A five-kilometre-wide semicircle immediately north of the Hong Kong border, Shenzhen is evenly bisected by the rail line which descends straight down Jianshe Lu and over the crossing, with the downtown area occupying the two square kilometres east of the rail line, and between Jiefang Lu and the border.

Shenzhen's international airport is 20km west, with a shuttle bus (¥15) operating between here and the Airlines Hotel on Shennan Dong Lu. The port lies 15km west at Shekou , where ferries from Macau, Zhuhai and Hong Kong pull in throughout the day, and is served thrice hourly by the #113 bus (¥6) to the train station area. Shenzen's train station is in a vast square, right on the Hong Kong border at the southern end of Jianshe Lu, with the ticket office upstairs. The first train to Guangzhou is 6.10am; the last train to Guangzhou (the East station) is at 10pm. You'll also wind up here if you caught the MTR to the Hong Kong side and walked across into Shenzhen, or arrived by bus ; the long-distance bus station is on the eastern side of the station area. Taxis and minibuses roam everywhere, and the city has an enviably efficient bus service. There are banks at the airport, ferry terminal and some hotels, with Jianshe Lu's suitably oversized Bank of China open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.

The cheapest places to eat are in the streets immediately north of Jiefang Lu, where Chinese canteens can fill you up with good dumplings, soups and stir-fries for around ¥18 per person. There are dozens of smarter options all through the centre, such as inexpensive casseroles at Renren Jiulou, east of the Airlines Hotel on Shennan Dong Lu; mantis shrimps, stonefish and other seafood at the Panxi, on the corner of Jianshe Lu and Jiabin Lu; fine northern cooking and an ornate red and gold exterior at the Beifang Fengwei, farther down Jianshe Lu; and upmarket snake, cat and wildfowl delights at the Tiecheng, west of the tracks on Heping Lu. The hotels have good restaurants, too, along with karaoke bars, interpreters and postal services.

Moving on , the Hong Kong border is open daily 7am-9pm. There's a lack of directional signs in the vicinity; just walk south and look for an overpass lined with souvenir stalls and pet shops. Border formalities on both sides are streamlined, and it shouldn't take more than an hour to find yourself waiting for the Hong Kong metro. Larger hotels such as the Airlines, Dragon, Far East and Landmark can all make transport reservations.