Shenyang airport , the busiest in the northeast with flights to Irkutsk, Osaka and Seoul plus daily domestic connections to all major Chinese cities, lies 20km south of the city and is linked to the CAAC office in the centre by an airport bus.

Five lines converge on Shenyang's two main train stations . You'll arrive at the South station , the larger and more central one, if you've come from Beijing or farther south. The newer North station , serving destinations to the north of Shenyang, is out of the centre; take trolley bus #5 from here to Zhongshan Square and the South station. (Note that tickets from Beijing say North station on them, but stop at the South one first; getting off there is more convenient.) The long-distance bus station is in the northeast of town. To get into the centre from here, walk east to Wanghua Jie and get bus #325, which terminates at the South station.

Shenyang is very spread out and trying to walk anywhere is frustrating. Taxis are widely available, and are either a new VW or an ageing Lada. Flagfall is ¥7 for 4km, ¥1.5 per km thereafter; a taxi to or between most of the sights is around ¥10, though to the East Tomb from the South station it's about ¥35. Alternatively, the local bus and trolley bus system is extensive and not too crowded. Bus maps can be bought outside the stations.