domestic terminal buildings next to each other. At the south side of the square outside you'll find a CAAC bus which meets arrivals and runs via some of the downtown hotels to the Yunnan Air offices on Tuodong Lu for ¥5. There are also slightly cheaper public minibuses to various places around the centre (not an option if you have much luggage), and squadrons of taxis hassling new arrivals for ¥20-80 for a ride into town - it's hard work haggling them down to the ¥11 or so it should cost using the meter.

The various long-distance bus stations and Kunming train station are down at the seedy southern end of Beijing Lu, their forecourts thick with characters hawking rank-smelling goat skins dyed to resemble tiger and leopard pelts. From here, bus #23 runs right up to the North train station past hotels and the Dongfeng Lu intersection, where you should alight and head east for further accommodation prospects. You'll end up at the North train station only if you're arriving from the Vietnamese border or southeastern Yunnan. There's also the Western bus station on Renmin Xi Lu, of most use for excursions around Kunming, though a few long-distance services also might terminate here.

Kunming is not too large to walk around, and bicycles are readily rented from several of the hotels (see "Accommodation"). Otherwise, there are plenty of taxis (¥8 standing charge) and public buses cruising the main streets, and you can stay up to date with the ever-changing routes by picking up a bus map from street sellers.